April 8, 2006

Results

ATHENS, Ga. - For the second-consecutive year, the Missouri gymnastics team finished third with a 195.325 at the NCAA Regionals to narrowly miss the program's first team national championship appearance. Top-ranked Georgia won the Southeast Regional with a 197.425 while Nebraska also qualified for nationals as the Huskers finished second with a 196.350. North Carolina finished fourth with a 194.300, while West Virginia scored and North Carolina State both scored a 193.925 to tie for fifth.

Freshman Adrianne Perry became the sixth Tiger gymnast to qualify for the national championships as an all-around competitor in program history. She finished sixth in the all-around with a 39.225 but the top two all-around finishers not on qualifying team advance to the national championships.

"We went out and probably had one of our better meets but it just wasn't quite enough," said Missouri head coach Rob Drass. "We hit 23-of-24 routines and I don't know that any other team did that. The kids gave it their all but we came up just a little bit short."

"I'm very proud of the team," Drass said. "We had a great year and will probably finish higher than we've ever finished before. We're going to hold our heads up high and be proud of what we've done."

After a bye in the first rotation, the Tigers opened their night on floor, their weakest event all season. Despite the absence of junior Whitney Crater, who tore her Achilles last week, the Tigers started strong with a 48.950 on the event. Senior Lauren Schwartzman led Mizzou with a 9.850 as she tied for seventh place while freshman Adrianne Perry scored a 9.825. In the floor lineup for just the fourth time all season, senior Sarah Zigler notched a 9.775 to tie her career-high.

In the third rotation, the Tigers recorded a 48.775 on vault to bring their total team score after to 97.725 halfway through the meet. Sophomore Nicole Bowman scored a 9.650 in the leadoff position, which marked the first time all season Bowman competed in the vault lineup. Perry had another strong showing and tied for fourth on the event as she scored a 9.850 and junior Jodie Heinicka posted a 9.800

Heinicka, the nation's fourth-best bars competitor, notched a 9.900 in her final performance on the event in her collegiate career. The score was good enough to tie the senior for second place on the event behind the Georgia's Courtney Kupets and Kelsey Erickson, who stand second and third in country, respectively. Freshman Alicia Hatcher posted a 9.800 on the event to tie for eighth while Perry and Zigler both scored 9.750s. With a 48.925 on bars in the fifth rotation, Missouri sat in third place with a 146.650 heading into the sixth and final rotation.

The squad concluded the night on their strongest event but struggled on the apparatus as the team scored a 48.625. Schwartzman finished her collegiate career with a 9.875 on the event to finish fourth on the event. Perry concluded her great night with a 9.800.

"Adrianne did a wonderful job," said Drass. "She's really starting to understand how to compete well. It will be a great learning experience for her and hopefully she can come back with All-American honors."

"I'm very excited by very disappointed that we didn't make it as a team," said Perry. "That would have been twice as exciting but I'm looking forward to getting back in the gym for another two weeks. I just want to have fun at nationals."

Perry will travel to Corvallis, Ore., for the national championships on April 20. If she qualifies for the individual event finals, Perry will also compete on April 22.