Dec. 1, 2010

COLUMBIA, MO. - The Missouri Gymnastics Team will begin their 2011 season ranked at No. 13 in the nation, as released by GymInfo's 2011 Women's Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday. With 479 votes, the Tigers sit above Big 12 opponent Iowa State who came in at No. 22 on the poll.

Missouri finished its 2009-2010 season ranked at No. 12, the highest end-of-season ranking in program history. The team was the first Mizzou gymnastics team to win a NCAA Regional Championship and continue onto the NCAA National Championships.

In the 2011 season, the Tigers match up against nine ranked teams, including No. 12 LSU, No. 10 Nebraska, No. 2 Alabama, and No. 4 Oklahoma, among others. The Tigers rank above several opponents including Illinois, Southern Utah and Ohio State who came in at No. 17, 20 and 30, respectively.

The 2011 season starts on Friday, Dec. 10 when Mizzou hosts its annual Black and Gold Exhibition meet. The competition starts at 7 p.m. in the Hearnes Center. Missouri will continue on to the Cancun Classic in Cancun, Mexico on Jan. 7 to kick off the season. Fans can keep up with Mizzou Gymnastics on MUTigers.com and on the team's social media sites including Facebook and Twitter.