Jan. 4, 2011
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COLUMBIA, MO. - Mizzou Gymnastics will appear in its first regular season meet on Jan. 7 at the Cancun Classic in Cancun, Mexico. The Tigers will face the West Virginia Mountaineers for the first time since 2009. The meet is set to begin at 6 p.m. central time, and fans can follow along on the team's Twitter page (TigerGymnastics) for live scoring updates.
Cancun Classic History...
The Tigers last made an appearance at the Cancun Classic in 2007. Mizzou came out with a fourth place finish under Iowa State, Auburn and BYU. Mizzou earned a 47.550 on bars to start off the meet, but as the events progressed the Tigers continued to improve. Missouri earned a 48.575 on floor and 48.750 on vault. Katie Kluga scored a career high 9.800 on bars to help out her team. Then senior Amanda Pezzullo tied for second on vault with a score of 9.875.
Last Time vs. West Virginia...
The Tigers and the Mountaineers met up in 2009 in Norman, Okla. Missouri earned a score of 196.000 to take second in the meet behind Oklahoma. Then a junior, Sarah Shire earned her sixth all-around title of the season, and Adrianne Perry came in second with a 39.300. Allie Heizelman, a freshman at the time, earned a season high 9.775 on bars
Season Outlook: After one of the most successful season in program history, Missouri Gymnastics is looking to repeat its record breaking season.
"We are looking to do what we did last season," Head Coach Rob Drass said. "We would like to qualify to the National Championships and definitely make a run at the Big 12 Championship."
After saying good-bye to four seniors, including Mizzou's most decorated gymnast, Sarah Shire, the Tigers are left with one senior, two juniors, and four sophomores. A group of six freshmen help round out the 2011 Tiger Gymnastics Squad. Don't let the youth of this team fool you, however. Drass is confident in the abilities of the newcomers.
"We look for a lot of youth and excitement going into this season, which we will temper with experience and confidence. As we move forward we expect good things, but it is going to take a little bit of time this year with the team being so young."
After testing the waters at the annual Black and Gold Intrasquad Meet, Mizzou gymnastics will hit the practice gym until early January to focus on healing injuries and preparing for the regular season. The season will open against West Virginia at the Cancun Classic in Cancun, Mexico on January 7.
"If we can stay heathy and do well, our goals can be accomplished this season," said Drass.
Black Outshines Gold...
The Tigers' annual Black and Gold Intrasquad meet was held on Dec. 10 to give Mizzou a chance to get out of the gym and compete in front of judges before the regular season begins. The Black Squad took the win with a 151.750-151.225 final score. Missouri's only senior, Alex Gold, led the Black Squad with her 38.325 all-around total. Gold led the Black Squad in three out of the four rotations. She finished with a 9.875 on vault, 9.650 on bars and a 9.700 on beam. She closed out her fourth rotation with a 9.100 on floor. Sophomore Lauren Swankoski shone for the Gold Squad at the Black and Gold Meet. She came in just under Alex Gold on the vault with a 9.800. She recorded the same on beam, and she finished the evening with a 9.850 on her floor routine. Sophomore Lauren Swankoski shone for the Gold Squad at tonight's meet. She came in just under Alex Gold on the vault with a 9.800. She recorded the same on beam, and she finished the evening with a 9.850 on her floor routine.
Preseason Progress...
The Tigers clocked in at No. 13 on GymInfo's 2011 Women's Preseason Coaches Poll released on Dec. 1. Missouri will face nine ranked opponents this season including No. 12 LSU, No. 10 Nebraska, No. 2 Alabama, and No. 4 Oklahoma, among others. Mizzou sits above Big 12 opponent Iowa State, who came in at No. 22 in the poll. Missouri finished the 2010 season at No. 12, their highest end-of-season ranking in program history.
Looking Ahead...
After opening regular season competition at the Cancun Classic, Missouri opens their home season at the annual Beauty and the Beast meet. Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, the Gymnastics team will take on SEMO while the Mizzou Wrestlers face Chattanooga and SIUE. Mizzou will hit the road for the next two weeks, first heading to Iowa State on Jan. 21 then to Dallas, Texas for the Metroplex Challenge on Jan. 29. The Tigers can also look forward to the Big 12 Championships which will take place in the Hearnes Center this season. The meet is scheduled for March 19 at 2 p.m. Missouri is preparing for a tough schedule with nine nationally ranked opponents to look forward to this season.
Banner Season...
Mizzou Gymnastics had one of the most decorated seasons in program history in 2010. The Tigers finished third at the Big 12 Championship and advanced to NCAA Regionals where they snagged a first place finish. Missouri continued on to the NCAA National Championship for the first time in program history. Sarah Shire also finished the 2010 season with a lot of hardware. The four-time All-American stands as Missouri's most decorated gymnast after taking home two straight Big 12 All-Around titles, a second place floor finish at Nationals and a fifth place finish on vault at Nationals as well. She was named NCAA South Central Region's Gymnast of the Year and Co-Big 12 Gymnast of the year for the second consecutive year. Shire holds the school record of 11 All-Around titles in a single season and is also the only gymnast to earn a spot on all five all-conference teams. Throughout her career, Shire was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week 13 times, which is the most in conference history.
Senior Solo...
Senior Alex Gold is holding down the fort as Mizzou Gymnastics' only senior this season. She had a promising start to the year, leading the Black Squad to a win over the Gold at the annual Black and Gold Intrasquad meet. She pulled in a 38.325 all-around score, which was the highest at the meet. The Tigers graduated four seniors after the 2010 season to leave the leadership position to Gold. The Plano, Texas native stands as one of Missouri's top vaulters. At one point in the 2010 season Gold sat at No. 9 in the Big 12 and No. 43 in the nation on vault. She has a 9.925 career high on the event, which she tallied during her sophomore season. She earned a tie for a second place finish on vault at the Columbia Regional in 2010 where she also earned a season high 9.900 on the event.
Continuing the Success...
Junior Mary Burke is looking to continue her success this year. As one of two juniors on the team this season, Burke will prove a strong competitor. She was ranked at No. 27 in the nation in the All-Around last season and held the No. 2 spot in the conference behind Sarah Shire. At NCAA Regionals Burke matched her career-high 9.850 score on vault and finished tied for third on beam. With a long list of achievements under her belt already, Burke hopes to continue her success in 2011.
Tigers Welcome Three...
Missouri Gymnastics welcomes three new additions for the 2012 season. Evansville, Ind. native, Laura Kappler, will join the Tigers as a walk-on next season. Kappler trained at Revolution Gymnastics under coach Carly Cresswell-Watson. Rachel Updkike and Colleen Mulcahy have signed National letters of Intent to join the Mizzou Gymnastics family. Updike is a native of Olathe, Kan. where she trained at Kansas Gymnastics, and Cheer. She competed as both a Level 10 and Elite gymnast. Mulcahy comes to Mizzou from Orland Park, Ill. where she trained at Arena Gymnastics under the direction of Dan and Beth Miller.