Jan. 26, 2011
Live Coverage From Gymnastike.org
COLUMBIA, MO.--The Missouri Gymnastics Team will head to Dallas, Texas this weekend to face three nationally ranked teams at the Metroplex Challenge. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, Missouri, Nebraska, LSU and Alabama will face off at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena. The event will be covered live by Gymnastike.org. A direct link to coverage is available at the top of this page.
Last Time Out
Missouri traveled to Ames, Iowa to face the Iowa State Cyclones at their Beauty and the Beast Meet last weekend. Mizzou recorded its second highest score of the season, but it was not enough, and the Tigers dropped 195.250-194.550.
Mary Burke pulled in her second consecutive all-around title with a score of 39.200. The title marks the third of her career.
The meet at Iowa State was Missouri's first start on bars this season. The Tigers started off strong, scoring a season high 48.875 and continued to perform on vault with a 48.650. The Cyclones took the lead after the second rotation, but Missouri kept the team on its toes by posting a 48.800 on floor.
The Cyclones now lead the regular season series history 27-26.
Scouting Nebraska...
Coming in at No. 10 in the national poll this week, the Cornhuskers are sitting on a 1-2 record after falling to Utah at their home opener. The team started off their season in Gainesville, Fla. where they dropped 196.925-194.95 to the No. 1-ranked Gators. Nebraska also opened the conference season against Iowa State, defeating the Cyclones 195.45-194.725. Senior Erin Davis is tied for second in the nation on vault, and junior Laura Evenstad comes in at fifth on floor. The Tigers and the Huskers have met up 76 times in program history, and Missouri holds a regular season record of 4-32-0 against Nebraska.
Looking at LSU...
The 25th-ranked Tigers and the Missouri Tigers have seen each other 29 times over the course of the Mizzou Gymnastics program history. Mizzou is 5-13-0 in this series during regular season match-ups. LSU will head to the Metroplex Challenge on a three-meet losing streak. The Tigers have fallen to No. 7 Oregon State, No. 22 Auburn and No. 1 Florida this season. LSU is up for a challenging schedule as five of the team's next nine opponents fall in the nation's Top 25. Holding the No. 25 spot, this week marks the 142nd consecutive week that the Tigers have appeared in GymInfo's Top 25. The Tigers posted a season-high 49.125 on vault against the Gators last week to move up to the No. 10-ranked competitor on vault.
A peek at Alabama...
The Crimson Tide are holding strong this season, heading to the Metroplex Challenge on an undefeated season. Coming in at No. 6 in the nation, Alabama has defeated No. 23 Penn State, No. 14 Boise State and Arkansas this season. In last week's meet against the Boise State Broncos, the Crimson Tide scored a 196.325 to best the Broncos in front of a season-high 13,636 fans. The attendance set the national attendance record for the season so far. After last weekend's performance, Alabama jumped six spots to No. 6 on GymInfo's National Poll. The Crimson Tide boast seven different gymnasts who rank in the top 20 this week, three who are ranked on multiple events. Missouri holds a 0-12-0 regular season record against Alabama, and the two teams have seen each other 23 times throughout program history.
Tigers from Texas...
Just under half of Missouri's gymnasts will be heading home this weekend when the Tigers travel to Dallas, Texas for the Metroplex Challenge. Freshmen Cathryn Aliceaacosta, Alex Skinner and Katelyn Trevino all come from the Lone Star State as well as junior Allie Heizelman and senior Alex Gold. Gold will be the closest to home as she hails from Plano, Texas where she trained at the Metroplex in the early days of her career. Gold qualified for the Junior Olympics in 2001, 2002 and 2006 and was the Texas State Level 10 Champion on vault in 2005.
Mary Burke Earns Second Big 12 Weekly Award...
Junior Mary Burke was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 25 and Jan. 18 by the Big 12 Conference. The most recent award comes after Burke earned her second, consecutive all-around title this season. Burke scored a 39.200 to top Iowa State's Michelle Shealy who put up a 39.125. The award marks Burke's third of her career as she previously earned the award in January of 2010 as well. Burke led the Tigers to a 194.925-192.825 victory over SEMO on January 15 with a 39.225 all-around score. Burke took the all-around title at the event, and was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 18. "It's an honor to be recognized because there are so many good gymnasts in this conference," Burke said. "The Big 12 is a tough conference and to be recognized in the second week of the season is an awesome achievement."
Looking Ahead...
Mizzou will return to the Hearnes Center for another match-up against Nebraska next week as well as for the annual Pink Out meet. The Fighting Illini will travel to Columbia for the event. February 4 will mark Youth Jersey Night, where all children ages 14 and under receive free entrance if they wear a jersey to the meet. One dollar from each ticket sale for the annual Pink Out meet will go to benefit cancer research, and the first 500 fans to enter the Hearnes Center will receive a free t-shirt.
Mizzou in the National Polls...
The Tigers clocked in at No. 16 in the nation on vault this week with an average of 48.783. Missouri recorded their highest score of the season on vault (48.900) against West Virginia at the Cancun Classic. The Tigers also sit at No. 19 in the uneven bar rankings. Missouri boasts a season high score of 48.875 on bars with a season average 48.708.
Tigers Take Beauty and the Beast...
Missouri rebounded from its season opener with a victory over SEMO at Beauty and the Beast. In their home arena the Tigers scored a 194.925 to top SEMO's 192.825. Junior Mary Burke took the all-around title scoring a 39.225, just over Alex Gold's 38.875. The Tigers took the lead in the meet after the first rotation, holding it the entire meet. Tori Howard and Taylor Medrea earned career high scores on floor, and Gold set hers on bars.
A Look at Beauty and the Beast...
The Tigers are 5-0 in Beauty and the Beast history. The event draws in an average of over 5, 000 people each year. Last year's Beauty and the Beast meet saw the Tigers hosting New Hampshire, while wrestling matched up against Oklahoma. The Tigers came out on top with a 195.125-192.975 victory. Shire earned her third all-around title of the season, the 16th of her career, and Mary Burke took the bars title while finishing second in the all-around. Lauren Swankoski took the third place spot.
Date Opponent Score Attendance 2/9/07 SEMO W: 194.775-192.700 6,197 2/8/08 Centenary W: 195.800-192.325 6,308 2/13/09 Illinois W: 196.625-195.000 4,147 2/6/10 New Hampshire W: 195.125-192.975 4,041 1/15/11 SEMO W: 194.925-192.825 2,553
Tigers look to come back from Cancun Classic...
The first meet of 2011 found Missouri across the border in Cancun, Mexico for the Cancun Classic. After taking an early lead after the first rotation, the Tigers struggled to keep up with the Mountaineers. Missouri held off West Virginia until the third rotation when the Mountaineers took the lead by one point. Alex Gold placed third in the all-around with a score of 38.150. Sophomore Sandra Ostad topped her career high on bars with a score of 9.775. The score earned her a first place spot in the meet.
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.