McCrary, Schaffer Qualify for NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships
4/5/2021 9:05:00 AM | Gymnastics
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior Hannah McCrary (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and freshman Sydney Schaffer (Andover, Kan.) of the Mizzou gymnastics team both earned berths to the 2021 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships as individual qualifiers following their performances at the 2021 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional on April 2. The duo will compete in the first semifinal session on Friday, April 16 at Noon CT at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Schaffer earned an invitation on beam as the highest beam scorer not on a qualifying team from second round action at the Tuscaloosa Regional on Friday, as she recorded a career-high 9.95 on the apparatus.
McCrary notched a 9.925 on floor, which tied her career-best, to earn her spot to the NCAA Championships. Her score was matched by two other non-qualifying individuals but McCrary claimed the berth on the second tiebreaker, which was highest head judge score.
McCrary and Schaffer will rotate with California in the afternoon semifinal, with McCrary scheduled to compete in the first rotation and Schaffer in the final rotation.
A freshman, Schaffer competed on beam in every meet in 2021 and notched seven scores of 9.8 or better, including five of 9.85 or higher. The 9.95 at the NCAA second round was a season-best, bettering a 9.9 scored at LSU in the regular season finale. Schaffer also entered the vault and floor lineups in the later part of the season and tallied career-bests of 9.85 on floor on in the regional final and 9.825 on floor in the second round.
A three-event competitor, McCrary was in the floor and beam lineups in all 11 meets and was in the vault lineup 10 times. She led the Tigers with five scores of 9.9 or better on floor on the season, and notched scores of 9.925 in the second round and a 9.9 in the regional final last weekend. McCrary also tallied career-highs of 9.85 on beam three times in 2021 and went for a season-best 9.85 on vault in the NCAA second round.
McCrary and Schaffer stand as the 11th and 13th Tiger gymnasts to earn individual qualifications to NCAAs in program history, and the second and third as event specialists.
2021 NCAA Championships Qualifiers – NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional
Teams: Oklahoma, Alabama
All-Around: Kennedy Hambrick, Arkansas
Vault: Angelica Labat, Illinois State
Bars: Maggie O'Hara, Arkansas
Beam: Sydney Schaffer, Mizzou
Floor: Hannah McCrary: Mizzou
Players Mentioned
