University of Missouri
Illinois
No. 19 @MizzouGym Erupts for a 196.225 in Season Opening Wins Over Illinois and Ball State
1/6/2017 10:18:00 PM | Gymnastics
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 19 Missouri gymnastics team opened the 2017 season with a bang as the team erupted for a 196.225 to defeat No. 24 Illinois (194.200) and Ball State (193.625) Friday night at the Hearnes Center. The Tigers' score was the highest opening-meet score in program history, easily surpassing the 195.350 recorded in 2016 and 2004.
Juniors Kennedi Harris (Atlanta, Georgia) and Becca Schugel (Eagan, Minnesota), sophomores Madeleine Huber (St. Louis, Missouri) and Britney Ward (Ozark, Missouri) and freshman Aspen Tucker (Lehigh Acres, Florida) all earned wins on the night.
Huber tied for the fifth-highest bars score in Mizzou history with a 9.925 to take the victory on the apparatus, besting her old career high of 9.875. Harris and Schugel each tallied 9.850s on floor to share the win and Ward took top honors on vault with a 9.825. In her first collegiate meet, Tucker earned the all-around victory with a total score of 39.175.
As a team, Mizzou tallied scores of 49.200 on bars, 49.175 on beam, which tied the 10th-best score in team history, and a 49.075 on floor.
The Tigers opened the meet with a 48.775 on vault, led by Ward's 9.825. Harris and Huber added 9.775s to pace the squad.
In the second rotation, Missouri hit its stride with a bars score of 9.200, a total that would have been the second-highest total during the 2016 season. Huber's 9.925 highlighted the event but Schugel and junior Shauna Miller (Knoxville, Tennessee) earned scores of 9.850 and Tucker notched a 9.800.
Mizzou stayed hot on beam as five different Tigers tallied scores of 9.800 or higher. Schugel, Tucker and junior Tia Allbritten (Garland, Texas) all received 9.850s, senior Alyson Heimsath (Houston, Texas) earned a 9.825 and sophomore Allison Bower (Mesa, Arizona) added a 9.800. Returners Allbritten and Heimsath both tied their career highs on the event.
The squad concluded the night with a 49.075 on floor, with Harris and Schugel tying for the win with identical scores of 9.850. Tucker ended her impressive debut with a 9.825, while Bower and Huber each added 9.775s.
Missouri hits the road for a pair of away meets next weekend. First, Mizzou heads to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to face No. 17 Arkansas on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. CT in a meet broadcast live on SEC Network . The team then travels to St. Charles, Missouri, on Sunday, Jan. 15 to take on Lindenwood and Southeast Missouri in the State of Missouri meet at 3 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
