March 23, 2002
Lincoln, Neb.-At the 2002 Big XII Championships, No. 25 ranked Missouri finished fourth with a team score of 195.475. It is the highest score Mizzou has posted during a conference championship-the score beats out the previous record of 194.550 scored at the Big XII Championship in 1999-it is also the second highest score the Tigers have recorded in Mizzou history. Missouri finished behind No. 7 ranked Nebraska (196.725), No. 8 ranked Iowa State (196.650) and No. 6 ranked Oklahoma (196.125).
The Tigers opened the conference meet scoring a 48.650 on the vault. Alisha Robinson and Lindsay Davis led the Tigers throwing 9.825 routines while Andrea Nervig and Alina Hamm contributed to Mizzou's sixth highest scores in school history nailing a 9.750 and 9.725, respectively.
In the second rotation, Missouri scored a 48.900 on the uneven bars to set a new record on the apparatus during conference championship competition. Leading the pack. Robinson and Nervig both scored a 9.850 and Hamm put up a 9.800. Also helping the Tigers, Davis scored a 9.750 and freshman Rachael Dombart recorded a 9.650 for Mizzou.
The Tigers lit up the arena on the balance beam throwing record and career high marks with almost every routine. Junior Rachel Bridges started Mizzou on the apparatus topping her career with a 9.875. Dombart used her second event of the evening to make history. The freshman recorded a 9.925 to tie a Missouri all-time record and set a new MU freshman and Tiger conference championship record on the apparatus. Also scoring for Missouri, Davis put up a career high 9.825 and freshman Ashley Asraf rounded out the event with a career tying 9.850 to help the Tigers score 48.775 as a team-the ninth highest score in Mizzou history and a new conference championship mark.
|
|
 |
Finishing up on the floor, Missouri once again posted a new conference championship mark tallying a 49.150. The mark also ties for the sixth highest score in Tiger history on the floor exercise. Building to the record, Nervig and Forbes both set a new MU conference championship high scoring a 9.875. Bridges set another career high on the evening nailing a 9.850 routine and Asraf boosted the Tigers with a 9.800.
In the all-around, Davis led the Tigers with the second highest score of her career posting a 39.175 to once again top Missouri's conference championship performance list. Robinson finished with a 38.725.
In the awards ceremony following the meet, Nervig and Robinson each received conference recognition for tying fifth on the uneven bars and Dombart was honored as a second place finisher tying with the meet all-around champion Sissy Huey from Iowa State. Highlighting the awards ceremony, Alisha Robinson was named 2002 Big XII Freshman of the Year and Head Coach Rob Drass was honored as the Big XII Co-Head Coach of the Year sharing the title with Oklahoma's Steve Nuno.
After a successful conference finish, the Tigers eagerly await the promise of further competition. The season isn't over yet for Mizzou as it is scheduled to compete in the regional competition on April 6, 2002. Seeding is still to be determined.
