Feb. 1, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri closes out its regular season Big 12 Conference action when the Tigers travel to Ames, Iowa, for a 7 p.m. meet against the No. 11 Cyclones on Friday, Feb. 2 at Hilton Coliseum. The meet marks the last time until the Big 12 Championship on March 31 that Mizzou will face a conference opponent.
Live stats will be available at Iowa State's Official Web Site: www.cyclones.com.
Mizzou in the rankings
Missouri continued to improve on its national ranking, coming in at 20th in this week's GymInfo Top 25 with an average score of 193.869. All four Big 12 programs are ranked in the poll, with Nebraska (195.908) sixth, Oklahoma (195.408) eighth and Iowa State (195.150) 11th. Rankings will be based on average score for the first five polls and will then switch to Regional Qualifying Score (RQS).
An RQS is calculated by taking the six highest scores of the season, of which at least three must be from an away meet. The highest overall score is dropped and the remaining five scores are averaged to get the RQS.
On individual events, the Tigers rank 17th on floor, 20th on vault, 23rd on beam and 29th on bars, and. In the South Central Region, Mizzou clocks
in at sixth overall and sixth on vault, seventh on bars, seventh on beam and fifth on floor.
Last time out
In a conference clash on Friday, Jan. 26, the Tigers put bested their previous season-high by almost a full point but fell to No. 7 Nebraska 196.800-195.000 at the Hearnes Center.
The Tigers scored season-highs on vault (48.950) and bars (48..725) and had career-highs from three different athletes. Sophomore Adrianne Perry set a new personal best and new sophomore record with a 9.925 on vault and posted a 9.900 on floor for a new mark on that event as well. Junior Julie Abaray notched a personal best on floor with a 9.850 and freshman Becky Scholle notched a 9.750 on bars.
Beauty and the Beast
On Friday, Feb. 9 the Mizzou gymnastics and wrestling teams will hit the Hearnes Center floor simultaneously in the Tigers' first annual Beauty and the Beast. At the same time the gymnastics team competes against Southeast Missouri State, the Tiger wrestlers will face off against Northern Iowa.
Career day
Last week's meet against Nebraska was a showcase for individual talent as three Tigers set a total of four career-highs and one other gymnast tied a personal best. Sophomore Adrianne Perry scored a 9.925 on vault and 9.900 on floor to set new marks, junior Julie Abaray notched a 9.850 on fl oor and freshman Becky Scholle recorded a 9.750 on bars. Additionally, junior Nikki Bowman tied her career-high with a 9.750 on vault.
Super Sophs
Although only two gymnasts deep, the sophomore class of Alicia Hatcher and Adrianne Perry is one of Mizzou's most productive. Together, the two Missouri natives hold Missouri's season-high scores on every event thus far. Perry set highs on vault and floor against Nebraska with a 9.925 and 9.900, respectively, while both she and Hatcher notched 9.825s on bars in the meet to set that event high. Hatcher also holds the beam high with a 9.900, which she recorded at Oklahoma.
What a difference a year makes
Junior Julie Abaray and Senior Amanda Pezzullo are two big reasons for the Tigers' success on floor this year. Last season, Abaray suffered a severe ankle sprain, which limited her to competing on floor in only four meets, with a season-high score of 9.775. Pezzullo competed on the event all of 2006 but her high score of 9.750 was due in part to her early lineup order.
This year, Abaray is healthy and Pezzullo has moved up in the lineup, which is reflected in their scores. Pezzullo has an event average of 9.792 including two consecutive 9.825s and Abaray's average is a 9.781, with a career-high 9.850 against Nebraska last week.
Vault on Top
Despite the loss of three routines from the 2006 season, vault has been the Tigers' strongest event thus far. The graduation of 2006 seniors Jodie Heinicka, Lauren Schwartzman and Sarah Zigler stripped Mizzou of half it's vault lineup but the 2007 edition has stepped up.
So far this season newcomers, freshmen Danielle Guider and Becky Scholle and juniors Nikki Bowman and Ashley Khederian (who competed vault as a freshman in 2005) have joined 2006 returnees Whitney Crater, Adrianne Perry and Amanda Pezzullo in the lineup. The Tigers scored a season-high 48.950 against Nebraska last weekend.
Tigers ranked nationally...
Four Tigers find themselves ranked in the top-100 nationally on different events in the fourth poll. Junior Katie Kluga is tied for 40th on the balance beam, sophomore Adrianne Perry is 44th in the all-around and tied for 87th on bars, senior Amanda Pezzullo is tied for 61st on floor and junior Julie Abaray is 68th on floor.
...and regionally
In addition to their national rankings, five Tigers are ranked in the top-30 in the South Central Region. Kluga is seventh on beam, Perry is seventh in the all-around and tied for 19th on bars and senior Amanda Pezzullo is tied for 12th on floor, 26th on vault and 30th on beam. Also, Abaray is 17th on floor and 21st on bars while junior Ashley Khederian is 18th on vault and 30th on bars.
Mizzou to host Big 12 Championship
For the first time since 2003, the Tigers will host the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship at the Hearnes Center on Saturday, March 31. The last time the meet was in Columbia, the Tigers finished third, which marked the first time since 1994 the squad finished better than fourth.
Tiger Tidbits
Julie Abaray
Scored a career-high 9.850 on floor against Nebraska to tie for fourth and posted a 9.800 on beam ... notched a 9.775 on floor and a 9.700 on bars against Oklahoma and Central Michigan ... tied for first on beam against Illinois with a 9.800 ... scored a career high tying 9.800 on floor at the Cancun Classic to finish in fourth place ... ranks 14th in the South Central Region and 68th nationally on floor and is tied for 29th on bars in the region.
Nikki Bowman
Tied her career-high with a 9.750 on vault against Nebraska ... led off the beam lineup with a 9.750 at Oklahoma ... recorded a 9.700 on vault against Illinois on Jan. 12 ... posted a 9.675 on bars and 9.625s on beam and floor at the Cancun Classic.
Whitney Crater
Had a 9.800 on vault against the Cornhuskers ... scored a 9.825 on vault to tie for second against Illinois ... in her first competition since suffering an Achilles tear in April, notched a 9.775 on vault at the Cancun Classic.
Danielle Guider
Recorded a career-high 9.825 on floor at Oklahoma to tie for third place ... competed on both vault and floor in her collegiate debut and did not disappoint with a 9.700 on vault ... entered the beam lineup against Illinois and notched a 9.575.
Alicia Hatcher
Tied for third on bars with a team season-high 9.825 against Nebraska ... scored a career-high 9.900 on beam to tie for third at Oklahoma ... also notched a 9.750 on floor against the Sooners ... finished second on beam against Illinois with a 9.700 ... recorded a 9.700 on floor at the Cancun Classic.
Ashley Khederian
Posted a season-high 9.700 on bars against the Huskers ... had a 9.775 on vault at Oklahoma to tie for fifth place ... also posted a 9.725 on floor ... scored a 9.725 on vault, 9.675 on bars and a 9.600 on floor against Illinois ... competed on three events at the Cancun Classic and notched a 9.775 on vault.
Katie Kluga
Led off beam against Nebraska and scored a 9.750 ... posted a career high 9.800 on beam at the Cancun Classic to tie for 10th place ... also notched a 9.675 on bars in Cancun ... tied for 27th nationally and is seventh in the SC Region on beam.
Adrianne Perry
Set career-highs on vault with a 9.925 and floor with a 9.900 against Nebraska ... the vault score set a new sophomore record on the event ... also scored a 9.825 on bars against the Huskers ... tied for the vault title with a career-high tying 9.875 at Oklahoma ... picked up the all-around crown against Illinois with a 39.150 on the night ... also won the bars, beam and floor titles against the Illini with scores of 9.775, 9.800 and 9.750, respectively ... notched a 9.825 on vault against Illinois to tie for second .. at the Cancun Classic, recorded a 9.825 on beam to tie for fifth place .. ranks tied for 47th nationally in the all-around.
Amanda Pezzullo
Had a strong meet against Nebraska as she tied for second on beam with a 9.875 and posted a 9.825 on floor and 9.800 on vault ... recorded a 9.825 on floor to tie for third and posted a 9.800 on beam at Oklahoma ... in her first floor routine of the season, notched a 9.725 on floor to take second place ... scored a team meet high 9.875 on vault at the Cancun Classic to tie for second.
Becky Scholle
Scored a personal best 9.750 on bars against Nebraska ... in the vault lineup for the first time at Oklahoma, did not disappoint with a 9.725 ... tied Julie Abaray for second on bars with a 9.700 against the Fighting Illini ... was in the bars lineup in her first collegiate meet at the Cancun Classic.
