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March 8, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No. 18 Missouri gymnastics team hosts its final regular season home meet of the year on Friday, March 9 as the Tigers host Iowa at 7 p.m. in the Hearnes Center. Mizzou is on the road the remaining two meets of the regular season before welcoming Big 12 foes Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma to the Hearnes Center for the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.
Say goodbye to the seniors
This weekend marks the final regular season home meet for Mizzou's three seniors, Whitney Crater, Alicia Gilmore and Amanda Pezzullo. Immediately following the meet, the three will be honored for their contributions to the Missouri gymnastics program, both in and outside the gym.
Mizzou in the rankings
Missouri moved up one spot to 18th in this week's GymInfo Top 25, based on a team's Regional Qualifying Score. 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 an RQS. Mizzou's RQS is below:
196.075 Home
195.750 Away
195.325 Home
195.025 Away
195.000 Home
+193.825 Away
974.925
974.925 / 5 = 194.985 RQS
Last time out
The Tigers started slow but looked good in their final two rotations to finish first at Pittsburgh with a 195.750. Pittsburgh came in second with a 194.275 and Central Michigan scored a 192.600 for third.
After scores of 48.600 and 48.750 on floor and vault, Mizzou posted a season-high 49.250 on bars in the third rotation. The squad carried that momentum to beam and hit all six routines for the first time all year as they scored a 49.150.
Sophomore Adrianne Perry claimed the all-around title with a 39.425 and tied for the bars and floor crowns. Senior Alicia Gilmore notched a 9.875 on bars to tie Perry and sophomore Alicia Hatcher and win her first career event title.
Scouting Iowa
Iowa comes to the Hearnes Center ranked 27th nationally. The team posted a season-high 194.625 at Minnesota two weeks ago and posted highs on beam and floor against Iowa State and Minnesota last weekend. Junior Katie Burke is the reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Week after scoring a 39.250 in the all-around on March 4.
All-time series: MU leads 21-3 (17-3 regular season)
Last meeting: MU 192.600, Iowa 190.800
Gilmore grabs the spotlight
In an event lineup for only the fourth time in her career, senior Alicia Gilmore posted a personal best 9.875 on bars at Pittsburgh to tie two teammates for the event title. It was the first event crown of her career and the score bettered her previous career-high by a full tenth of a point.
Bars one of the best
Mizzou had a breakout meet on bars at Pittsburgh last weekend. Five of the six Tigers in the lineup recorded a 9.800 or higher, including 9.875s from senior Alicia Gilmore and sophomores Alicia Hatcher and Adrianne Perry. Mizzou's team score of 49.250 was the highest score on any event this season and ties the program mark for the fourth-highest total in school history.
Slow start, strong finish
The Tigers started their meet at Pittsburgh with strong performances on floor and vault but did not get the scores to back up the routines. Entering its third rotation, Mizzou trailed host Pittsburgh 97.600-97.350. Missouri left no question which team was the best as the squad posted a season-high 49.250 on bars and closed the meet with a 49.150 on beam.
Perry back among nation's best
After a somewhat slow start to the season, sophomore Adrianne Perry has put up solid performances the last month to return among the country's elite in the national rankings. This week, she clocks in at 15th on vault (9.880 RQS), tied for 23rd on beam (9.835), tied for 24th in the all-around (39.110), tied for 42nd on floor (9.830) and tied for 86th on bars (9.770).
And away we go
Due to the ranking system, away meets are especially important in gymnastics. A team's RQS (explained earlier) requires at least three scores from away meets. With two away meets remaining on the schedule in the final three weeks of the regular season, the Tigers have the opportunity to drastically improve their ranking. Mizzou was able to drop the 192.625 from the Cancun Classic from its RQS and should be able to do the same to the 193.825 from Oklahoma after traveling to Michigan next week.
A beaming success
After nearly two months of competition the Tigers finally put together a successful beam lineup at the Cat Classic. The squad's Achilles' heel all season, Mizzou recorded a 49.175, the team's highest score on any event this season, which also bested its previous season high by over six-tenths of a point. The lineup was highlighted by a career-high shattering 9.925 for junior Julie Abaray. The Tigers kept up their beam success at Pittsburgh with a 49.150 and did not suffer a fall for the first time all year.
Talk about improvement
Since falling on vault in the first meet of the season, sophomore Adrianne Perry has been one of the nation's top vaulters. She scored a career-high 9.950 against SEMO and notched 9.925s against Nebraska and Centenary. With a 9.850 at Pittsburgh, Perry was able to drop her lone low score of the season, a 9.050 at the Cancun Classic, and is now ranked 15th nationally on the event.
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 9.808 including a season-high 9.850 against SEMO and Abaray's average is a 9.680, with a career-high 9.875 against Centenary on Feb. 16.
Tigers ranked nationally...
Three Tigers are ranked among the nation's elite this week. Sophomore Adrianne Perry is 15th on vault, tied for 23rd on beam, tied for 24th in the all-around, tied for 42nd on floor and tied for 86th on bars. Junior Julie Abaray is tied for 65th on bars, tied for 71st on floor and tied for 100th on beam. Senior Amanda Pezzullo is tied for 42nd on beam, 56th on floor and 79th on vault.
...and regionally
In addition to their national rankings, sixTigers are ranked in the top-30 in the South Central Region. Perry is second on vault, fourth in the all-around, seventh on beam, eighth on floor and 14th on bars; Abaray is ninth on bars, 18th on floor and tied for 22nd on beam; Pezzullo is 10th on beam, tied for 13th on vault and 15th on vault; freshman Danielle Guider is 24th on floor; junior Ashley Khederian is tied for 24th on bars and is 25th on vault and sophomore Alicia Hatcher is 29th on beam and tied for 29th on bars.
Tiger takes Big 12 honor, finally
Sophomore Adrianne Perry was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 12, which marks the first time since 2005 that a Mizzou gymnast has received the honor. Perry earned the award after posting a career-high 39.500 in the all-around against SEMO on Friday.
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.
Tigers awarded for work in the classroom
For their efforts in the classroom, 11 Tigers were named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for posting a grade-point-average of 3.0 or higher during the previous semester.
Seniors Ali Gilmore and Amanda Pezzullo, juniors Julie Abaray, Nikki Bowman, Katie Kluga and Lisa Puccio, sophomore Alicia Hatcher and freshmen Brooke Boehmer, Nicole Lovegreen, Becky Scholle and Liz Straatmann were all named to the list. Scholle was recognized for posting a 4.0 GPA.
Tigers sign two gymnasts for 2008 season
On Nov. 8, 2006, Head Coach Rob Drass announced the signing of Alex Gold and Lisa LaPerriere to national letters of intent to compete for the Tigers in 2008.
A former international elite, Gold is a three-time Junior Olympics National qualifier. She finished fourth in the all-around and vault and fifth on bars and floor at the 2006 Level 10 Regionals and came in sixth on vault in 2005. Gold qualified as an international elite after finishing first on vault and second in the all-around at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy Classic in 2003. Gold, who hails from Plano, Texas, is coached by Larry McDonough at Plano Unlimited Sports Academy.
Coached by Lori Koch at Olympia Gymnastics Academy, LaPerriere finished 10th on floor at the 2006 Level 10 National Championships. She is a two-time National Tops team member and a five-time Level 10 Regional qualifier. In addition, LaPerriere was the 2003 Michigan state vault and bars champion at Level 10 and was the Level 9 national vault champion in 2000. The Macomb, Mich. native also was the 2000 United States Association of Independent Gymnastics Clubs national all-around and beam champion.
Tiger Tidbits
Julie Abaray
Tied for third on beam with a 9.850 and posted a 9.825 on bars at Pittsburgh ... won the Cat Classic bars title with a 9.850 ... also won the bars and beam titles in the team competition, highlighted by a career-high 9.925 on beam ... claimed the bars, beam and floor titles against Centenary with career-highs on all three events ... tied for second on bars with a 9.825 against SEMO ... recorded a 9.800 on bars at Iowa State ... also notched a 9.800 on beam and 9.775 on floor against the Cyclones ... scored a 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 9.800 on floor at the Cancun Classic to finish in fourth place ... Tied for 65th on bars, 71st on floor and 100th on beam nationally.
Nikki Bowman
Recorded a 9.700 on vault at Pittsburgh ... scored a 9.700 on vault at the Cat Classic ... finished fifth on vault with a 9.750 against SEMO ... notched a 9.650 on floor against the Cyclones ... 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
Finished second on vault and floor with season-high 9.850s at the Cat Classic individual event finals ... tied for second on vault atin the team competition ... finished second on vault with a 9.825 and scored a season-high 9.775 on floor against Centenary ... posted a 9.750 on vault for a fifth place finish against SEMO ... was in the floor lineup for the first time in 2007 against the Redhawks and scored a 9.625 ... recorded a 9.725 on vault at Iowa State ... 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.
Alicia Gilmore
Won her first career event title with a career-high 9.875 at Pittsburgh ... scored a then career-high 9.750 on bars against SEMO in only her second time in the event lineup this season.
Danielle Guider
Tied her career-high with a 9.800 on beam at Pittsburgh ... finished fifth on beam in the Cat Classic individual event finals ... had third place finishes on beam and floor against Centenary ... set a personal best on beam with a 9.800 and tied her floor mark with a 9.825 ... finished third on floor with a 9.800 and notched a personal best 9.725 on beam against SEMO ... scored a 9.775 on floor at Iowa State ... 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 two teammates for the bars title with a personal best 9.875 at Pittsburgh ... also led off the beam lineup and scored a 9.825 ... tied for second on bars (9.800) and third on beam (9.750) in the Cat Classic individual event finals ... in her first meet since Feb. 2, competed on bars and beam in the team competition ... sat out the against Centenary and SEMO due to a sprained ankle ... finished fourth on bars with a 9.825 at Iowa State ... 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 9.750 on vault and a 9.700 on floor at Pittsburgh ... scored a 9.800 on bars for the second meet in a for in the Cat Classic to tie for second ... tied her personal best with a 9.800 on bars for third against Centenary ... also finished third on vault with a 9.775 ... competed in the all-around for the first time since 2005 against SEMO and scored a 38.825 ... also scored 9.775s on bars and floor ... notched a season-high 9.725 on bars against the Cyclones ... also scored a 9.775 on vault ... posted a 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
Notched a 9.775 on beam at Pittsburgh ... tied a career-high with a 9.750 on bars at the Cat Classic ... recorded a 9.700 on bars against Centenary ... 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.
Adrianne Perry
Took the all-around and tied for the bars and floor titles at Pittsburgh ... won the vault and floor titles in the Cat Classic team competition and individual event finals ... claimed the all-around and vault titles against Centenary ... took the all-around, vault, beam and floor titles against SEMO with scores of 39.500, 9.950, 9.850 and 9.875, respectively ... all-around and vault scores against the Redhawks set career-highs ... finished second on vault with a 9.825 and floor with a 9.850 and scored a 9.825 on beam and a 9.800 on bars at Iowa State ... set a then 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 .. ranks15th on vault, tied for 23rd on beam, 24th in the all-around, 42nd on floor and 86th on bars nationally.
Amanda Pezzullo
Recorded a 9.800 on beam at Pittsburgh ... won her first event title of the year as she tied for first on floor with a 9.850 in the team competition ... took second place on beam and fourth on floor against Centenary ... finished second on vault and floor with scores of 9.800 and 9.850, respectively, against SEMO ... recorded a 9.825 on floor and a 9.800 on vault at Iowa State ... 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 ... ranks tied for 42nd on beam, 56th on floor and 79th on vault nationally.
Becky Scholle
Posted a 9.800 on bars at Pittsburgh ... scored a 9.750 on bars for fifth place at the Cat Classic individual event finals ... finished second on bars with a 9.825 against Centenary ... won her first career event title with a career-high 9.850 on bars against SEMO ... notched a 9.800 on bars at Iowa State ... scored a 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.
