February 12, 1999

AMES, IOWA, -- The Missouri Tigers gymnastics team lost to the Iowa State Cyclones for the 10th straight time on Friday night, but their score of 193.15 was the fifth highest in school history and will aid their cause to qualify for an NCAA Regional bid.

Iowa State won the meet with a score of 194.625. The Cyclones are ranked 12th in the nation and edged the Tigers in a meet in Columbia earlier this season. ISU was led by Sarah Stayberg and Shelly Kringen who went 1-2 in the all-around competition with respective scores of 38.9 and 38.95.

Missouri was led by senior Jessica Haag who won her third vaulting title of the season with a score of 9.8. Junior Shannon Brown placed third in the all-around with a season-best score of 38.725.

The Tigers led after their first rotation - uneven bars - but faltered on vault and were unable to catch the Cyclones despite hitting six-of-six balance beam routines for the second straight week.

"For a post-Cat Classic meet, I am very happy with how we competed," Coach Jake Jacobson said. "We performed very well on balance beam again and did pretty well on bars, but we vaulted terribly."

The Tigers team score was their highest ever for a meet immediately following the Cat Classic, which Mizzou won last weekend in Columbia. On the balance beam MU matched its score of last week, 48.675, which is tied for the third best in school history.

Missouri, 6-6, travels to Cape Girardeau, Feb. 21, to compete against Southeast Missouri State and Illinois.