University of Missouri
Illinois State
Gymnasts Take Second in Shakespeare's Festival
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
January 17, 1999
COLUMBIA, MO, Jan. -- The Missouri Tigers set a school record on floor exercise and nearly broke another on uneven bars, Sunday at the ninth annual Shakespeare's Pizza Gymnastics X-treme, but a sub-par performance on balance beam cost them a chance at their first meet championship since 1993.
Riding a meet-record all-around effort by junior Malia Roberts, the Southeast Missouri State Otahkians won the team title with a meet-record score of 192.75. The Tigers' total of 191.65 was their highest home-opening score in the program's 20-year history but was good only for second place.
Illinois State (187.925) and Centenary (186.525) rounded out the field.
Roberts scored 38.875 in the all-around, bettering the old meet record of 38.85 set by Michigan State's Siri Larsen in 1996 and LSU's Jennifer Wood in 1995. Roberts tied for first place on the uneven bars (9.775), balance beam (9.75) and floor exercise (9.825). Southeast Missouri's team championship marked a triumphant return to the Hearnes Center for Coach Kris Buchheister, who spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Mizzou under Tiger head coach Jake Jacobson before taking over at SEMO last season.
Missouri got four career-high scores on the floor on its way to the school record of 48.925. MU's old record was 48.9 set at the Big Eight Conference Championships in 1993. Tigers Meggen Smiley and Ann Gietler tied with Roberts for first place, while Jessica Haag and Kelly McKinnie (9.775) tied for fourth.
Haag tied the meet record in winning the vault at 9.8. Shannon Brown led a strong Mizzou bars performance with a 9.775 that tied for first place. The Tigers' bars score of 48.525 was just off the school record of 48.55 they set at last season's Corvette Cup.
But the Tigers slipped on beam, placing fourth with a score of 46.45. SEMO excelled there. Erica Smith and Heather Browning tied Roberts for first place and Ericka Harrison was fourth (9.725).
The Tigers' next action is a dual meet against Iowa State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Cyclones scored 192.575 in placing second to Nebraska in a four-team meet Friday night in Ames.
VAULT UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS 1. JESSICA HAAG, Missouri 9.8 1. SHANNON BROWN, MU 9.775 2. Cristie Logan, SE Missouri 9.65 Malia Roberts, SE Missouri 9.775 Stephanie Logan, SE Missouri 9.65 3. CHANDRA HARLOW, MU 9.75 4. Kathy Smith, SE Missouri 9.625 Erin Chenier, SE Missouri 9.75 5. KATIE COLE, Missouri 9.6 5. Cristie Logan, SE Missouri 9.7 6. AMANDA PETERSON, Missouri 9.575 6. AMANDA PETERSON, MU 9.675 Dayspring Conley, Centenary 9.575 MEGGEN SMILEY, MU 9.675 Heather Browning, SE Missouri 9.675BALANCE BEAM FLOOR EXERCISE 1. Heather Browning, SE Missouri 9.75 1. MEGGEN SMILEY, Missouri 9.825 Erica Smith, SE Missouri 9.75 ANN GIETLER, Missouri 9.825 Malia Roberts, SE Missouri 9.75 Malia Roberts, SE Missouri 9.825 Suzanne Racz, Ball State 9.75 4. JESSICA HAAG, Missouri 9.775 4. Ericka Harrison, SE Missouri 9.725 KELLY McKINNIE, Missouri 9.775 5. Beth Larson, Illinois State 9.7 6. Marisa Niekamp, Illinois State 9.75 MEGGEN SMILEY, Missouri 9.7 Beth Larson, Illinois State 9.75
ALL-AROUND 1. Malia Roberts, SE Missouri 38.875 2. MEGGEN SMILEY, Missouri 38.475 3. JESSICA HAAG, Missouri 38.45 4. Beth Larson, Illinois State 38.025 5. AMANDA PETERSON, Missouri 38.0 6. Meredith Sholars, Centenary 37.8
VAULT, TEAM BARS, TEAM 1. SE Missouri 47.975 1. MISSOURI 48.525 2. MISSOURI 47.75 2. SE Missouri 48.15 3. Illinois State 46.875 3. Illinois State 45.675 4. Centenary 46.6 4. Centenary 45.5
BEAM, TEAM FLOOR, TEAM 1. SE Missouri 48.3 1. MISSOURI 48.925 2. Illinois State 47.35 2. SE Missouri 48.325 3. Centenary 46.6 3. Illinois State 48.025 4. MISSOURI 46.45 4. Centenary 47.825
TEAM TOTALS 1. SE Missouri 192.75 2. MISSOURI 191.65 3. Illinois State 187.925 4. Centenary 186.525
Attendance: 2,117
