University of Missouri
Big 12 Championship
No. 25 Missouri Finishes Third at Big 12 Conference Championship
3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 29, 2003
Columbia, Mo.-Hosting the 2003 Big 12 Conference Championships, the Missouri Tigers set their all-time team score with a 196.700 on their way to a third-place tournament finish. The feat marks the highest conference championship for the Tigers as a Big 12 institution as Mizzou scored above Iowa State's 195.700. The No. 2 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers won the event scoring a 197.500 followed by the No. 6 ranked Oklahoma Sooners' 197.025.
The third-place finish brings Missouri to a final 11-9 season record earning its first winning mark since the 1996 season when the Tigers went 11-7.
The Tigers opened their Big 12 Conference meet tying their fourth-highest team total in program history on their way to winning the Big 12 team vault title. Mizzou tallied a 49.275 on their first event. Helping the Tigers, freshman Lauren Schwartzman performed a career-high routine earning her first 9.925 on the event to tie Missouri's third-highest individual score. Sophomore Alisha Robinson followed up scoring a 9.950 to tie MU's top individual mark for the third time in her career and set a new sophomore record on the apparatus. In addition, Schwartzman and Robinson's scores set a new precedent for the Tigers during Big 12 Championship competition shattering the 9.875 individual high. The duo finished fourth and second, respectively.
Junior Lindsay Davis led the way on the Tigers' second rotation putting up her first 9.900 vault of her career to tie for first-place honors. After falling on the apparatus and suffering a gash requiring stitches on her forehead during the Cat Classic, Davis was sidelined from the vault line-up for several meets while she recuperated. Making her way back into the rotation, her 9.900 performance boosted the Tigers to earn its second-highest vault score in history and ranks Davis fourth overall. Mizzou's 49.175 is also a new Big 12 Conference Championship mark for the Tigers.
Continuing to revamp the record books, the Tigers pulled out their highest bars score 49.175 in conference championship history on their way to a 2003 season mark. After periodic struggles on the event during the year, Missouri brought it together for the hometown crowd with solid performances from all of its competitors. Junior Andrea Nervig tied her career-high and the Mizzou junior record on the apparatus scoring a 9.900. Extending the momentum, Robinson joined her teammate with a duplicate mark sharing Missouri's Big 12 Championship high on the event as well.
Rounding out its final event, Missouri scored a 49.075 to earn its fourth-highest all-time beam total and once again increase the Tigers' Big 12 Conference meet mark. Robinson led the Tigers on her fourth straight event scoring a 9.850. The score brought the sophomore to a 39.550 all-around mark and claims the Tigers' second-highest all-around score in program history. Robinson finished second in the all-around overall behind Nebraska's Richelle Simpson (39.800).
Also participating in the all-around, Davis finished fourth scoring a 39.350 and senior Alina Hamm finished eighth with a 38.625.
Continuing on the championship track, Missouri hosts the NCAA South Central Regional on Sat., April 12 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are still available in the Hearnes Center Ticket Office.
