University of Missouri
Big 12 Championship
Tigers Take Third at Big 12 Championships
3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 21, 2009
Ames, Iowa - It was a slow beginning but a near-brilliant ending for the Tigers, who ultimately finished in third place behind a team total of 195.925. Oklahoma took top honors for the third time in Big 12 history with a 196.125, and Nebraska placed second with a 196.075. Iowa State rounded out the competition by scoring a 195.775.
Junior Sarah Shire (Columbia, Mo.) capped off a record-setting junior campaign by taking the Co-Big 12 Gymnast of the Year award with Nebraska junior Kylie Stone, in addition to the Big 12 All-Around title and a share of the vault and beam title. It's Shire tenth all-around title of the year, a school record, and 20th event title. Her score was a 39.450.
Teammate and senior Adrianne Perry (Columbia, Mo.) took the floor title for the second year in a row with the night's best score, a 9.95 on a near-perfect routine, and finished in second place in the all-around with a 39.325.
The Tigers also placed several gymnasts on the All-Big 12 Championship team. Freshman Mary Burke (Inverness, Ill.) and Shire took spots on the vault team, and Shire also took a spot on the beam and floor team. Perry, the floor champion, was also named to the floor team. The Big 12 Newcomer of the Year went to Lora Evenstad of Nebraska.
The Tigers started out on the uneven bars for the second time this season, and Missouri found themselves on solid footing with a respectable 48.8 on the event, their third highest tally on the bars this year. Junior Becky Scholle (Chesterfield, Mo.) and freshman Allie Heizelman (Cypress, Texas) led off the pack, posting a pair of 9.725's to put the Tigers on a good foot. Perry upped the Missouri score with a 9.75 on a clean routine. And it was Shire (Columbia, Mo.) and senior Alicia Hatcher (Blue Springs, Mo.) who would contribute the Tigers' biggest scores on the event with a pair of 9.8's.
Nebraska went 49.025 to open the night on vault and lead the pack going into the second rotation, while Oklahoma was right on their heels after a 49.0 balance beam outing. Iowa State just sneaked ahead of the Tigers for third place with a 48.900 on floor.
It was on to beam, where Missouri put together a team score of 48.875 behind six solid routines. Burke led off the Tigers with a 9.75, while junior Danielle Guider (Nutley, N.J.) followed with a 9.725. Junior beam specialist Brooke Boehmer (Overland Park, Kan.) and Hatcher contributed their own pair of 9.725's to the Tiger total. Perry brought the heat in a clean routine for a 9.825, and it was Shire who saved the best for last, putting together a sparkling routine for a 9.85 to lead the team.
The Tigers still found themselves in fourth place going into the fourth rotation, while OU just edged Nebraska by two-tenths to take the lead, 98.250-98.050. The host Cyclones hung around in third place after putting up a 49.025 on vault.
Now past the first two events, Missouri looked to really make a statement on their strongest events: floor and vault. The Tigers left it all on the floor in the third rotation, posting a 49.125 led by an outstanding and career-high routine from event superstar Perry, a 9.95 in their final routine.
Sophomore Alex Gold (Plano, Texas) took the lead off spot for Missouri, notching a 9.75. Hatcher followed with a 9.7. Burke upped the game with a 9.825, while Shire turned in one of the top performances of the night for a 9.9. Despite the high scores by Missouri, the Tigers still found themselves in fourth place. But it was still anybody's meet to win, as the scores were tight. Oklahoma led the pack with a 147.250; Nebraska was in second with a 146.875 and Iowa State remained just in third with a 146.850.
And last came vault, the Tigers' strongest event in 2009 and their strongest of the night with a final tally of 49.150. Guider was up first, contributing a solid 9.7. Scholle tied her season and career high on her routine for a 9.775, while Burke tied a career and season high of her own with a strong vault and a 9.850. Gold put together another big vault for the Tigers, this time for a 9.8. Perry kept the momentum, posting a 9.825, while Shire again led the Tigers, this time with the strongest vault for a 9.9.
The Tigers held down second place going into the final performer of the night, but it was Nebraska senior Tricia Woo's 9.875 on the floor that tipped the Nebraska team total over the edge. The Huskers went 49.200 on the event.
This is the fourth time in the twelve-year history of the Big 12, and the third time in as many years that the Tigers have finished third.
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