Gymnastics' season off to good start
Missouri gymnastics’ season started off right as the Tigers beat No. 18 Ohio State with room to breathe Friday at the Hearnes Center.
The No. 16 Tigers accumulated more than a two-point lead after a very shaky start from the Buckeyes on the uneven bars while coach Rob Drass’ squad delivered solid performances on vault and was consistent throughout the entire meet.
By the end of the second rotation, Ohio State never looked like the threat its top-20 ranking suggested it may be. The final score was 194.725-190.650.
Tigers’ sophomore Mary Burke was the night’s top gymnast, finishing with an all-around score of 39.200. She also received the highest score for any one single event on floor exercise with a 9.875.
Other notable showings came from freshman Lauren Swankoski and senior Danielle Guider who followed Burke in the post-meet all-around honors as second and third.
Guider, who returned after a summer ankle surgery, was reliable throughout the night during her first go in the all-around. Swankoski looks like a strong newcomer for the Tigers.
Next week, Missouri will travel to Las Vegas for the Lady Luck Invitational. The tournament will present some stiff competition for the Tigers in the form of the sixth-ranked LSU from the SEC. The other two participating squads are Arizona State from the Pac 10 and Kentucky from the SEC who both are hovering just outside of GymInfo’s Top 25.