Missouri gymnastics opens season with win over No. 24 Iowa State
The Missouri gymnastics team opened its season with a win over Iowa State on Sunday at the Hearnes Center. The Tigers won the meet by an extremely slim margin of .075 points over the No. 24 Cyclones.
The Tigers’ strongest performers were freshman Rachel Updike and senior Mary Burke. Updike took event titles in three disciplines, winning the vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Burke finished second overall and won the uneven bars, as well as finishing second in the vault and third in the floor exercise.
The meet was closely contested through all four event rotations. Missouri led throughout but never held a lead of more than one point. The Tigers bested the Cyclones in the vault and uneven bars but were outscored in the balance beam and floor exercise.
“We came in and got the first meet under our belt," coach Rob Drass said. “I thought we made some unusual mistakes that we will probably not make again. We will just get back in the gym and prepare for the next meet.”
The Tigers’ next meet will see them face Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah, on Jan. 13.