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 The 2003 Tigers look to make consecutive appearances in the NCAA Regional competition. |
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Mizzou Gymnastis Continue Building Strong Tradition
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Nov. 21, 2002 History is full of civilizations that obscurely rise to dominance, reign greatly for a few centuries and then vanish into the myths of the past. Much like the tales told of dynasties and empires, the history of collegiate athletics follows a similar path of sovereignty and downfall. Luckily for collegiate athletic programs however, the renewal of recruits each new season ushers in a fresh opportunity for athletes to rise up and once again stake claim to greatness. Taking this example to heart, the 2003 Missouri gymnastics program has incorporated the MU slogan, "Mizzou on the Move," and has advanced the ideal toward "Building a Strong Tradition." For the past three seasons under Head Coach Rob Drass, the Mizzou gymnastics program has been moving toward greater goals. Bolstered by the successes of the 2002 season, the Tigers are not only ready to move forward, but are also determined to ensure that the strong tradition of Mizzou gymnastics never again falls to dust. "We wanted to start getting Missouri back on the map," Drass says. "Last season was our first transition year. We started building with our freshman recruiting class and refocused the program on a team concept. Reinforcing the ideal that the team is always more important than the individual has done tremendous things for our program and it has only been made possible by athletes with the burning desire to continually improve themselves."
Building up over the past three years, the Missouri program seems to be right on track. The Tigers rewrote the record books last season knocking down or tying every all-time record in the history of the program. Mizzou recorded four of the top five all-time team scores in 2002 and advanced to the NCAA North Central Regional - the second regional appearance under Drass. Highlighting the year, freshman Alisha Robinson made headlines honored as Missouri's second All-American in school history when she finished seventh on the vault to earn second team status.
One key that Drass attributes to the success of the 2002 season was the team's desire and efforts toward consistency. Welcoming 2003 competition, the Mizzou coaching staff once again believes this will be an important element to the Tigers' overall success. "We want to put up teams that are consistent every meet on every event, and for the first time I think we have the skill level to do that," Drass anticipates. "Last season we were able to prove what we are capable of and I think that awareness helped build our confidence in our abilities." Backed by a season of tremendous strides, despite the loss of key contributors at various points of the year due to injury, Mizzou proved itself in the rigors of competition. Bolstered by that understanding, the 2003 Tiger squad looks to the upcoming year as an opportunity to finish where they left off last season. "If I could sum up the attitude of our team I would say they were driven," Drass says. "This team really believes in themselves, in the coaches and in all that we can do this year. They know we are a good program and that knowledge fuels the team to hold each athlete to a higher standard." Emerging from a young lineup last year, the Mizzou program has evened out its maturity budding three seniors and four juniors to lead the underclass. In addition to adding four newcomers to the 2003 squad, the Tigers return the entire competitive lineup from the previous season.
"I think we'll see contributions equally from all athletes, but this is the first year we've had a balanced class throughout," Drass observes. "Our three seniors, Laura, Alina and Leah, have the most experience in competition against solid teams and what is expected in collegiate competition. Their leadership will be invaluable in helping our younger classes assimilate to the collegiate arena," he foresees. Adding to the leadership of the seniors, the 2003 junior class reenters the arena after delivering a standout season last year. Each of Mizzou's athletes greatly improved their career marks, shattering their own individual standards throughout various points in the 2002 season. "Everyone is upgrading so fast," Drass said. "Every athlete is going to be limited this year due to the depth of our lineup. Along with the senior class, I look to our juniors to step up and represent the team dynamic and the spirit of collegiate gymnastics. I am confident that both their example and solid contributions will greatly help carry the competitive load this year," he anticipates. The invaluable leadership and team effort the Mizzou program exhibits looks to play a key role in the Tigers' competitive dynamic. Adding another class of talented newcomers, the depth of the Mizzou roster looks to limit the range of events each athlete will participate in. "The single most important factor we missed last year was the competition within the squad for slots in the lineup," Drass admits. "This year there is an understanding in the practice gym that each athlete has to earn their spot on the competitive roster. Competing everyday in practice has pushed the team to develop both consistency and the desire to reach their own individual heights."
Bringing a whiff of internal competition last year, the trio of Ashley Asraf, Rachael Dombart and Alisha Robinson helped elevate the Tigers' skill level. All three earned standard slots in the competition lineup and proved to be a key component to the success of the 2002 season. "Each incoming class has helped to upgrade our skill level and provide depth to our program," Drass says. "Last year the freshman class had the talent and energy to help push our team toward its goals. Their example brought the team back a focus and drive toward setting, reaching and obtaining goals. Based upon the precedent they have set, I think the future is bright for Mizzou gymnastics," he added. Rounding out the Missouri roster, the Tigers welcome four talented freshmen to the already capable lineup. Kelley Andersen, Jodie Heinicka, Katie Roets and Lauren Schwartzman look to provide depth and heightened skill to the Mizzou program in just their first year. "I expect each of our freshmen to compete to their strengths during their first season," Drass says. "There is a perception that freshmen can't do as well as upperclassmen, but I think after last year we proved that isn't the case. While freshmen are generally less consistent, we are excited to see each athlete develop into a competitive gymnast throughout the year." Each of the four classes, despite skill level or competitive experience, is united in the goal of reestablishing Missouri as one of the top gymnastics programs in the country. Breaking into the ranks of gymnastics powerhouse is a daunting feat inside the NCAA, but backed by their previous successes, the 2003 Tigers are gunning for the opportunity. "This team really feels that we are going to qualify for regional competition," Drass says. "We want to be a competitive team and I think last season was the eye opener the team needed toward setting higher goals. Once the team realized what they were capable of, they ground in and focused on what else they could achieve. Pointedly, we want to win the Big 12 Championship and earn a seed at the national championship this season."
Helping the Tigers reach their goals, the 2003 Missouri schedule looks to be a favorable arrangement for the squad to fine-tune their skills. Mizzou once again hosts two of the nation's most respected tournaments in the State Farm Cat Classic and the Corvette Cup. In addition to bringing in some of the country's finest programs, the Tigers also contend against three standard top-20 programs during conference competition in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa State. Capping off the 2003 season, Missouri is scheduled to host both the Big 12 Championship and the NCAA Central Regional competition in the Hearnes Center. The Mizzou coaching staff expects the rigorous year will both season the Tigers for tournament competition as well as help build their confidence competing in their home arena. "Having both the Big 12 Championship and regional competition in the Hearnes Center will help raise our comfort level. This year competition is really going to be close, Nebraska is the favorite, but with the talent in the conference it could be anyone's meet," Drass speculates. Building Mizzou's comfort level is not the only advantage Drass sees in hosting the conference and regional meets however, Missouri has had an established program for over 20 years and the 2003 Tigers are ready to post notice that they are one of the finest collegiate programs in the country. "We bid for regionals because we knew we could host a good meet," Drass says. "We've had years of practice hosting respected Cat Classic meets and knew we had the ability to host other large meets. Hosting is going to be a huge advantage for us. Not only will be have our hometown crowd to cheer us on, but this will also give us the opportunity to establish our gym as a premier program in the NCAA." Culminating with the Big 12 Championship and regional competition, Missouri knows that making the strides out of obscurity will not only be based on championship results, but in everyday practice, competition and improvement. For that reason, the 2003 Tigers have made the precedent to take the little steps everyday to help them improve. "Our goal this season is for each athlete to improve and raise their consistency in each event," Drass says. "We have already raised our average on vault and increased our consistency on bars and beam. The final element in our success is dependant upon each athlete focusing on the details. We've already got the big rocks in place, now all our program needs is to fill in the gaps with the fine-tuned elements," he adds. Taking examples from powerhouses of the past, neither the Roman or Egyptian empires were built in a single year. Likewise, the Tigers are focusing on building a solid tradition one step and one goal at a time. Grounding the program in consistency, team unity and ever increasing skill level, the 2003 Tigers have set the goal to overthrow the reigning monarchs in both the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA. Mizzou is on the Move and ready to rebuild a sovereignty that can never again lose strength. |
