The Tigers say time is right for tonight’s Big 12 competition at Hearnes Center
After a less than stellar start to its season, the Missouri gymnastics team has improved its team score in almost every competition, prompting many to say the gymnasts are peaking just in time for the start of the postseason.
But not everyone buys that argument, especially the gymnasts.
“I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that there’s no such thing, because there’s so many teams that do well all year long, and to me that’s not peaking. They’ve just had a lot of on meets,” senior Whitney Crater said. “I think the key is just to have an on meet, and 70 percent of good gymnastics comes from your mentality about the sport and your focus and your confidence.”
Sophomore Adrianne Perry said she thinks it is a matter of being comfortable.
“A lot of times that’s how a lot of teams are. You start off the season a little rough, and as an individual I think it just happens. You’ve got to get those little jitters out of you in the beginning of the season, I mean you’ve got to mess up sometime and you’re more likely to do so at the beginning of the season when you’re the most nervous,” Perry said. “You get a little more comfortable throughout the season competing because you’ve done it more often.”
The Tigers’ postseason begins Saturday when they host the Big 12 Conference gymnastics meet at 7 p.m. at Hearnes Center. No. 18 Missouri will compete against No. 7 Nebraska, No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 15 Iowa State.
It is the first time the competition will be held in Columbia since 2003, when the Tigers finished third.
Both coaches and gymnasts said they are looking forward to the advantages that come with a home meet. “I think the crowd can become a big factor, whether they do or not is a whole different story,” coach Rob Drass said. “I think a crowd that’s going to be out there expressing pleasure or displeasure with the scores that are coming up. Just like at a basketball game, you know, calls start going your way when the crowd gets into it, so I think that’s going to be important. A boisterous crowd is going to be one of the keys to helping us secure a championship here this weekend.”
The conference meet will be the last time the Tiger’s three seniors, Whitney Crater, Ali Gilmore, and Amanda Pezzullo, compete in front of the home crowd. And if there’s any credence to the idea of peaking, the seniors admit that this season timing is on their side.
“I would definitely say that if peaking is having a bunch of ‘on’ meets, then we’ve definitely had a bunch of ‘on’ meets in a row,” Crater said. “But we’ve only had one spectacular meet this year, and I just hope that we can bring that type of performance to our home arena on Saturday.”