GYMNAST ADRIANNE PERRY TO COMPETE AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THURSDAY

Perry just sixth gymnast in program history to qualify for nationals

COLUMBIA, Mo. – With eyes on becoming the third All-American in Missouri history, freshman Adrianne Perry will compete in the 2006 NCAA Championships on Thursday, April 18 at 3 p.m. CT hosted by Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. At the Southeast Regional on April 8, Perry became the sixth Tiger and only the second freshman to qualify for the national championships in program history.

The 2006 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year, Perry finished sixth in the all-around at the recent Southeast Regional with a 39.225. She qualified for the national championships because the top two all-arounders not on an advancing team earn a trip. Perry put together one of her best performances of her career at the Southeast Regional, as she scored a 9.850 on vault to tie for fourth place. She also scored a 9.825 on floor, 9.800 and beam and a 9.750 on the uneven bars.

Selected to the first session at 3 p.m. CT, Perry will compete against Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Utah. Rotating with Nebraska in the meet, she and the Huskers begin the competition on a bye and then move to the uneven bars and the balance beam in the second and third rotation, respectively. The freshman has her final bye after beam before moving to floor in the fifth rotation and ending the meet on vault.

Perry can qualify for the individual event finals on Saturday, April 22 at 9 p.m. CT if she finishes among the top four individuals (plus ties) on each event in the first session. Last season, Robinson became just the second Tiger to compete in the individual event finals as she earned her second All-America distinction with a fifth place finish on vault.  

The Tigers followed Perry’s championship rotation at the Super Six Challenge in the season opener, which was the only meet all season Perry did not compete in the all-around. In the only other meet of the season Missouri ended on vault, Perry scored a career-high 9.875 on vault and floor and also posted a 9.850 on beam at Centenary on Jan. 20.

Perry ranks 24^th nationally in the all-around with a Regional Qualifying Score of 39.220 and is also tied for 34^th on beam, 55^th on floor and 92^nd on bars.

Fans can follow meet action at http://www.ncaasports.com/gymnastics/womens.

NCAA Championships Session I (April 20 in Corvallis, Ore., 3 p.m. CT)

Teams

Alabama

LSU

Michigan

Nebraska

Oklahoma

Utah

 

All-Around Competitors

Kristen Coleman, Michigan State

Julie Dwyer, Auburn

Laura Johnson, Minnesota

Adrianne Perry, Missouri

Christine Robella, North Carolina

Karin Wurm, Arizona

 

Individual Event Specialists

Vault

Krystle Cook, Kentucky

Lindsey Puckett, Auburn

 

Floor Exercise

Leigha Hancock, North Carolina State