No. 3 Gymnastics Hits The Road For Top-Five Clash Against No. 4 Alabama

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The No. 3-ranked University of Missouri gymnastics team (3-0, 0-0 SEC) faces its first SEC test of the 2024 season as it travels to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Friday, Jan. 12, for a showdown against No. 4 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC). First touch from Coleman Coliseum is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, and the action will be broadcast on SEC Network.

• The Tigers opened the 2024 campaign on a high note at the Mizzou Invitational, Jan. 6, posting a 197.150 to shatter the program record for highest score in a season opener.
• Thanks to Mizzou capturing all four event titles and sweeping the podium on every rotation, Shannon Welker’s squad earned a decisive victory over Lindenwood, Northern Illinois and SEMO.
• Hannah Horton and Amari Celestine shared the vault title, Hollyn Patrick claimed the bars title, Sienna Schreiber earned the beam crown and Jocelyn Moore topped the floor podium. 

• After opening the season ranked No. 12 in the WCGA Preseason Poll, Mizzou rose up the rankings to No. 3 with the third-best score of any team on opening weekend.
• Mizzou achieved its ranking by securing the No. 3 spot on floor, No. 4 ranking on beam, No. 10 on vault and No. 16 on bars.
• The Tigers were one of four teams in the country to record a score of 197 or higher alongside No. 1 Oklahoma (197.850), No. 2 Utah (197.300) and No. 4 Alabama (197.125).
• With their 197.150 score, Mizzou finished the first weekend of competition with the best score of any team in the SEC.

• After back-to-back All-American seasons, junior Jocelyn Moore got back to business in a major way in the Mizzou Invitational, tying the program record and her career best with a 9.975 score on floor.
• Moore tied with Alabama’s Gabby Gladieux for the best score on the apparatus in the country.
• The Hillsborough, N.J. native’s score tied a floor event record that she already co-owned after producing the same score at No. 17 Arkansas on Feb. 24, 2023.
• With her prowess, Mizzou’s floor rotation ranks third in the country with a 49.450.

• In her first collegiate meet, freshman Hannah Horton impressed as one of the best newcomers in the country with her performances on vault and floor.
• On vault, the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native won her first career event title in her debut routine, posting a 9.875 to share the top slot with Amari Celestine.
• Horton picked up her first career 9.9 score on floor, posting a 9.900 to finish second on the apparatus.
• Both of Horton’s scores rank among the top 25 in the country after the first weekend.

• After a strong end to the 2023 campaign, junior Grace Anne Davis started 2024 just as strong by tying her career high on beam.
• In the fifth spot on the apparatus, Davis collected the Tigers’ first 9.9 routine of the campaign and third of her career with a 9.900.
• Davis’ score is tied for 10th in the country, and her performance came as a part of Missouri’s team total of 49.300, the best team beam score in the SEC and the fourth-best in the nation.

• Junior Amari Celestine put forth a strong effort on her three events, scoring a 9.875 on every rotation.
• Celestine maintained her spot as one of Mizzou’s most consistent competitors on vault and floor while putting forth an impressive show in her first collegiate beam routine.
• As a result of her quality routines, Celestine is ranked among the top-25 competitors in the country on vault and floor.

• In addition to Hannah Horton, the Tigers saw two new additions make their debuts at the Mizzou Invitational.
• Freshman Rayna Light and senior transfer Mara Titarsolej both wore the Black and Gold for the first time on Saturday, competing on two events apiece.
• Light represented Mizzou on vault (9.825) and floor (9.800), while Titarsolej produced a 9.825 on both bars and beam.

• The Tigers have individual gymnasts ranked among the top 25 in the country on three of the four events.
• Two Mizzou competitors posted top-25 scores on floor with junior Jocelyn Moore tying for the top score in the nation with a 9.975. Freshman Hannah Horton ranks 13th with a 9.900.
• On beam, a pair of Tigers rank in the top 10 with graduate Sienna Schreiber ranking sixth with a 9.925 while junior Grace Anne Davis finished the weekend ninth with a 9.900. Celestine rounds out the ranked Tigers on beam in the No. 19 spot with a 9.875.

• In Missouri’s final SEC dual meet of 2023, the No. 14 Tigers shocked the No. 8 Crimson Tide to earn their first victory over Alabama in program history, 197.075-196.750, March 3, 2023.
• The floor unit buoyed Mizzou after Alabama claimed the first two rotations inside the Hearnes Center. Alisa Sheremeta notched a 9.925 while Amari Celestine and Hannah McCrary each posted 9.900s for a team score of 49.475.
• Alabama held the lead for a majority of the dual and recorded a Perfect 10 from Luisa Blanco on beam. But a low score on floor opened the door for the Tigers to take their first win over the Crimson Tide in 44 matchups.

• After Missouri got in the win column for the first time last season, the Tigers are now 1-44 in head-to-head matchups against Alabama.

• Missouri rounds out its two-meet road stretch with a trip to Athens, Georgia to face No. 15 Georgia, Saturday, Jan. 20. First touch is scheduled for 1:45 p.m., and the action from Stegeman Coliseum will be streamed on SEC Network+.

• For all the latest information on Mizzou Gymnastics, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Instagram, Facebook and X.