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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — In front of 5,995 fans, the No. 14-ranked University of Missouri gymnastics team claimed second place, posting an overall team score of 197.475 on Friday evening inside Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. It is the team’s best score of the season and marks the fifth time the Tigers have scored over 197 in 2024.
Senior Mara Titarsolej posted a record-breaking score in the anchor spot bars, stepping up to the plate in the anchor spot performed a flawless routine, securing the program’s first perfect 10 on bars (second of her career) and to clinch an event win.
Titarsolej’s program-best score lifted MU to its highest-ever team bars score of 49.500. She joined senior Kyra Burns, graduate student Sienna Schreiber and and junior Jocelyn Moore as the four Tigers to score 9.9 or higher.
On the floor, junior Amari Celestine clinched her second 9.950 in a row, positioning herself in a tie for first on the event with Florida’s Leanne Wong.
No. 6 Florida won the meet with a 197.925, while Illinois finished third with a 196.550 and Lindenwood rounded out the group with a 194.825. The top three teams beat their averages by at least four-tenths of a point.
Mizzou’s record improved to 8-3 on the year, including 2-3 against SEC competition.
FIRST ROTATION
To start the meet on vault, all six Tigers turned in a score of 9.8 or higher, highlighted by anchor Amari Celestine‘s 9.900, her second-such score in the event this season.
Overall, the team secured a score of 49.200, landing them in second place a quarter of the way through, 0.225 behind Florida.
SECOND ROTATION
Burns got the squad started on bars, turning in her first career 9.900. Then, Schreiber and Moore followed suit in the fourth and fifth spots, earning 9.900’s of their own.
That’s when Titarsolej stepped up to the plate. The Dutch senior had previously accomplished a perfect 10 when competing for LIU back in 2022, the school’s first-ever perfect score in the event. Nearly two years later, Titarsolej secured Mizzou’s first perfect 10 on bars and the team’s first since Moore accomplished the feat on vault on Feb. 19, 2023. It was also MU’s first such score away from home since 2004.
Her all-time performance came at an opportune time, as the 0.5-point kept Missouri on pace with the Gators halfway through the meet.
THIRD ROTATION
The third event of the day for Missouri was the balance beam, where the Tigers picked up a 49.250 for the team’s fourth outing of the season over 49.2.
The first four performers each clinched scores between 9.8 and 9.875. Celestine led off with a 9.875, while senior Amaya Marshall picked up the same score for her top performance on the apparatus this season. Freshman Rayna Light and senior Sydney Schaffer logged 9.800s in the second and fourth positions before Schreiber notched a 9.900 for her fifth score over 9.9 this season.
FOURTH ROTATION
The Fab Floor continued its torrid run with a 49.525 for its fourth score of at least 49.5 in as many weekends. A quartet of Tigers posted scores over 9.9 on the event and the team didn’t count a score below 9.850.
Schreiber led things off with a 9.900, securing an all-around score of 39.525 to tie her best score of the year. Celestine’s 9.950 routine helped the Tigers keep a strong pace. Up next, freshman Kennedy Griffin clinched her fourth 9.9 of the season, and Jocelyn Moore clinched a strong finish for the Tigers with a 9.925.
MEET NOTES
- With a 197.475, the Tigers posted their best score of 2024.
- Mara Titarsolej finished off the bars rotation with a perfect 10, the first on bars in program history.
- Missouri notched its best bars rotation in program history with a 49.500.
- Jocelyn Moore adds to her 9.9 streak on the floor with a 9.925 for her seventh of the season and 10th consecutive.
- Moore continues her streak as one of just two gymnasts with all 9.9s on floor this season alongside LSU’s Haleigh Bryant.
- With a 49.525 the team has four consecutive scores of 49.5 or above on the floor apparatus.
- Amari Celestine led the Tigers on the floor with a 9.950, tying her season best.
- Sienna Schreiber scored her first 9.900 on bars for the season.
- Kyra Burns scored her first career 9.900 on bars
- With a 9.875, Amaya Marshall marked her best beam result of the season.
- In the past five meets, Kennedy Griffin has notched four scores of 9.9 or higher on floor.
UP NEXT
The Tigers compete in their final SEC road meet next weekend, traveling down to The Plains to face No. 12 Auburn next Friday, Feb. 23. First touch from Neville Arena is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the contest will broadcast on Friday Night Heights on SEC Network.
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