After a successful last two seasons, let’s take a look at Missouri gymnastics’ 2024 roster, opponents and skills.
Missouri gymnastics kicked off their 2023-24 season with the Black and Gold meet on Dec. 10. The team is coming off a strong past two seasons. Let’s discuss what the Tigers can focus on for improvement, key gymnasts on the floor and assess Missouri’s toughest competition.
Lessons from the past
In 2022, the Tigers placed fifth in the NCAA championships which was the highest in program history. Last season, the Tigers finished No. 14 nationally. The Tigers are ranked No. 12 in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association’s preseason poll.
Looking at the statistics for the 2023 season, Missouri scored the most consistent on the floor exercise and balance beam, scoring in the upper 49. Given that the team was No. 11 and No. 14 in those categories respectively, those results aren’t surprising. Vault was the team’s worst event, ranging from 48 to low 49 consistently.
Similarly, 2022’s roster scored fairly the same: floor and beam saw the highest scores, but bars was a struggle. Despite this, the team registered higher individual score averages than 2023. If the 2024 squad wishes to achieve the same success as 2022, improvements in consistent vault and bars scores should be the focus. Floor and beam seems to come naturally to the Tigers.
Gymnasts to rely on
Junior Amari Celestine is entering her third season with the Tigers competing on vault, bars and floor. Celestine has been a key gymnast since her freshman year. That year, she was the national runner-up on vault at the NCAA championships, earned a spot on the All-SEC and Freshman teams and achieved a career-high score of 9.95 on vault. Her sophomore year followed with another All-SEC selection, and she also placed No. 14 nationally.
Junior Jocelyn Moore is also heading into her third season with the Tigers, competing on vault, bars and floor. As a freshman, Moore competed in every meet on vault and floor, earning three event titles on vault. Her consistent 9.9 or higher vault scores were integral to the Tigers’ success. During Moore’s sophomore season, she became the first Tiger to receive a perfect 10 on the vault. She also earned career-high scores of 9.975 on floor and 9.925 on bars. Moore was named a NCAA-All American on the vault at the end of the season.
Senior Mara Titarsolej is a transfer student from Long Island University and specializes in the uneven bars. The Netherlands native qualified for the NCAA Regional at UCLA in 2023 on the uneven bars and was named the Co-EAGL Specialist of the Year. Another key returning gymnast is graduate student and all-around gymnast, Sienna Schreiber, who was named the Co-Regional Gymnast of the Year in 2022. Additionally, senior Sydney Schaffer is a consistent gymnast on beam, floor and vault, while graduate student Hollyn Patrick has proven her worth on bars, as she scored a career-high 9.95 in 2022.
Know your enemies
The SEC finished the 2023 season with seven teams in the top 20, the most of any conference. Let’s break down some of Missouri’s toughest SEC opponents in 2024.
LSU gymnastics was no stranger to the spotlight after a fourth place finish at the NCAA championships last season. Their uneven bars star, Olivia Dunne, became the highest-paid NCAA female athlete in March. Dunne will return for her fifth year with the LSU Tigers along with other key gymnasts Aleah Finnegan and Kiya Johnson. LSU will prove a challenge for Missouri early in the season on Jan. 26 at home.
Coming off a second place finish at the NCAA championships last season, Florida sports a fierce squad of gymnasts. Though Kayla DiCello is missing the upcoming season to train for the 2024 Olympics, the Gators have the likes of freshman Anya Pilgrim and juniors Leanne Wong and Riley McCusker to fill the gaps. Star gymnast Trinity Thomas has also returned as a student assistant coach. Florida will be a tough test for Missouri in most apparatuses in the Zou to the Lou meet on Feb. 16.
Auburn lost a key player after Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee made the switch back to elite gymnastics with sights set for Paris 2024. Still, the team added six recruits in the offseason with the likes of Emma Grace Boyd. The recruits are bound to be key players. The battle of Tigers will take place on Feb. 23 at Auburn.
If Missouri reaches the NCAA championships in April, the tough competition will not cease outside the SEC. Oklahoma is the back-to-back reigning national champion and is projected to continue their program strength in 2024. Utah placed third in 2023. With star junior Grace McCallum on the roster, they are bound to be a formidable team.
Missouri gymnastics’ first test is the Mizzou Invitational against Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri State and Northern Illinois on Jan. 6.
Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com
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