After a month away from home, Missouri gymnastics faced Arkansas in the Hearnes Center on March 3. Missouri put up a season-high 197.525 score, still falling to the Razorbacks’ 197.650. 

The Tigers got the ball rolling on vault. Graduate Sienna Schreiber stuck her landing and secured a 9.875 score to start. She was followed by five more 9.8 and above scores, the routines that followed lacked a stuck landing. Freshman Kennedy Griffin put up a 9.825 in her first career start on vault. 

On the bars, Arkansas started off with a bang with multiple stuck dismounts and two scores of 9.9 or above. As a result, the Razorbacks had the lead going into the second rotation, 49.300-49.225. 

Bars was as strong as ever for the Tigers in their second rotation. Senior Kyra Burns opened with a 9.900 which was followed by graduate Hollyn Patrick, scoring a career-high 9.925 and sticking her dismount. Senior Amaya Marshall finished out the trio of 9.9s on the event with one of her own. Despite senior Mara Titarsolej falling on her maloney release move, it was dropped due to two more 9.8 and above scores. 

Arkansas on the vault went similarly to Missouri’s results, sticking no landings and not scoring any higher than 9.875. After Missouri’s stronger bars rotation, they gained the lead over Arkansas 98.675-98.550. 

Missouri went into the third rotation with a mission: to improve from the weeks prior. Junior Grace Anne Davis led off for the first time and put up a 9.800. She was followed by three more routines with large balance checks on acrobatic elements. 

The team had four scores in the 9.8 range, so it was up to Schreiber to put up a big score. After nailing her triple acrobatic series and her split leaps, it came down to her gainer-full dismount: she stuck it. Each judge held up a 10 and the Hearnes Center erupted. Schreiber earned her first perfect 10 of her career and propelled the Tigers to a 49.250 beam score. 

The Razorbacks were also putting up big scores on one of their best events, floor. They had two 9.925’s and a 9.950 from sophomore Lauren Williams. They regained their lead 147.925-148.075. 

Missouri headed to their best event last: floor. After earning her perfect 10 on beam, Schreiber followed it up with a 9.925 on floor. Senior Alonna Kratzer entered the lineup last minute and put up a clean 9.900 routine with stuck tumbling passes. Missouri’s momentum halted after freshman Hannah Horton fell on her 2.5 twist for the second week in a row. The success came roaring back, as Griffin and junior Jocelyn Moore each scored big 9.950 scores. The Tigers closed with a 49.575. 

Despite being on their historically worst event, the Razorbacks put together an amazing beam rotation. Every routine featured a stuck landing, minimal balance checks and all scores that were counted were 9.9 and above. They scored 49.600 and won the meet. 

Schreiber grabbed the beam title with her perfect 10 and earned an all-around score of 39.650. Griffin, Moore and Williams all tied for the floor title, Patrick and Arkansas’s Maddie Jones tied for bars and there was a four-way tie for vault with a score of 9.875. The team score of 197.525 ranks No. 5 in program history.  

Edited by Michael Stamps

Copy edited by Grace Knight

Edited by Genevieve Smith | gsmith@themaneater.com