Missouri gymnastics comes up short to Oklahoma 197.775-196.750
Missouri gymnastics kicked off SEC play with a dual meet against conference newcomer No. 1 University of Oklahoma. The Tigers came up short on the road, losing 197.775-196.750.
After one rotation, Oklahoma led Missouri 49.350-49.100. The Tigers started their meet on bars. Graduate Kyra Burns opened with a strong routine that earned 9.875. Junior Addison Lawrence followed with a 9.750. Senior Jocelyn Moore brought in a 9.775. Sophomore Hannah Horton went over the bar on her last handstand and scored a 9.375 to have her score dropped. Senior Amari Celestine gets things back on track and scored a 9.800. Bar specialist Mara Titarsolej anchored the rotation with a 9.900.
Oklahoma had a solid vault rotation to begin the meet. Freshman Lily Pederson earned a 9.925 in the leadoff spot. Graduate Audrey Davis ended the rotation with a stuck Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.925.
Missouri moved to vault in rotation two and Oklahoma went to bars. Graduate Abby Mueller started the rotation with a 9.725 as the lowest score. Burns followed with a 9.775. Freshman Kaia Tanskanen competed Missouri’s first 10.0 start value vault. She took a hop on the landing and scored a 9.825. Horton rebounded with a fantastic vault that scored a 9.875. Moore performed a near-perfect Yurchenko 1.5 and earned a season-high 9.975. Celestine followed with a 9.850. Missouri finished their rotation with a 49.300, its highest vault score of the season.
Oklahoma performed a stellar bar rotation. Davis anchored the bar lineup with a near-perfect routine for a 9.950. The Sooners earned a total of 49.400 on the event.
Heading into rotation three, Oklahoma led 98.750-98.400. Missouri moved to floor and Oklahoma moved to beam. Junior Elise Tisler started with a strong routine for a 9.825. Freshman Railey Jackson followed by performing a strong three tumbling pass routine earning a 9.875. Celestine fell and flew out of bounds, scoring an 8.975 to have her score dropped. Horton regained the rotation with a great routine that scored a 9.875. Sophomore Kennedy Griffin failed to rotate far enough on her last tumbling pass and scored a 9.750. Moore also had a shaky routine for a 9.775. The Tigers finished with a total of 49.100 on floor, a season low.
On beam, the Sooners earned a total of 49.375. Senior Jordan Bowers and Davis finished with the highest scores on the routine at 9.925.
Heading into the fourth rotation the Sooners led 148.125-147.500.
Lawrence opened the Tigers’ beam rotation to close the meet. She had a slight wobble on her front aerial but stuck the dismount for a 9.825. Oklahoma transfer Amy Wier returned to her former school in style — a great routine including a stuck dismount brought in a career high of 9.825. Griffin earned a 9.675, the lowest score of the rotation which was dropped. Celestine performed a great routine with a stuck dismount for a 9.725. It is possible the judges did not credit one of Celestine’s connections, resulting in a lower score. Jackson showed poise on the beam, as a great routine earned her a 9.875. After six career 9.975s, beam specialist Helen Hu finally received her long-awaited 10.0. Missouri wrapped up its beam rotation with a season-high of 49.250.
The Sooners created separation on floor, earning two 9.975s from Bowers and Torrez for a total of 49.650 on that event.
Oklahoma took the win 197.775-196.750. Despite the loss, Missouri had a strong meet and finished with a season-high. Missouri head coach Shannon Welker is glad Oklahoma joined the SEC.
“I think most people thought it (the SEC) was the best conference in the country,” Welker said. “Obviously, adding Oklahoma really just kind of helped solidify that thought process right there.”
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com