Kennedy Griffin earns first career 10.0 on floor exercise to lead to a Tiger victory
After a win against Illinois, Missouri gymnastics took a trip to St. Louis, Missouri for the Zou to the Lou quad meet on Feb. 14. This meet served as Missouri’s SEC matchup against Alabama and also featured Illinois and Iowa. Missouri brought home a win with a final score of 197.150. Alabama followed with a 196.675, then Illinois with a 196.225 and Iowa with 195.000. It was a dazzling night for sophomore Kennedy Griffin, who earned her first career 10.0 on floor with sky high tumbling. “Just the atmosphere in there, and then with the teammates and our coaches, it was just really, really cool,” Griffin said. “At first, I didn’t really know what was happening, and then I saw him kind of flipping the cards, and then some people came over to me, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ It’s still kind of settling in, but it’s just really cool to be able to experience that with my teammates [and] coaches.”Griffin was not the only Tiger who shined on floor exercise; Missouri earned a program high floor score of 49.725. Junior Elise Tisler bagged a 9.900 in the lead off spot, also serving as a season high score. First-year Railey Jackson earned a career high 9.925, displaying great control on each tumbling pass. Senior Amari Celestine brought the crowd to their feet with a floor routine that earned a 9.950, matching her career high. Senior Jocelyn Moore closed the rotation with another 9.950. These scores helped leap Missouri to No. 6 on the event in the national rankings. Celestine also earned a career high all-around score of 39.625 which included a 9.950 on bars and floor. Missouri took the long road to the victory starting its meet with some troubles on vault. First-year Olivia Kelly made her vault debut with a short landing for a 9.750 score. Tisler took a fall on her Yurchenko 1.5, resulting in a 9.175. Sophomore Hannah Horton followed that up by overpowering her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.675 score. Celestine closed that rotation with a solid vault scoring 9.850, leaving the Tigers with a season low 48.850 score on vault.Alabama responded to Missouri’s vault performance and applied some pressure to the Tigers on the team’s bar routine. Alabama’s Chloe LaCoursiere earned a 9.900 followed by Ryan Fuller’s 9.925. In rotation two, Missouri looked for better luck on bars. Moore displayed high flying release moves and capped her routine with a stuck dismount that earned a 9.800. Missouri’s struggles continued as Horton fell on her Maloney release scoring a 9.250. Celestine brought the rotation back scoring a career high 9.950. Mara Titarsolej displayed perfect form on her Maloney plus Pak combination. A small hop on the dismount resulted in a 9.875, leaving the Tigers with a bar total of 49.275. Alabama saw struggles of its own on the beam. Sophomore Gabby Ladanyi scored a 9.700 and senior Lilly Hudson fell on her flight series, bringing in a 9.275. Junior Gabby Gladieux also took a fall, scoring a 9.225 for a team total score of 48.550. In the third rotation the Tigers moved to the beam. Junior Amy Wier started off hot, including a wobble-free routine highlighted by a stuck gainer full dismount to earn a 9.875. Celestine continued her strong day, matching Wier’s score of 9.875. Jackson displayed her signature poise bringing a 9.850 and senior Helen Hu wrapped the rotation with a 9.875. The Tigers gained a beam total of 49.300. Alabama regrouped on floor and vault. Sophomore Jamison Sears led with a 9.900 and Hudson displayed perfection on floor, sticking her tumbling passes and being rewarded with a 10.0. This helped Alabama earn a floor total of 49.575. Sears led Alabama off on vault with a fantastic stuck Yurchenko full for 9.825. Senior Corinne Bunagan and Hudson both earned 9.900s for a vault total of 49.325. Ultimately, the Crimson Tide’s efforts were not enough to match the Tigers as the Tigers finished with 197.150. Missouri will return to the Hearnes Center on Friday, Feb. 21 against No. 11 Georgia. Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.comCopy edited by Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.comEdited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com