Missouri gymnastics kicked off its season with three victories in in its quad meet Friday at Arizona State. Missouri’s 195.450 topped Arizona State’s 195.000, Minnesota’s 194.150, and UIC’s 193.925.
Senior Britney Ward led the Tigers on beam, winning the event with a 9.95. Senior Brooke Kelly and sophomore Gabrielle Gottula each scored 9.825 for their beam routines. Junior Mary Nicholson and senior Allison Bower contributed scores of 9.750 and 9.725, respectively, Missouri finished the first rotation with a score of 49.075, its highest event score of the meet.
Junior Aspen Tucker notched the Tigers second individual event win with a 9.9 on floor. Redshirt junior Morgan Porter and senior Madeleine Huber helped Missouri with scores of 9.825 and 9.8, respectively. Bower and freshman Hannah McCrary had scores of 9.775 and 9.75 en route to Missouri’s 49.050 in the second rotation.
Missouri stayed consistent in the third rotation, scoring a 48.950 on vault. The Tigers were led by Tucker and Huber with sores of 9.850 and 9.825, respectively, Porter and sophomore Paige Kovnesky contributed scores of 9.775 and 9.7, respectively. McCrary finished off the rotation for Missouri with a 9.8.
Despite falls in the first two bar routines, Missouri finished with a 48.375 in the final rotation, led by Huber with a 9.875. Redshirt senior Becca Schugel and Porter both contributed scores of 9.825, while sophomore Chelsey Christensen scored a 9.725.
“I was really pleased,” coach Shannon Welker said in a press release. “I liked how we opened the meet. That’s something we were trying to do a better job of, setting the tone for the day, and we did an awesome job of that. Today was a good start for us.”
The Tigers will head to Gainesville, Florida for their first SEC match of the season on Jan. 11 against the Florida Gators.
_Edited by Adam Cole | acole@themaneater.com_