No. 13 Gymnastics Wins Afternoon Session, Places Fifth At SEC Championship

NEW ORLEANS, La. — No. 13 University of Missouri gymnastics won the afternoon session with a program-record conference championship score of 197.275 Saturday afternoon at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Tigers led the meet wire-to-wire to beat out No. 12 Arkansas (197.050), No. 14 Auburn (196.775) and No. 18 Georgia (196.075) and win the afternoon session for the second time in three years. 

Between both the afternoon and evening session, the Tigers finished fifth in the SEC with their score just a quarter-tenth behind fourth-place Florida to nearly break into the ranks of the evening-session squads.

Senior Mara Titarsolej earned her first individual SEC title, as her 9.950 on bars earned her a share of the SEC bars title alongside LSU’s Ashley Cowan. This is her second conference title on bars after earning the 2022 EAGL bars title, and it is the second year in a row that Mizzou has featured an SEC event champion after Jocelyn Moore earned a share of the vault title in 2023.

MU owned the best scores of the session on floor and vault, as Mizzou dominated the back half of the meet with a 49.400 floor total and a 49.250 vault rotation. Both scores stand as the Tigers’ highest mark in a conference championship in program history.

Shannon Welker‘s squad had competitors earn at least a share of the session title on three events. Senior Mara Titarsolej won the session’s bars title outright with a 9.950 in the anchor position, helping the Tigers secure their early lead. On floor, a trio of Tigers — Moore, graduate student Sienna Schreiber, freshman Kennedy Griffin — scored a 9.900 to share the event crown with Maddie Jones of Arkansas. Freshman Hannah Horton closed out the meet with a 9.900 in the anchor position on vault to clinch a share of the event title alongside Julianne Huff and Cassie Stevens from Auburn.

FIRST ROTATION

The Tigers took control of the meet early with a 49.325 bars rotation. Mizzou counted five scores of 9.825 or higher as it led by .175 after the first event.

After Kyra Burns led off with a 9.775, Rayna Light and Amaya Marshall each followed with a 9.825. Sienna Schreiber stuck her dismount in the fourth spot to earn a 9.875, and Jocelyn Moore earned a 9.850 in the fifth position. Mara Titarsolej followed with a dazzling 9.950 to help the Tigers start on the right foot in New Orleans.

SECOND ROTATION

On beam, the Tigers reached the 49 benchmark for the fourth consecutive outing, recording a 49.300 to extend their advantage. Mizzou counted five scores of 9.8 or better to increase its lead to .325 at the halfway point.

Light notched a 9.800 in the second position, matching her career-best mark before Kennedy Griffin set a career-best mark with a 9.875 in the third spot. Sydney Schaffer continued her hot streak on beam, scoring a season-best 9.925. Amari Celestine and Schreiber closed out the rotation with a 9.875 and 9.825, respectively.

THIRD ROTATION

For the ninth consecutive meet, the Fab Floor reached the 49.4 mark, scoring a 49.400 for the best floor score of the afternoon session. All six gymnasts posted scores higher than a 9.825 and three Tigers scored 9.900 routines to maintain their lead.

Schreiber started the rotation strong with her fourth consecutive 9.9 floor routine, then Alonna Kratzer followed with a 9.850 in the second position. Hannah Horton and Amari Celestine posted a 9.825 and 9.850, respectively. In the final two routines of the rotation, Kennedy Griffin and Jocelyn Moore each extended their 9.9 floor streaks with a pair of 9.900s.

FOURTH ROTATION

Mizzou closed out the session victory with the top vault score of the afternoon, as the Tigers scored six routines of 9.8 or higher to yield a 49.250 team score.

Schreiber, Moore and Grace Anne Davis each hit 9.825 vaults throughout the lineup. Griffin tied her career best with a 9.850 Yurchenko full, and Celestine matched that score with her Yurchenko 1 ½. Horton ended the meet with a 9.900 to tie the best mark of the session.

Meet Notes

• Mara Titarsolej became Missouri’s first conference champion on bars in program history.
• This is the second consecutive year Mizzou has featured an SEC event champion after Jocelyn Moore earned SEC vault champion status in 2023.
• The 197.275 team score is the highest conference championship score in program history, surpassing the 197.000 mark set at the 2023 SEC Championship.
• The 49.400 floor score and 49.250 vault total both are Mizzou’s best at a conference championship in program history.
• MU’s 49.325 bars mark and 49.300 beam score constitute the second-best conference championship total on both events.
• Mizzou hit a 197 or higher for the 10th time this season, increasing its total for the program’s most in a single season.
• Jocelyn Moore hit her 15th consecutive floor routine of 9.9 or higher as she remains one of two SEC gymnasts to achieve that feat.
• Kennedy Griffin hit career-best marks on vault and beam, earning a 9.875 on both apparatuses.
• Griffin also extended her 9.9 streak on floor to six consecutive meets.
• Sienna Schreiber extended her streak of 9.9 floor routines to four straight outings, the longest run of her career on the event.
• With her 9.950, Mara Titarsolej extended her 9.9 streak on bars to three consecutive outings.
• Sydney Schaffer nailed her beam routine with a 9.925 to score her best routine of 2024.
• Rayna Light‘s 9.800 beam routine tied her career best.

UP NEXT

The Tigers will receive their NCAA Regional fate with the 2024 NCAA NC Women’s Gymnastics Selection Show on Monday, March 25, at 11 a.m. CT. The event will be streamed on NCAA.com.

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