University of Missouri
NCAA Regional
@MizzouGym Closes Season With 196.100 at NCAA Regional
4/7/2018 7:29:00 PM | Gymnastics
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Missouri gymnastics team scored a 196.100 to finish fifth at the 2018 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Saturday evening in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama (197.225) and Georgia (196.500) claimed the top two spots to earn trips to the 2018 NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships. Illinois (196.425) placed third, followed by Michigan (196.350) in fourth and Central Michigan (195.825) finished sixth.
Junior Britney Ward (Ozark, Mo.) placed second overall on balance beam with a 9.900, only a quarter of a tenth away from the event title and an individual spot at the NCAA Championships.
The 196.100 tied for the second-highest regional score in program history, joining totals from the 2017 and 2015 squads.
KEY MOMENTS
After opening the meet on a bye, the Tigers put up a 49.075 on bars in the second rotation. Junior Madeleine Huber (St. Louis, Mo.) hit for a team-high 9.900 in the anchor position, while three other Tigers scored 9.800s, seniors Tia Allbritten (Garland, Texas) and Shauna Miller (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore Aspen Tucker (Lehigh Acres, Fla.). Allbritten's score marked a career-high.
A 9.900 led the way again for Mizzou in the third rotation on beam, this time from Ward. Including Ward, four Tigers went 9.800 or higher on the event. Junior Brooke Kelly (Birmingham, Ala.) scored a 9.850, Allbritten went 9.825 and Bower posted a 9.800.
In the fifth rotation, Missouri totaled a 49.000 on the floor exercise. Senior Kennedi Harris (Atlanta, Ga.) and Tucker both scored 9.850s, which were team-highs. Bower added a 9.800 from the leadoff position.
Mizzou closed the meet with a 48.975 on vault. Ward again led the way with a 9.875, just off her season-best score. Redshirt junior Morgan Porter (Overland, Mo.) posted a 9.800, and Harris and Tucker added 9.775s.
QUOTABLES
Mizzou Head Coach Shannon Welker
On today's performance…
"I thought the day was decent but you have to be better than good when you come into a competition like this. We missed some opportunities on some events. You have to be really good when you come in, it was a tough regional, it was only four-tenths between a bunch of teams. We have to find ways to get better and we'll definitely focus on those during the off-season and make sure we're in a better positition moving into the next season."
On the senior class…
"We're going to miss our senior class. Those young ladies really helped us move our program forward. They've given a lot to our program, and we're appreciative of all their efforts. We're going to miss Shauna (Miller) and Tia (Allbritten) and Kennedi (Harris) and Becca (Schugel). They are great young ladies and I'm excited to see what they do with their lives moving forward."
Players Mentioned
