University of Missouri
NCAA Athens Regional
@MizzouGym Posts Program-Record Regional Score of 196.625 at Athens Regional
4/5/2019 5:44:00 PM | Gymnastics
ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 19 Mizzou gymnastics team tallied the highest NCAA Regional score in program history, 196.625, but placed third in the 2019 NCAA Athens Regional on Friday afternoon to conclude the Tigers' season. No. 8 Georgia (197.300) and No. 9 Kentucky (196.850) advanced to Saturday's regional final out of the first session, while No. 22 Iowa State (196.250) took fourth.
The 196.625 bettered Mizzou's previous regional record of 196.500, set at the 2010 NCAA Columbia Regional when the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Championships. Missouri also closed the meet with a 49.200 on beam, also a program record.
Redshirt junior Morgan Porter (Overland, Mo.) totaled a 39.475 in the all-around, including a 9.9 on bars, which tied Mizzou's individual program-high on the event in NCAA Regional action.
KEY PERFORMANCES
Mizzou started strong with a 49.225 on floor in the opening rotation. The score extended the team's streak of 49s on floor to 14 straight meets, dating back to last year's regional. Five Tigers went over 9.825, including team-best tallies of 9.875 from Porter and junior Aspen Tucker (Lehigh Acres, Fla.). Three additional Tigers, senior Michaelee Turner (Parkville, Mo.), junior Mary Nicholson (North Richland Hills, Texas) and sophomore Gabrielle Gottula (Spring, Texas) all added 9.825s.
The Tigers scored a 49.025 on vault in the second rotation, Mizzou's highest total on the apparatus since Feb. 15. Porter again led the way, this time with a 9.85, while Tucker, freshman Hannah McCrary (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and sophomore Chelsey Christensen (Rapid City, S.D.) each went 9.8, and Gottula went 9.775.
A season-best-tying 49.175 on bars kept Mizzou in contention in the third rotation. Porter scored a 9.9, which tied the team's regional record on the event, and senior Madeleine Huber (St. Louis, Mo.) returned to the lineup from injury for the first time since Feb. 15 to post a 9.85 in the anchor position. Redshirt senior Becca Schugel (Eagan, Minn.) and senior Brooke Kelly (Birmingham, Ala.) both notched 9.825s, and Tucker led off the lineup with a 9.775.
Missouri went a program regional record 49.200 on beam in the final rotation but it was not enough to catch either Georgia or Kentucky. Once again, five of six Tigers went 9.8 or better on the event, including a team-best 9.875 from Kelly. Senior Britney Ward (Ozark, Mo.) and Porter both tallied 9.85s, Gottula posted a 9.825 and Nicholson added a 9.8.
QUOTABLES
Mizzou Head Coach Shannon Welker
"I thought we did a really nice job today. Our goal was coming in was to hit 24 out of 24 routines and compete with confidence, and we did those things. We stuck a lot of dismounts today. Even though this was our second-best score of the year, I thought that was our best performance of the year overall. We had a really good meet. In my opinion we had one of the most challenging rotations you can get, starting on floor and ending on beam, and we did an awesome job with it. I wouldn't be surprised if our score today would have sent us through in any other regional but that's how it goes. We had tremendous improvement on from SECs and really got it turned around in a short period of time."
On the senior class…
"We graduate seven seniors, they really made a tremendous impact on our team and on the culture of our program with their work ethic. They really put us in a position to be competitive in the toughest conference in the country. They were game-changers for us and gave us a great stepping stone for our returners to really build off of."
Players Mentioned
