No. 9 Gymnastics Upsets No. 3 LSU For Highest-Ranked Win In Program History

Friday, January 26

Columbia, Mo.

7:30 p.m. CT

University of Missouri

197.325

197.225

LSU

Amari Celestine celebrates her vault against LSU

No. 9 Gymnastics Upsets No. 3 LSU For Highest-Ranked Win In Program History

1/26/2024 11:06:00 PM | Gymnastics

COLUMBIA, Mo. — In front of a record-setting crowd of 7,336 at the Hearnes Center, the No. 9-ranked University of Missouri gymnastics team defeated No. 3-ranked LSU 197.325-197.225. The win marks Mizzou's highest-ranked win in program history and the third consecutive year with a top-five victory.

Trailing by .150 entering the final rotation, the Fab Floor helped the Tigers overcome the deficit by posting five 9.9 rotations, led by a show-stealing 9.975 from freshman Kennedy Griffin to tie the program record. Missouri scored a 49.600 on the event, the second-best score in program history, as the host Tigers overtook the visitors to clinch their second consecutive victory over LSU in Columbia.

In addition to the outstanding floor performance, the Tigers also set top-five program marks on both vault and bars, scoring a 49.425 on vault to tie the third-best score in program history in addition to a 49.400 on bars to tie the second-best score in program history.

The freshmen took center stage in the competition, as all three first-year starters posted 9.9s. Griffin scored her 9.975 to clinch the floor title while Hannah Horton notched the vault title with a 9.950, the highest score she's had on any apparatus this season. Rayna Light made her all-around debut, scoring a 39.375 while notching her first career 9.9 on floor.

Missouri's record improves to 5-1 with a 2-1 SEC record while LSU suffered its first dual meet loss of the season to drop to 4-2 with a 1-1 conference mark.

FIRST ROTATION

MU posted a season-high in the vault to open the match, with an impressive mark of 49.425. Freshman Hannah Horton posted the event-high of 9.950.

Every Tiger posted a score of at least 9.800, including Junior Jocelyn Moore's 9.900 and Junior Grace Anne Davis' 9.875, both marks that tied their respective career best.

Their strong start saw Mizzou jump out to the early lead, 49.425-49.400, after the first rotation.

SECOND ROTATION

Senior Amaya Marshall tied her personal best on the bars for Missouri, with a mark of 9.900, her first time with a 9.900 on the bars since 2021.

Several Tigers added solid marks in the events, with every gymnast logging at least a 9.825. Moore, graduate Sienna Schrieber, senior Kyra Burns and senior Mara Titarsolej all registered a 9.875, with Schrieber's mark setting a new season-high for the upperclassman.

Mizzou posted a score of 49.400, continuing their momentum generated in the first rotation, widening their lead over LSU, 98.825 to 98.725.

THIRD ROTATION

On the beam, the Tigers posted a team score of 48.900, with Celestine leading the way for the Tigers with a 9.825.

LSU used a solid performance on the floor to take the lead, 147.875 to 147.725, heading into the final rotation.

FOURTH ROTATION

Schreiber opened up Mizzou's floor rotation with a 9.900, her second consecutive meet hitting the mark on floor. Light would follow with a 9.900 of her own, as Mizzou and LSU battled for the lead for the final rotation.

Celestine would post a 9.900 of her own and Kennedy Griffin would record a career high of 9.975.

Moore would be the final gymnast for the Tigers, needing at least a 9.850 to secure the Mizzou victory, which she easily surpassed with a 9.925 of her own, to rapturous applause from the record crowd.

MEET NOTES

The win marks the Tiger's highest-ranked victory in program history, besting the win over No. 4 Nebraska on Jan. 28, 2012.
The Tigers earned a top-five victory for the third-consecutive season, following last season's triumph over No. 5 Auburn.
The top-three victory marked the first for any Mizzou sport since wrestling defeated No. 3 Iowa State on February 15, 2023.
Missouri's 49.600 on floor ties the second-best score on apparatus in program history, matching a mark last hit against No. 5 Auburn on Feb. 19, 2023.
The Tigers posted a 49.400 on bars to tie their second-best score in program history, a mark last reached at the 2023 SEC Championship.
Missouri's vault score of 49.425 equaled its second-best score in program history, which was last hit in a tri-meet against Lindenwood and SEMO on Jan. 15, 2017.
Mizzou freshman Hannah Horton picked up a new career high in vault with her dazzling 9.950.
Junior Grace Anne Davis tied her career high on the vault with a 9.875, matching her performance on Mar. 12, 2022, against Alabama.
Freshman Rayna Light's 9.900 on floor marked her first career 9.9.
Light made her all-around debut, finishing with a score of 39.375
Tiger senior Amaya Marshall's 9.900 performance on the bars matched her career high set on April 2, 2021, at the NCAA Regionals in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jocelyn Moore's 9.925 marks seven-consecutive floor performances of 9.900 or better, and puts her one 9.9 score away from 40 in her career.
Sienna Schreiber's 9.900 on floor puts her three away from the 50-career 9.900 scores in her collegiate career.

UP NEXT

The Tigers take a one-week break from their SEC schedule, traveling to Denton, Texas, to face off against Texas Woman's University Saturday afternoon at Kitty Magee Arena. First vault is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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RESULTS

Vault 49.425

1. Hannah Horton - 9.950

T2. Jocelyn Moore - 9.900

T5. Grace Anne Davis - 9.875

T7. Rayna Light - 9.850

T7. Amari Celestine - 9.850

10. Sienna Schreiber - 9.800

Bars 49.400

T2. Amaya Marshall - 9.900

T4. Kyra Burns - 9.875

T4. Jocelyn Moore - 9.875