University of Missouri
#6 Kentucky
No. 11 Gymnastics Defeats No. 6 Kentucky in Conference Home Opener
1/26/2025 8:45:00 PM | Gymnastics
MU earns series-best score against Kentucky to notch its first SEC win of the season.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 11-ranked University of Missouri gymnastics team put together its best meet of the season to defeat No. 6-ranked Kentucky by a 197.200-196.800 margin on Sunday at Hearnes Center.
In total, the Tigers (6-2, 1-1 SEC) posted six individual scores of 9.900 or better en route to the best team total against the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 SEC) in series history. Mizzou's 197.200 is its highest score of the season thus far.
SHOW STOPPERS
Jocelyn Moore (Hillsborough, New Jersey) posted the highest vault score for the Tigers, tying for the meet's event title with a 9.900. The senior also posted a 9.925 to close out the meet for Mizzou from the anchor spot on floor, her 30th time reaching or exceeding a 9.900 on the apparatus. Senior Amari Celestine (Wildomar, Calif.) won the overall uneven bar title with a 9.900 and claimed a share of the floor title with teammate Moore who both scored 9.925.
Redshirt senior Helen Hu (Chicago, Illinois) put up a 9.975 in her return to Hearnes Center, claiming the beam victory for the second consecutive meet following her first career 10.000 in the previous meet. Olivia Kelly (Bronx, New York)made her career debut on bars and beam, scoring a 9.900 in the ladder to mark the first Tiger freshman to reach the threshold.
RECAP
Vault
-Missouri ended the rotation with a total of 49.200, its second-best score on the event this season.
-With a 9.975 at Oklahoma in the previous meet and a 9.900 on Sunday, Moore has now recorded a 9.900 or better on vault in consecutive weeks for the sixth time in her career.
-Sophomore Kennedy Griffin (Strongsville, Ohio) anchored the event, where she scored her season high with a 9.850.
-Redshirt junior Elise Tisler (Fairfax Station, Virginia) scored a 9.850 during her first routine on vault donning the Black and Gold.
Uneven Bars
-The Tigers put up their top season score on bars with 49.225.
-Celestine's 9.900 is her best this season and since posting a 9.925 on February 24, 2023, against Arkansas.
-Sophomore Hannah Horton (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota) added to the Tiger effort with a 9.850
-Kelly made her career debut on bars, tallying a 9.825.
-From the leadoff spot, sophomore Rayna Light (Brandon, Florida) earned a 9.825 in her bar routine of the season.
Beam
-Hu's 9.975 from the anchor spot is the fourth time she's received the score in her career.
-MU tallied 49.350 on beam, its second best in 2025.
-Kelly's beautiful routine received a 9.900 in her debut in the event.
-Graduate Abby Mueller (Rochester, Minnesota) posted a 9.875 for her first time on beam for the Tigers.
Floor
-The Tigers put up a floor score of 49.425, their second-highest of the season.
-Celestine's 9.925 marks her season-high on floor, while Moore's score tied her best set at the Denver Quad. The teammates shared the event title.
-Tisler's 9.875 tied her best as a Tiger.
-Light accomplished her season-best on floor with a score of 9.850 in her return to the lineup.
UP NEXT
Mizzou travels to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to compete against second-ranked LSU on Friday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network's Friday Night Heights.
In the 2024 season, Mizzou earned its highest-ranked program win in history while hosting LSU, which was ranked number three in the country and went on to win the 2024 National Championship. MU will look to earn its third regular-season victory in four years over LSU.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest on Mizzou gymnastics, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, X, Instagramand TikTok.
Players Mentioned
