Down to final competitor, Mizzou Gym emerges victorious

Okay, we can all breathe now.

Have all 3,700 fans at Hearnes on Friday for the top 15 faceoff between the Missouri Tigers and the Georgia GymDogs released their collective breaths yet? Because W-O-W… what an exciting and hard-fought meet that truly came down to the wire, and we’d come to find out later just how hard fought it was.

I don’t know if it’s the true sicko in me, but I much prefer a closely contested meet to a blowout. Give me an SEC meet all day over a meet with say, SEMO (sorry, Redhawks). This might have been a bit toooooo close, mind you, but you get my point. This was just SO MUCH FUN and the atmosphere was absolutely electric for both teams!

Missouri head coach Shannon Welker and assistant Lacey Rubin celebrate Amari Celestine’s routine during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M)

Back to just how hard-fought it was…. In Shannon Welker’s post-meet opening statement, he said, “I felt like that (the meet) was hard, so we had to do some work.”

He continued. “We’ve been sick all week. Had we had this (meet) Wednesday we wouldn’t have been able to go. We just had too much sickness. I think I changed three lineups tonight. So there was a lot of like, in-game changing, and I think they (the athletes) managed that well for a lot of changes and just being adaptable.”

I concur, because adjust they did. Remember when I mentioned early on in the season that Shannon said they were focused on overcoming adversity this season? Well, adversity comes in all forms. It could be rebounding from a fall, moving past a teammate’s injury, or being ready to fill in when someone is ill or unable to give it their all. As all of these things have now hit the Tigers this season, some in spades, and their mental sharpness to stay composed and ready is to be admired.

As you’ll see, there honestly was so little difference in scores with these new lineups that spectators likely would not have known that changes were even afoot. That’s what makes this team so special; they are soooooo deep.

More on that in a bit.

But first, a song. Coincidentally, this is actually one of my phone alarm songs. It’s Victorious, by Panic! At the Disco, and it works perfectly for this occasion (and other Mizzou Athletics teams), as there’s been an awful lot of winning these days. [proceeds to knock on alllll the wood]

In it, Brendan Urie sings,

Tonight we are victorious

Champagne pouring over us

All my friends were glorious

Tonight we are victorious

I know — I KNOWWW!!!! — the actual winning of the meet doesn’t matter, as I always tell you. But…. if you win the meet that means that you got a higher team score than your opponent, which is good for NQS purposes and for the race to NOT finish last in the SEC and miss out on competing at the conference meet altogether. So in this case, winning is awesome because 1) it’s so much fun, 2) the score was great, 3) they still have room for improvement, and 4) it keeps the Tigers firmly in the hunt for the evening session of SECs, which you only get there by being in the top 4 in NQS.

Anyway, let’s recap and see where the “Gymnasts to Be Added Later” fit in and just how many 9.90+ scores the Tigers amassed. Hint: it was a lot.

---

Rotation One— MIZ Vault | Georgia Bars

Mizzou

It was a better vault week for the Missouri Tigers despite some last minute changes, you guys! While Kaia still not being back in the lineup and Elise getting pulled out last minute caused some apprehension amongst the Mizzou faithful, there were, as Shannon said after the meet, three really good vaults, and three that were ‘just off the back.’ “We can correct that,” he said definitively.

Kennedy Griffin led off with a stuck Yurchenko Full (9.95 SV), which tied her season high 9.85 score, and Railey Jackson, who stepped in for Elise last minute, had her best scoring vault of the season, a 9.65 on a YF that would be dropped. Olivia Kelly, in just her second week in the vault lineup, took a pretty sizable hop back on her YF, scoring a 9.700, before Hannah Horton stuck her 10.0 SV Yurchenko 1.5 COLD. She earned a 9.925, which ties her season best, though Nate whispered next to me that he thought it should have been a 9.95. Jocelyn Moore took a small but unbalanced step forward and to the side a bit on her 1.5, earning a 9.80, before Amari Celestine tied her season high with yet another 9.90 to finish things off.

Missouri gymnast Kennedy Griffin vaults during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M)

Mizzou’s 49.175 was their highest since at LSU on January 31, so this was nice to see, and especially with some last-minute changes. This was the Tigers’ third highest score of the season.

“A big pillar that we have focused on this year is not focusing on the score,” Amari said at the conclusion of the meet. Instead, they’re looking at how to get to the score. “I can’t get to the stick with a poor roundoff,” she said. “I can’t get to the stick without really opening my shoulders for this. So really focusing on the process to get through that landing and then the score will come.”

Missouri gymnast Hannah Horton competes on the vault during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M

Georgia

Meanwhile, Georgia kicked off their meet on bars, and honestly, that rotation could not have gone much better. Their feet were stuck to that mat. I spied a short handstand or two, but they really put together a great rotation for a season high 49.475 (their previous high was 49.425). The GymDogs were able to drop a 9.80 while counting a trio of 9.875 scores, a season high tying 9.925 from Ja’Free Scott, and a stunning season high tying 9.95 from anchor Lily Smith.

After one rotation, it was shaping up to be a close one, with Georgia on top by 0.250 heading into rotation two, 49.425 to 49.175, and the Tigers had some work to do.

Rotation Two— MIZ Bars | Georgia Vault

Mizzou

It was before this rotation that they made the decision to pull Joci out of the rest of the meet. “She just wasn’t feeling well,” Shannon said. “And you know, it’s not worth it. Number one, to get somebody hurt, and number two, probably not going to get the performance that we know would be possible with somebody else. We’ve got enough good kids, good competitors on our team that we were prepared for them.”

Missouri gymnast Amari Celestine competes on the bars during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M

Kyra Burns got the Tigers started on a so-so note, as she earned just a 9.775 on her opening routine— she might have been a little short on her handstands? It was honestly hard to tell from my angle, and College Gym News did not have a live blog AGAIN this week, so I couldn’t mash up my thoughts with theirs. Regardless, Missouri was able to drop this score.

Addison Lawrence, filling in for Jocelyn in a pinch, came up next, and I wish I had videoed her routine, as she had the bars routine of her life with gorgeous handstands and a stick, Her 9.90 smashed her previous career high of 9.85 and put the Tigers in a great spot moving forward.

Hannah was next and rebounded really nicely from last week’s fall. She took a small step forward on her dismount, but her 9.85 was super solid. Olivia, in just her third counting bars routine of her collegiate career, looked great, and I spied just a tiny hop on the landing. Her 9.85 was a career high, and you can watch below.

Amari followed with another near-perfect 9.925 and a stick, and I am just obsessed with her bars routine (mainly because of that dismount!) and having her and Mara Titarsolej as the anchors is fantastic for this rotation.

Mara, as seen below in her normal awesomeness, earned a 9.90 to close out the rotation for Mizzou. Their 49.425 score was the Tigers’ second highest of the year, trailing only the 49.475 earned at Illinois.

Georgia

The sticky feet in rotation one for Georgia, very fortunately did not extend to the vault in rotation two, as the GymDogs’ 49.100 was even lower than the Tigers. They dropped one of two 9.75 scores from Naya Howard and Anaya Smith and kept the other one. They also counted a couple of 9.80 scores, a 9.85 from Csenge Bacskay, and a team-high 9.90 from Ady Wahl. For NFL fans out there, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s daughter Harley competed in the exhibition slot.

After two rotations, Mizzou retook the lead by 0.025, 98.600 to 98.575. 98.600 is Mizzou’s highest score through two rotations of the season (higher than 98.525 at LSU). Georgia is just behind with a 98.575.

Rotation Three— MIZ Beam | Georgia Floor

Mizzou

I remember a time in not the too distant past when beam would make me break out in a cold sweat. As I watched the first couple Mizzou routines on Friday, I mentioned this Nate & KOMU’s Grace Ainger, who promptly shushed me. (RUDE.) My point was— I’m much more likely to break out in stress hives and quote sad Taylor Swift lyrics watching vault these days than beam; I’m just that confident in their rotation recently.

Amy Wier was back to her normal lead-off position and I didn’t see a wobble throughout the routine, though she did windmill her arms a bit on the dismount. Regardless, she did not move her feet but not feet on dismount and earned a 9.875 for her second consecutive week.

Missouri gymnast Amy Wier competes on the beam during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M)

When asked about Amy’s beam progression thus far, Shannon said they noticed that she just had what he described as “a lot of stuff” in her routine, so they set out to simplify it. “She has such a good beam,” he said, “we have to do this. So we made the change a couple weeks ago and I think it’s paid off.”

Indeed it did!

Abby Mueller followed, and she also had a great routine, earning a 9.85, which is her second highest of the season, and then Olivia had some issues with her wolf turn, which didn’t look exactly graceful, earning her a 9.700 (they dropped this score).

Missouri gymnast Addison Lawrence competes on the beam during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M)

Addi took just a tiny step forward but looked great throughout and I didn’t notice any wobbles. Her 9.875 was her second highest score of the season, and her highest in quite some time, so this was great to see.

Railey followed with a bit of a wobbly routine, earning a 9.75 after a step to the side and kind of unsteady landing, as well as a few balance checks throughout before Helen shined, earning her FOURTH 9.975+ score of the season in the anchor spot. The Tigers’ 49.325 is tied for their second highest of the season with the LSU meet.

Georgia

The GymDogs had just an okay floor rotation, to be honest, as it was about two-tenths off their best of the season, and there were some little oopsies here and there with incomplete landings and sliding feet, etc. They dropped Csenge’s 9.075 score, as it featured a fall, which means they had to count an uncharacteristic and very squat-like landed Ady Wahl’s 9.75, a 9.80 from Lily in which she slipped on the first pass, a 9.85 on Eryn Williams’ three-pass routine, a 9.90 from Holly Snyder, and my personal favorite, a 9.925 from freshman Nyla Aquino, whose floor music consisted of mash-ups of old school hip-hop like BIggie, Tupac, Dr. Dre, etc. It was a damn delight!

After three rotations, Mizzou has added to their lead, 147.875 to 147.800 heading into the last rotation.

Rotation Four— MIZ Floor | Georgia Beam

In order to adequately convey the madness that was this last rotation, I feel it necessary to change my narrative technique a bit. Why?

1. Because I’m the boss of me and there are no rules. There’s no one to tell me no, don’t do that.
2. Because I was a middle school English/Language Arts teacher once upon a time, and I understand of the need to build to the climactic moment in storytelling.

Here goes.

As per tradition, going into the last rotation, the lights dimmed in Hearnes and the Tiger gymnasts lined up for a Swag Surf to dial up the excitement. With the crowds’ camera flashes dancing all over Hearnes, it really set the stage for the magic ahead.

With the Tigers up just 0.075, on the far side of arena, Georgia got started on beam, and I will say, the BROUGHT IT. Leadoff Naya Howard earned a season high 9.90 for UGA before Elise Tisler counterattacked with a season high 9.925 on floor to give Missouri just a bit more cushion of a lead, making it 157.80 to 157.70.

Next came Brooke Gleichowski for UGA, who took just a small hop forward on her landing but was otherwise very good, earning a 9.875. Railey countered on floor with a solid but not as remarkable as last week 9.85, slimming the Tiger lead to 0.075 at 167.650 to 167.575.

Anya Turner then performed a jaw-droppingly perfect routine for Georgia which took the air out of the room, earning her a share of the beam title with Helen Hu with her 9.975 and a season high score to boot.

Hannah was next and added what looked to be an unexpected new little fun dance element to her routine that she likely perfected in week off of floor (she did not compete on FX last week), Her routine looked great, though her second pass landing might have been a smidge uncontrolled as I saw her lift her heel. She earned a solid 9.85, but it wasn’t enough to counteract that UGA score before her and allowed the GymDogs to take the lead back by 0.05, 177.55 to 177.50.

Ja’Free Scott was next for Georgia, and her routine was quite beautiful as well, earning a 9.875, and it was certain that this team was not going down without a fight.

Filling in for Jocelyn Moore, freshman Kaia Tanskanen took the floor for her first counting collegiate floor routine, and she looked tremendous, earning a 9.90, lightyears better than the 9.75 she got in exhibition earlier in the year. This put the score much closer, with just 0.025 separating the two teams with just two to go. Georgia’s lead was minimized to UGA 187.425, MIZ 187.400.

KCMO native Kara Eaker was next for the GymDogs, and it is a true joy to watch her in person. She’s very Helen Hu-esque with her deliberative movements and has come a long way back since we saw her to begin the season (she took a year off after “retiring” from Utah). Kara’s 9.925 gave Georgia a 197.350 with just one competitor, the incomparable Lily Smith, to go.

With her choreographer brother Artyon quite literally in her corner — the Cali native was standing at the edge of the floor — it was time for Amari to show off her skills. I don’t know if it was because he was there or what, but she looked even more flawless than usual. Her first pass was massive. It was INCREDIBLE. Apparently not so incredible to deserve a 10, but she did get a 9.95, which tied her season high and put the meet at a dead heat, tied at 197.350 apiece, each team assured that they’d take home a season high score.

When asked after the meet how it felt to have her brother standing by as she performed, Amari said, beaming, “I know I go out and say I’ve dedicated my season to my family, but having him here by my side tonight was really meaningful for me,”

To close out the meet for Georgia, Lily stepped up and surprisingly faltered a bit, having to repeat a skill to get her full connection points. By event’s end, she earned a 9.85, which would be dropped, leaving Georgia’s score firmly at 197.135 (what it started with the gymnast before).

With a win quite literally on the line and needing above a 9.875 to take it all (a 9.85 would tie it), Kennedy took the floor to the cheers of a raucous yet nervous crowd. I know how I was feeling — I wrote “I’M GOING TO THROW UP” in my notes as she was getting started, ha. But Kenny shined, just as we knew she would, with that bright smile and that endless energy radiating off of her every move. When she finished the team enveloped her, and I’m sure they knew they’d won at that point. There was just no way a mistake-free routine was going to earn anything less than a 9.90. When it was announced that she pulled off a 9.925, and the Tigers were, as Brendan Urie sang in my alarm clock song, VICTORIOUS, the crowd erupted. Oh, and not for naught, the Tigers earned their second highest floor score of the season, a 49.550. This is actually the same score Georgia earned on beam as well, which was a season high.

While Shannon said he didn’t think the team was really paying attention to the score, he alluded to being able to sense it almost. “Even if you’re not watching score,” he said, “like you could tell they were doing well, even if you weren’t watching this thing (pointing to jumbotron). But that’s what great teams can do. They can win the close calls, right?”

After four rotations, Georgia set a season high 197.350 and Mizzou takes the meet with a season high of their own, 197.425.

MVG

Rather than pick a few, let’s just give this award this week to all the 9.90-plus routines this week, as really, those individuals would be getting my totally fictitious award anyway.

Missouri gymnast Helen Hu and the rest of the team kick off a gymnastics meet against no. 12 Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M

Congrats, Amari Celestine, on your 9.90 vault, 9.925 bars, AND your 9.95 floor! Congrats, Hannah Horton, on your 9.925 on vault! Congrats, Addi Lawrence on your 9.90 bars! Congrats, Mara Titarsolej on your 9.90 bars! Congrats, Helen Hu on your 9.975 beam! Congrats, Elise Tisler on your 9.925 floor! Congrats, Kaia Tanskanen on your 9.90 floor! And finally, congrats Kennedy Griffin on your 9.925 floor!

That’s TEN scores of 9.90+, if you’re keeping track, and that’s pretty rad. I’d also like to point out the class differences here, as this group is made up of a grad student, two seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman. The future is bright for Mizzou Gym, y’all.

Final Thoughts

Holy shit, you guys. They pulled it off. The 197.425 was higher than any Mizzou home meet last year, by the way, and that means that in NQS terms, they’ll drop the 196.700 Beauty & the Beast score and now average two 197.200 scores, a 197.175, 197.150 and a 196.75. Get a 197 next week and the last of the 196 scores * Poof! * disappears.

“It was a season high. For some reason, it didn’t feel like a season high, performance-wise,” Shannon said in the aftermath. “But look, you just have to be consistent, and when you’re consistent you’re going to capture those points, right? We were able to find a way, and that’s what we challenged them to do. I don’t care who’s in the lineup, you can get it done.”

My favorite gym colleague Nate brought this up after the meet to both me and again to Shannon later on, and it’s SO true. This meet result means more because one team didn’t mess up and just give it to the other team. This was two teams doing their damndest to do their best and get good scores and outdo the other. Georgia, like Mizzou, scored a season high team score. And had the scores been reversed, I would have been happy with the GymDogs’ 197.350 for Mizzou. But I’m MOST happy of course that now the Tigers have an even higher score.

“I’m really excited, guys,” Amari said. “Every weekend, we go out and we get better. This night, we got better. So really going out there and just capitalizing, maximizing all of our potential stuff.”

Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Missouri head coach Shannon Welker talks to his team during a gymnastics meet against Georgia on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Hearnes Center. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M

---

UP NEXT: Mizzou heads to The Swamp to take on Florida who was dealt a bad blow on Friday night with injuries to both Anya Pilgrim AND Sloane Blakely. The meet will be at 5pm on SEC Network.