We’re only focused on gymnastics here, folks.
It’s here! It’s finally here!!! The start of Mizzou Gymnastics’ 2025 season, which I think will be one for the record books, and I’m not the only one who thinks this! Prior to the publication of this preview, College Gym News came out with their 2025 National Title Watch List, and Missouri found itself listed along with five other SEC schools. From the article:
Missouri has put together a massively impressive yet quiet group of transfers this year. Lauren Macpherson, Abby Mueller, Elise Tisler, and Amy Wier all chose the Tigers. They join last year’s talented transfer in Mara Titarsolej, who is back for her COVID year, and Helen Hu, who is returning after retiring following the 2023 season. Plus, 2024 incomer Kaia Tanskanen, who made a run at the Olympics for Finland, is starting her college career in Columbia this year. That’s a huge influx of new, experienced talent that could put Missouri over the edge. Are the Tigers frontrunners? No. But they just might have the right pieces to be a spoiler in 2025.
Meet Info: Beauty & The Beast
When: Friday, January 3, 2025
Where: Mizzou Arena | Columbia, Mo.
Time: 6:00 p.m. CST
TV: SEC Network+
Giveaway: Squishmallow (I want one!!!!)
Opponents: Ball State, Illinois State, Southeast Missouri
History: The Beauty & The Beast meet itself was last contested in January 2019, when the wrestling Tigers took on Central Michigan and the tumbling Tigers took on Auburn. This year’s meet will be considerably bigger, as the tumbling Tigers will be facing three teams for triple hthe excitement!
- Mizzou & Ball State last faced each other on March 10, 2023 in a quad meet with SEMO & UNC. The Tigers were victorious, scoring 197.25 over runner-up Ball State’s 196.425.
- Mizzou last faced Illinois State way back on Valentine’s Day 2014 in a tri-meet with Lindenwoond (RIP, Lions). The Tigers were victorious, 194.05 (wowww) to LU’s 190.925 to IL State’s 190.175.
- Mizzou often faces SEMO, and last year was no exception, with the Tigers facing them, and beating them, three times— 197.60 to 192.70 on March 17, 2024 in a quad meet with Illinois & Arizona; 197.375 to 193.15 on March 10, 2024 in a quad meet with Denver, New Hampshire & SEMO, and 197.15 to 192.775 on January 6 in a season opener with Lindenwood, NIU & SEMO.
2024 Season Recap
Missouri finished the 2024 season ranked no. 11 overall with a 394.745 season NQS, a program-high 197.525 in Round 2 of Regionals and program-high 197.420 team NQS. They averaged a program-high 197.185 points, with a high of 197.600 at the Illinois Quad. They finished the regular season ranked no. 8 on floor with a program high (49.700), no. 11 on bars with a program-high (49.600), and no. 12 on vault with a program-high (49.500). The only apparatus without a program high this year? Beam— no surprises there— of which they were no. 22 nationally (49.40). This is the second highest season-ending ranking since the illustrious no. 5 ranking after the run at Nationals in 2022.
The Tigers took down no.2 LSU at home in late January in front of a huge crowd of 7,336 and they beat Georgia on the road in Athens. THREE different Tigers earned 10s this season— Mara Titarsolej (bars, at her 2nd school), Sienna Schreiber (beam, in the last home meet and Jocelyn Moore (adding to her 10 on vault from the previous season. They finished just outside of the top 4 in the SEC Championship, just 25/100ths behind Florida, and were third in the Regional finals, just two critically mis-scored tenths behind NCAA darling Utah (yeah, I’m still annoyed).
Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation
Quick Comparisons
data collected via Road to Nationals
Opponent Outlook
Ball State
KEY LOSSES: Victoria Henry | Megan Teter
KEY ADDITIONS: Jordanna Phillis
RETURNING/KNOWN SCORERS:
Vault: Suki Pfister (10.0) | Zoe Middleton (9.95) | Hannah Ruthberg (9.875) | Carisa Martinez (9.825)
Bars: Zoe Middleton (10.0) | Ashley Szymanski (9aa.925) | Hannah Ruthberg (9.925) | Ava Molina (9.90) | Grace Sumner (9.875)
Beam: Hannah Ruthberg (9.90) | Grace Sumner (9.90) | Zoe Middleton (9.90) | Ashley Szymanski (9.875) | Lindsay Fuller (9.775)
Floor: Suki Pfister (9.95) | Hannah Ruthberg (9.925) | Carissa Martinez (9.925) | Zoe Middleton (9.925) | Ava Molina (9.775)
NOTES:
- Ball State welcomes Jordanna Phillis, a 7-time Canadian national medalist and a 2023 Elite Canada vault champ. While I don’t know what events she’ll participate in, it’s safe to say vault would be one of them. Of note: She was observed at 12/31 Ball State BB game wearing a walking boot, so she may be out with injury.
- It is important to not be alarmed by Ball State’s multiple very high scores; the Cardinals participated in the Tennessee Collegiate Classic last year, which was absurdly overscored. So bad.
- The return of WCGA All-American First Team vaulter Suki Pfister for her grad year cannot be understated for this roster. This is huge. The 2024 MAC Specialist of the Year and 2024 MAC Floor Co-Champ scored a 10 on vault actually LOOKS like a 10. Whether or not we will see her in action on Friday is up for debate. It was only just announced in the past few days that she was back, so I don’t know how long she’s been training.
- In one of the team’s exhibition tune-ups, Ruthberg, Szymanski & Sumner scored 9.875, 9.80 & 9.80 respectively on bars. Szymanski also scored a 9.85 on beam.
Illinois State
KEY LOSSES: Angelica Labat | Madison Kipp | Nirel Bart-Williams
KEY ADDITIONS: Jaly Jones (Lindenwood), Madyson Baucom (Fisk)
RETURNING/KNOWN SCORERS:
Vault: Alana Laster (9.90) | Jaye Mack (9.90) | Mya Robinson (9.90) | Mia Oh (9.80) | Alexis Hope (9.775) | Kaitlyn Donovan (9.75) OR Joy Ziegenfelder (9.75)
Bars: Sarah Wabi (9.875) | Jaly Jones (9.875) | Reese Grolla (9.85) | Julia Heiner (9.825) | Mya Robinson (9.825) | Alana Laster (9.80) | Wild Card: Madyson Baucom (9.75)
Beam: Mya Robinson (9.90) | Leah Davis (9.90) | Joy Ziegenfelder (9.90) | Jaly Jones (9.85) | Ally Lau (9.85) | Jaye Mack (9.825) OR Reese Grolla (9.825)
Floor: Jaye Mack (9.95) | Kaitlyn Donovan (9.925) | Alana Laster (9.925) | Jaly Jones (9.90) | Sara Wabi (9.875) | Leah Davis (9.85)
NOTES
- The loss of Labat, who exhausted her eligibility in 2024, is wide-reaching, as she was the top Illinois State gymnast on vault and beam and second on beam. She leaves as their most decorated gymnast in history.
- Jaye Mack is the three-time MIC floor champ, scoring a 9.90-plus seven times in 2024. She placed 14th in the Ann Arbor Regional with a 9.85 on vault and 17th on floor with a 9.85.
- In an exhibition against Illinois, the Redbirds scored a 194.85 team score, which was led by Robinson/Mack’s 9.80 on vault, Wabi’s 9.85 on bars, Heiner’s 9.80 on bars, Laster’s 9.85 on beam and Laster/Wabi/Mack’s 9.85 on floor.
Southeast Missouri State
KEY LOSSES: Lydia Webb, Anna Chodon
KEY ADDITIONS: Jaidan Kossuth & Leah Parton (Lindenwood)
RETURNING/KNOWN SCORERS:
Vault: Madison Greene (9.875) | Lindsay Ockler (9.85) | Taylor Ingle (9.85) | Janelle Lopez (9.825) | Alley Kuehn (9.825) | Jordan Napolitano (9.725)
Bars: Lindsay Ockler (10.0) | Taylor Ingle (9.875) | Janelle Lopez (9.825) | Ava Johnston (9.80) | Sydney Crouch (9.775) | Kailyn Hamilton (9.775)
Beam: Jaidan Kossuth (9.875) | Taylor Ingle (9.875) | Madison Greene (9.85) | Jordan Napolitano (9.825) | Alley Kuehn (9.775) | Anna Speller (9.75)
Floor: Madison Greene (9.925) | Taylor Ingle (9.925) | Lindsay Ockler (9.875) | Jordan Napolitano (9.875) | Sydney Crouch (9.85) | Kailyn Hamilton (9.825)
NOTES:
- The graduation of Lydia Webb, who led SEMO in 3⁄4 events, and was second in the other one, hurts them a lot.
- I’m glad to see more former Lindenwood Lions find a home, and Kossuth should figure strongly into beam lineups for the Redhawks.
- SEMO also took part in the aforementioned Tennessee Collegiate Classic, and thus were subjected to some out-of-pocket scoring.
Missouri Lineup Preview
Helen Hu competes in an open intrasquad on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, at the Mizzou gymnastics practice facility. (Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation)
Disclaimer: These are purely predictions based on nothing but my brain and the help of Nate & Claire and what I’ve watched in three intrasquads and over the last calendar year. The scores in parentheses are the high scores from last year, as well as intrasquad scores as needed for reference)
KEY LOSSES: Sienna Schreiber (AA); Hollyn Patrick (UB); Sydney Schaffer (BB); Amaya Marshall (BB, UB); Alonna Kratzer (FX); Grace Anne Davis (VLT, UB, BB)— offseason achilles injury/surgery
KEY ADDITIONS: Addison Lawrence (UB, BB)— return from injury; Helen Hu (BB)— unretired, Lauren Macpherson (San Jose State); Abby Mueller (Illinois); Elise Tisler (Towson); Amy Wier (Oklahoma); Kaia Tanskanen; Olivia Kelly; Railey Jackson
RETURNING/KNOWN SCORERS:
Vault: Elise Tisler (9.975) | Jocelyn Moore (9.95) | Amari Celestine (9.95) | Hannah Horton (9.95) | Kyra Burns (9.90) | Kaia Tanskanen (9.80 B&G x2) | Wild Cards: Railey Jackson | Lauren Macpherson (9.85) | Abby Mueller (9.85 B&G) | Jessa Conedera (9.85 B&G) | Kennedy Griffin (9.75 B&G)
Bars: Mara Titarsolej (10.0) | Amari Celestine (9.925 in ‘23, 9.90 B&G) | Lauren Macpherson (9.925) | Jocelyn Moore (9.90) | Kyra Burns (9.90, leadoff) | Hannah Horton (9.85 B&G, 9.80) | Wild Cards: Addi Lawrence (9.85 in ‘23, 9.85 B&G) | Rayna Light (9.85) | Kaia Tanskanen (9.70 B&G) | Lisa Szeibert (9.70 B&G)
Beam: Helen Hu (9.975 in ‘23) | Addi Lawrence (9.975 in ‘23) | Lauren Macpherson (9.95) | Amari Celestine (9.925) | Kennedy Griffin (9.875; 9.90 B&G) | Amy Wier (9.75, 9.85 B&G) | Wild Cards: Rayna Light (9.875) | Railey Jackson (9.90, 9.85 B&G) | Jessa Conedera (9.90 B&G) | Olivia Kelly (9.90 L10, 9.80 B&G) | Lisa Szeibert (9.80 B&G x2)
Floor: Jocelyn Moore (10.0) | Kennedy Griffin (9.975) | Elise Tisler (9.975) | Amari Celestine (9.95) | Hannah Horton (9.95) | Lauren Macpherson (9.925) | Wild Cards: Kylie Minard (9.90 B&G) | Railey Jackson (9.90 B&G) | Olivia Kelly (9.95 L10)
NOTES:
- Jackie choreographed 14 (FOURTEEN!) new floor routines this fall and is consistently making changes and tweaks. “Everyone is settling into the details; they look good. I even made a few changes the day before Black & Gold,” she said.
- This team has high aspirations: Finish in the top half of the SEC, reach the evening session of the SEC Championships, return to Nationals as a team. These are not unattainable goals. “We’ve got to push the envelope a little bit,” Welker said back in October.
- Shannon said in November after their intrasquad that they hope that the Tigers can shoot for 50% sticks and then work up from there.
- With this massive amount of depth, it’s possible that we won’t see that many freshmen work their way into lineups this season. And that could be a good thing! Per Shannon, while he does anticipate that the Tigers will have some freshmen who are competitive to make lineups, they’ve had to use some freshmen out of necessity in recent years. The freshmen are expected to take their time a bit and develop a bit more, but he does expect to see some freshmen in lineups.
Missouri’s Elise Tisler competes on floor in an intrasquad meet on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, at Tiger Performance Center. (Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation)
“I think we got a great opportunity to do some to do something pretty special this year,” Mizzou head coach Shannon Welker said on an October 11 Zoom call. “And we’re excited to have you guys join us to follow it.”
I’m so excited. Stay tuned for updates.