Missouri gymnastics wins NCAA regional semifinal, moves one stage away from Fort Worth berth
Calum McAndrew
Missouri gymnastics is a step closer to nationals.
SEC Event Specialist of the Year Helen Hu scored her third perfect 10 of the season on the beam, and No. 7-ranked Mizzou cruised to a win in its NCAA regional semifinal with a team score of 197.650 on Friday to advance to the regional final in Seattle.
The Tigers advanced alongside No. 21 Arizona into the next round of the postseason. Missouri’s total was the best postseason score in team history.
Arizona finished second in the quad-meet with a score of 196.250 to also reach the regional final. No. 10 Georgia and No. 26 Arizona State were eliminated, finishing third and fourth in the quad meet with scores of 196.175 and 196.050, respectively.
Mizzou, coached by SEC Coach of the Year Shannon Welker, opened on the floor and scored 49.300 to take a slender early lead, led by a 9.900 routine from senior Jocelyn Moore.
The lead wasn't slim for long.
By the time the Tigers got to their final rotation, after team scores of 49.225 on the vault and 49.550 on the bars, they had built a full 1.3-point cushion for a qualification spot and were 0.8 ahead of their closest competitor, Arizona.
Then, Hu closed the semifinals on the beam with her third perfect routine of the season to put the finishing touches on MU’s semifinals victory.
The Tigers had the leading individual scorer, including Hu on the beam, in three rotations and in the all-around.
Hannah Horton recorded the highest score of the meet on bars with a 9.950, while fellow Tigers Olivia Kelly and Mara Titarsolej tied for second at 9.250. Amari Celestine won the vault with a meet-high 9.950, and also led the all-around with a 39.450.
The Tigers are the 2-seed in the Seattle Regional — which consisted of nine total teams — and are now just one stage away from booking a trip to the national semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas.
To reach that stage for the first time since the 2022 season, the Tigers will need to finish in the top two of a quad meet Sunday. They will not learn their opponents until later Friday evening, when No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 15 Auburn, No. 20 Nebraska and No. 29 Illinois compete for the final two spots.
If the results follow seedings, a potentially SEC-heavy regional final awaits, as Missouri and Arizona could be joined by Oklahoma and Auburn. The regional final is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CDT Sunday and it will stream live on ESPN+.
There are four regional sites, with the others taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and University Park, Pennsylvania. The top two teams from each site will advance to the semifinals of the national championship on April 17 in Fort Worth, Texas. The four-team national championship meet will take place April 19.
If Missouri does not make it to Fort Worth as a team, the top all-around competitor and top scorer in each event who is not on an advancing team will earn a berth to compete as an individual in the national championship.