COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 7 Missouri gymnastics delivered a historic performance Friday night, defeating No. 2 Florida 197.200-196.500 at Mizzou Arena. The victory marks the highest-ranked win in program history for the Tigers, who set the tone early and maintained control throughout the competition.
Missouri (5-3, 1-3 SEC) began the meet on vault, establishing an immediate lead. Kennedy Griffin and Railey Jackson both contributed scores of 9.800, while Kaia Tanskanen led the team with a 9.875. Despite a drop score of 8.775 from Hannah Horton, the Tigers posted a solid 49.150 in the opening rotation.
Florida (6-1, 3-1 SEC) struggled on uneven bars, their first event of the night. While leMjae Frazier opened with a strong 9.900, errors from Riley McCusker (9.400) and Payton Richards (9.450) proved costly. A subsequent fall from Selena Harris-Miranda further hampered the Gators’ score, allowing Missouri to build a significant early advantage. At the conclusion of the first rotation, the Tigers led 49.150-48.475.
“When the other team makes a mistake early, you can get too relaxed,” said Missouri head coach Shannon Welker. “I thought our team did a nice job of just plugging along and managing it.”
The second rotation saw tighter margins, but Missouri maintained its advantage. The Tigers showcased consistency on uneven bars, highlighted by a clean routine from Maya Terry. Florida responded on vault, led by a 9.950 from Harris-Miranda and a 9.900 from Danie Ferris. However, Missouri held onto its lead, extending it to 98.400-97.725 at the midpoint of the meet.
Missouri further solidified its position in the third rotation on balance beam. Olivia Kelly delivered a 9.900, and Addison Lawrence anchored the lineup with a 9.950. While Florida found some momentum on floor exercise, posting 9.900s from both Ferris and Harris-Miranda, the Gators were unable to close the gap.
Entering the final rotation, Missouri led 147.675-147.050, setting the stage for a decisive finish.
“There’s no defense in gymnastics,” Lawrence explained. “We’re focused on what we can do, so we just stay in our bubble and worry about the next routine.”
Missouri closed the meet on floor exercise with its strongest rotation of the night. Ayla Acevedo and Tanskanen opened with matching 9.250s, followed by a 9.925 from Griffin. The Tigers didn’t count a score lower than 9.850 in the event, finishing with a meet-high 49.525.
Florida’s final push on balance beam was led by Kayla DiCello, who scored a 9.950. However, the Gators were unable to overcome Missouri’s consistent performance across all four rotations.
Welker attributed the team’s success to its depth. “We have multiple people who can step up on any event,” Welker said. “That opens the door for consistency, and I think that showed tonight.”
The win marked Missouri’s sixth meet this season with a score of 197 or higher as the Tigers continue SEC competition. This victory is particularly significant as it represents the highest-ranked opponent Mizzou gymnastics has ever defeated. The Gators had previously been the third No. 2-ranked team to compete at Mizzou Arena this season, following close contests against Oklahoma and LSU.
Missouri will be back in action next week, traveling to face Kentucky.
