Mizzou upsets LSU in front of record-breaking home crowd
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
No. 9 Mizzou Gymnastics not only posted its highest-ranked win in program history on Friday night, the team also took down No. 3 LSU 197.325-197.225 with 7,336 fans in attendance at the Hearnes Center. That crowd set a new program record for the largest-attended dual meet in Mizzou Gymnastics history.
The program's previous highest-ranked victory was back in Jan. 2012 when Mizzou toppled No. 4 Nebraska.
On the first rotation, Mizzou scored a season-high 49.425 on the vault. Freshman Hannah Horton captured the vault title with a 9.950 performance, and Jocelyn Moore posted Mizzou's second-highest score on that apparatus with a 9.900. After the first rotation, Shannon Welker's crew grabbed the lead against LSU.
The home team kept its lead in the second rotation. Senior Amaya Marshall recorded a team-high 9.900 on the bars, and four other Mizzou gymnasts posted a score of 9.875, keeping MU in front after two rotations.
LSU took the lead after the third rotation. Amari Celestine finished with MU's best score on the beam with a 9.825, but Mizzou only recorded a 48.900 as a group. With three rotations in the books, LSU led 147.875-147.725.
However, Welker's group shined on the fourth and final rotation, recording Mizzou's highest team score of the night to secure the comeback win. Freshman Kennedy Griffin tied the program record for the highest score on a floor routine in Mizzou Gymnastics history with a 9.975. Every Mizzou gymnast scored at least a 9.825 on the final rotation, leading to a 49.600 team score on floor.
With Friday night's victory, Mizzou improved its overall record to 5-1 this season and is now 2-1 in its SEC meets.
Up next - Mizzou hits the road again for a meet with Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. This meet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.
