Mara Titarsolej prepares to take stage at NCAA Championships
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
While Mizzou Gymnastics won't be competing as a team at the NCAA Championships, the Tigers will have one gymnast in Fort Worth to represent them. After qualifying for the national championships as an individual competitor on bars, Mara Titarsolej is getting set to make her debut on the NCAA Championship stage.
"I'm excited to go to nationals. It's obviously bitter sweet because we wanted to go as a team and we were so close, so hopefully, that will like fuel us for next year to make it as a team because that's obviously the ultimate goal. But, going as an individual is an honor," Titarsolej said at a press conference on Monday.
"We're excited about it. It's always fun to represent the University of Missouri on the national stage and excited that Mara gets an opportunity to do that. I think that was one of the things that she was really hoping that she'd get a chance to do by coming to the University of Missouri, and so, we're glad that we get that chance," Shannon Welker said at Monday's press conference.
You can watch the full press conference with Mizzou gymnastics coach Shannon Welker and senior gymnast Mara Titarsolej in the video player below.
Titarsolej said during Monday's press conference that she's treating her preparation for the NCAA Championships no different than how she prepared throughout the entire season.
The senior gymnast regularly competed in the anchor position of Mizzou's bar lineup this season, leading the Tigers to post its best season on that apparatus in program history. Mizzou earned its best three team scores on bars in program history this season, including a program-best 49.600 at the Mizzou Quad. The Tigers also ended the season ranked No. 11 in the nation on bars, which also set a new program record.
Individually, Titarsolej made MU history at the Zou to the Lou Quad, becoming the program's first gymnast to ever record a perfect score on bars. The WCGA Regular Season All-American was also crowned the SEC's co-champion on bars at the conference championships after performing a 9.950 routine.
Titarsolej will compete at the NCAA Championships on Thursday, April 18 at 8 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
