Season-High 196.800 Ties No. 19 @MizzouGym for Second in Regular Season Finale

Friday, March 15

Columbia, Mo.

6:40 p.m.

University of Missouri

196.800

Michigan

Season-High 196.800 Ties No. 19 @MizzouGym for Second in Regular Season Finale

3/15/2019 10:55:00 PM | Gymnastics

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 19 Mizzou gymnastics team erupted for a season-high 196.800 to tie for second in the regular season finale on Friday night at the Hearnes Center. No. 9 Minnesota took first with 196.900 points, just ahead of Mizzou and No. 7 Michigan with identical tallies of 196.800. Centenary finished fourth with a team total of 189.200.

The Tigers notched the second-highest beam score and sixth-best floor total in program history in the final two rotations, with totals of 49.425 on both events. Both scores were also season-highs.

Redshirt junior Morgan Porter (Overland, Mo.) tied for the floor title with a season-best 9.925 en route to a 39.500 in the all-around, the second-highest all-around total in her Tiger career.

KEY PERFORMANCES

Trailing Michigan by 0.525 and Minnesota by 0.300 heading into the final rotation, Mizzou closed the night with a 49.425 on floor to close the gap with the Gophers and ultimately tie Michigan for second in the team race.

The 49.425 on floor, the team's highest score on the event since Missouri went 49.475 against Lindenwood and Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 5, 2016, was highlighted by two scores of 9.9 or higher and all six routines going at least a 9.825. Porter anchored the lineup with a 9.925, which was a season-best and stands as her second-highest-ever floor score, to tie Michigan's Olivia Karas for the event crown.

Junior Aspen Tucker (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) also reached the 9.9 mark with a 9.9 in the fifth-spot, and senior Michaelee Turner (Parkville, Mo.) and sophomore Gabrielle Gottula (Spring, Texas) both earned marks of 9.875, which was a season-high for Turner. Senior Allison Bower (Mesa, Ariz.) led off the rotation with a 9.85 and junior Mary Nicholson (North Richland Hills, Texas) added a 9.825.

Missouri opened the meet with a 48.900 on vault, paced by a career-high-tying 9.85 from freshman Frances Bidwill (Phoenix, Ariz.). Porter and sophomore Chelsey Christensen (Rapid City, S.D.) both tallied 9.775s and Gottula and Tucker claimed scores of 9.75.

Porter had another season-high on bars in the second rotation, where she scored a season-best 9.9 as the Tigers went 49.050 as a team. Both seniors Becca Schugel (Eagan, Minn.) and Brooke Kelly (Birmingham, Ala.) matched season-highs with tallies of 9.85 and 9.8, respectively, while Christensen earned a 9.775.

The Tigers notched the second-highest beam score in program history thanks in part to three career marks in the lineup. A career-best 9.925 from Gottula led the way for Missouri, and Porter went 9.9 in the final spot in the lineup. Nicholson and Kelly both went 9.875, a score that tied Nicholson's career-high and was a new season-best for Kelly. Bower also tied her personal-best with a 9.85 and sophomore Lauren Clevenger (Catoosa, Okla.) added a 9.8.

Porter concluded the night with three scores of 9.9 or higher for her 39.500 all-around total. That score trails only her career-high of 39.675 set against Arkansas on March 4, 2016.

QUOTABLES

Mizzou Head Coach Shannon Welker

On the meet…
"More than anything the training this week was much better. We weren't good last week but we didn't prepare very well last week either. The difference in our preparation this week was so much better, we had so much more intensity. It just goes to show that a lot of heart and a lot of effort can do a lot for you."

On Senior Night…
"Any senior wants to leave their home building having done one of their best performances possible and I am really pleased with the seniors tonight. They did a great job, not only in the week of preparation but tonight they showed up big for us. Personally I'm happy for them that they get to leave on such a high note."

UP NEXT

The Tigers open postseason action with the Southeastern Conference Championships on Saturday, March 23 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La. Mizzou will compete in the afternoon session, slated to start at 3 p.m. CT.