Missouri
No. 1 Oklahoma
No. 8 Gymnastics Finishes Third at NCAA Lexington Regional
4/5/2026 7:00:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Tigers ended the season in their sixth-straight NCAA Championship Regional Final.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 8 Mizzou gymnastics finished its 2026 season with a third-place result at the NCAA Championship Lexington Regional, scoring 197.225 on Friday at Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Missouri (17-12, 4-4 SEC) finished ahead of fourth-place Ohio State, which scored 196.700. No. 1 Oklahoma (198.350) and No. 9 Arkansas (197.450) placed first and second, respectively.
SHOWSTOPPERS
Hannah Horton (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) claimed her team-leading 16th event title this season, tying for first on uneven bars with a 9.925. Horton qualified individually for the NCAA Championship on uneven bars, where she will compete for a national title on the apparatus on April 16 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Kennedy Griffin (Strongsville, Ohio) used a season-best 9.950 on floor to earn her third event title of the year.
"We've set a certain expectation where falling a little short feels like disappointment, but it's really just a new standard," head coach Shannon Welker said. "This is a young team, and I thought they left their best out there today, but we needed a few more sticks from the start. For losing so much from last year and still being this close to our goal, I'm really proud of them."
RECAP
BARS
-Missouri opened on bars for the third-straight meet, scoring 49.300.
-Going second, fourth and sixth, Lauren Macpherson (Gilbert, Ariz.), Olivia Kelly (Bronx, N.Y.) and Kimarra Echols (Henderson, Nev.) all scored 9.850.
-Horton earned her second-straight 9.925, marking her eighth score of 9.925 or higher on the apparatus this season.
BEAM
-Mizzou totaled 49.250 in its second rotation.
-Going second, Amy Wier (St. Louis, Mo.) received a 9.850.
-Railey Jackson (Park Forest, Ill.) and Kaia Tanskanen (Howell, Mich.) posted scores of 9.825 from the first and third positions.
-Macpherson and Addison Lawrence (Olathe, Kan.) closed the rotation with consecutive 9.875s.
-The Tigers narrowly trailed the Razorbacks at the midpoint of the meet, 98.675-98.550.
FLOOR
-The Tigers recorded a 49.450 for the third consecutive meet.
-Jackson and Ayla Acevedo (Virginia Beach, Va.) each earned 9.850s.
-Griffin posted a meet-high 9.950 going fifth for MU.
-Horton's 9.925 marked her third straight on floor and 10th time reaching or exceeding the mark this year.
-Just 0.025 separated Mizzou and Arkansas heading into the final rotation, 148.025-148.000.
VAULT
-Missouri closed the meet with a 49.225 on vault but was outscored by Arkansas, which finished on beam, 49.425.
-Four Tigers scored 9.850: Griffin, Horton, Echols and Elise Tisler (Fairfax Station, Va.).
-Mizzou's final counted score was a 9.825 from Jackson in the third spot.
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Players Mentioned
