NO. 19 @MIZZOUGYM TALLIES HIGHEST SCORE SINCE 2010 WITH 196.650 AGAINST NO. 2 FLORIDA
The team score also stands as the eight-highest in program history
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 19 Mizzou gymnastics team put up a season-best score of 196.650, its third score of 196 or higher in 2016, in a 197.750-196.650 defeat at the hands of No. 2 Florida Friday night at the Hearnes Center. The team tally gave the Tigers two scores of 196.625 or higher in a season for only the second time in the program's 37-year history, a feat also accomplished in 2004.
Missouri's 196.650 also marked the eighth-highest score in program history and the highest since the team went 196.872 on Feb. 26, 2010. Additionally, the squad tied the sixth-best beam score (49.225) and set the ninth-highest floor total (49.375) in Tiger history.
The squad set or tied 12 career highs in the meet, including a score of 39.425 for freshman Morgan Porter (Overland, Mo.) in the all-around after marks of 9.950 on floor and 9.825s on vault, bars and beam.
Moving in the Olympic rotation, Mizzou opened the meet on vault with a 48.975 team tally. Porter, sophomore Kennedi Harris (Atlanta, Ga.) and freshman Xarria Lewis (Columbia, Mo.) all went 9.825 to pace the squad, while freshman Brooke Kelly (Birmingham, Ala.) scored a 9.775. The tallies for Lewis and Kelly marked career-bests on the event.
In the second rotation, the Tigers went 49.075 on bars for their sixth score of 49 or higher on the event this season. Kelly tied her career-best with a 9.875 to lead the way for Mizzou, while freshmen Madeleine Huber (St. Louis, Mo.) and Porter each went 9.825.
Five scores of 9.825 or higher propelled the Tigers to their 49.225 on beam, the best output on the apparatus since they scored a 49.250 on Feb. 12, 2009. Freshman Britney Ward notched her seventh score of 9.850 or higher with a team-best 9.875. Mizzou added career-bests of 9.850 from sophomores Tia Allbritten (Garland, Texas) and Becca Schugel (Eagan, Minn.). Also going career-highs were Porter and freshman Allison Bower (Mesa, Ariz.) with 9.825s.
The Tigers closed the meet with an impressive 49.375 on floor, which included three scores of 9.900 or higher. For the second time in three meets, Porter tallied a 9.950 on floor, while Bower scored a career-best 9.900 and Harris added a 9.900 as well. Shauna Miller (Knoxville, Tenn.), in her first floor routine of the season, also matched her personal-best with a 9.850.
Mizzou next competes on Friday, Feb. 26 as the team travels to Auburn, Ala., to face No. 8 Auburn at 7 p.m. CT.
