Mizzou Kicks Off 2025 Season with Enchanting Beauty and the Beast Dual Meet!

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The No. 9 University of Missouri gymnastics team begins its 2025 season with Beauty and the Beast, a joint gymnastics and wrestling event, as they compete against Ball State, Illinois State, and SEMO in the quad meet on Friday at 6 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.

THE MATCHUP

• This marks the 10th occasion Mizzou has staged the event and the first time in a quad format.
• SEMO has been the most frequent rival of the Tigers in Beauty and the Beast history, now facing off for the fourth time.
• Overall, Missouri has a record of 8-4 against Ball State, 19-4 against Illinois State, and 40-7 against SEMO.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST HISTORY

• The Mizzou gymnastics team has secured victory in seven of the nine Beauty and the Beast events, while the wrestling team holds a 6-3 record, with all three defeats against top-10 opponents.
• The highest team score recorded by Mizzou was 196.625 in its win over Illinois during the last Beauty and the Beast held on Jan. 19, 2019.
• Adrianne Perry and Sarah Shire each possess two scoring records in Beauty and the Beast – Perry on vault (9.950) and bars (9.925) in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Shire boasts the top scores from her 2009 balance beam performance and floor routines in 2008 and 2009, achieving a 9.925 in both.

BLACK & GOLD SHOW STOPPERS

• During Missouri’s yearly Black & Gold Intrasquad competition, Team Black emerged victorious, outperforming in three rotations and tying on bars to defeat Team Gold 196.150-194.700.
• The Tigers collectively achieved 27 out of 50 scores above 9.8, with eight scores of 9.900 or greater, four of which came from balance beam performances. The Black team recorded a score of 49.200 on vault, the highest of any team in any event.
• Graduate newcomer Lauren Macpherson captured the all-around title. The 2023 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Year scored a 9.900 on the balance beam and earned a score of 9.850 on vault, bars, and floor, totaling 39.450.
• Senior Amari Celestine concluded her preseason training by achieving the highest score of any gymnast in the bars and floor routines. The three-time All-Southeastern Conference recipient delivered the finest score of the event – a 9.950 from her floor routine.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

• Director of Athletics Laird Veatch announced on Thursday, Jan. 2, that gymnastics head coach Shannon Welker has inked a contract extension to lead the program through 2029.
• Since assuming the role at Mizzou in May 2013, Welker has reshaped the Tigers into a steadfast competitor on the national scene.
• He has steered the program to significant achievements, including several NCAA Championship appearances, record-breaking team scores, attendance records, and the development of numerous All-Americans and conference accolades.

GUESS HU’S BACK?

• Helen Hu, a two-time NCAA All-American and three-time All-Southeastern Conference gymnast, has returned to the University of Missouri gymnastics program and will utilize her final eligibility year to participate in the upcoming 2025 season.
• Hu spent the preceding year traveling across European, South American, and Asian nations. 
• The redshirt senior holds career bests of 9.975 three times on the balance beam and 9.950 twice on bars, ranking her third and second respectively in the program’s history for these events.
• In both beam and bars, Hu has achieved scores of 9.900 or better 36 times across the two disciplines.
• During her most recent competitive season in 2023, Hu participated in all 13 meets and scored 9.900 or higher on beam in 10 of them.
• She garnered second-team All-America honors in the event and was included on the end-of-season All-SEC team. 

IT JUST MEANS MORE

• The gymnastics team from Missouri was named the ninth-ranked team in the nation by the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association as the 2025 season approaches.
• The Southeastern Conference exhibited seven of the top 10 in the poll. Ninth-ranked Mizzou is accompanied at the pinnacle by No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Florida, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Kentucky, and No. 8 Arkansas. All nine programs in the SEC were recognized in the top 17 nationally.
• This preseason ranking ties Mizzou’s highest in the past decade and marks the second occasion in three years that the Tigers have entered the top 10, having also ranked No. 9 prior to the 2023 season.
• Except for two of the Tigers’ 15 challengers for the upcoming season, all are included in either the selected 1-36 or receiving recognition in the rankings. 

2024 WRAPPED – A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR

• The Mizzou gymnastics program shattered over 25 records during the 2024 season, prominently marking the team-high scores in all four events.
• Seven Tigers clinched All-SEC distinctions, the highest count from any team in the conference, while three were honored as WCGA All-Americans.
• Missouri established a new attendance record during its victory over No. 3 LSU on Jan. 26, 2024, attracting 7,336 fans as the program achieved its highest-ranked win ever.
• The Tigers experienced their optimal season yet on vault, registering a score of at least 49.000 in every meet, a first in the program’s history.
• Mara Titarsolej, Sienne Schreiber, and Jocelyn Moore all received perfect 10s during the year – Titarsolej on bars, Schreiber on beam, and Moore on floor.
• The team also recorded its highest-ever NQS score of 197.420. Furthermore, Missouri set new records for NQS scores on floor (49.575), bars (49.420), and vault (49.340). Its placements of eighth on floor and 11th on bars represent the highest end-of-year rankings ever achieved.

STAR-STUDDED TIGERS JOIN THE AMBUSH

• Following a remarkable 2024 season, Welker secured the sixth-ranked freshman class and top-ranked transfer class, as per CollegeGymNews.com.
• Welker announced the 2025 recruiting class on Nov. 11, 2024, featuring four signees including CollegeGymNews.com five-star Kimarra Echols, Bryce Kupbens, three-star Maiya Terry, and four-star Hayli Westerlind.
• This class ranks 11th nationally and fifth within the SEC according to CollegeGymNews.com, marking the third instance since 2021 that MU has welcomed a top-11 class nationally. 

UP NEXT

• The Tigers will compete against the Denver Pioneers at Magness Arena for their first away meet of the year during the Denver Quad on Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. Georgia and LIU will also be participating alongside Mizzou and Denver.
• This will be Missouri’s first visit to the Pioneers since March 3, 2012, also in a quad format. Mizzou has a historical record of 9-11 against Denver, 11-24 against Georgia, and will meet LIU for the first occasion.

LAST TIME OUT

• Mizzou’s 2024 season concluded at the NCAA Gainesville Regional Final, where they placed third with a final score of 197.325.
• MU became part of an elite group, making it to four consecutive regional finals, a feat only matched by six other schools in the country — Alabama, California, Denver, Florida, Oklahoma, and Utah — maintaining a similar streak to the Tigers.
• The Tigers showcased their most comprehensive meet of the season at the NCAA Gainesville Regional Second Round, scoring 197.525 to secure a second place and a spot in the regional final.

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Renewals for season tickets for the 2025 Mizzou gymnastics season are currently available at MUTigers.com/Tickets. In addition to hosting “Beauty and the Beast” as part of the team’s regular-season debut, the Tigers will also host SEC home duals against Kentucky, Georgia, and Auburn.

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For all the most recent updates on Mizzou gymnastics, stay connected with MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, X, and Instagram.