Mizzou gymnastics claims victory, Tigers wrestling falls in Beauty and the Beast

The Missouri Tigers gymnastics team opened its season by racking up 196.700 points as part of the multi-event Beauty and the Beast on Friday night at Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers’ score was the program’s highest in the history of the simultaneous event with MU wrestling, which has now taken place 10 times.

No. 9 Mizzou gymnastics picked up its eighth victory in the event, defeating Ball State (194.925), Illinois State (194.775) and Southeast Missouri (190.475).

The Tigers won all four rotations — recording scores of 48.975 on vault, 49.425 on the uneven bars, 49.100 on the balance beam and 49.200 in the floor exercise.

MU senior Jocelyn Moore tied with Illinois State senior Alana Laster for the highest vault score with a 9.850. Graduate Abby Mueller and sophomore Hannah Horton were part of a three-way tie for fourth with scores of 9.800.

Horton won the bars rotation with a score of 9.925. Senior Amari Celestine placed second with a 9.900, and Moore and graduate Kyra Burns were part of a three-way tie for third with a 9.875.

Junior Addison Lawrence won the beam rotation with a 9.900, Celestine took second with a 9.825; and redshirt senior Helen Hu and freshman Railey Jackson were part of a three-way tie for third with a 9.800.

Celestine, Horton, and Moore tied for first on floor with a 9.850. Jackson and sophomore Kennedy Griffin were part of a four-way tie for fourth with a 9.825.

MU gymnastics (3-0) will next compete against meet host Denver, Southeastern Conference foe Georgia and Long Island at 3 p.m. Jan. 12 at Magness Arena in Denver.

MU wrestling falls to Cornell

The No. 19-ranked Mizzou wrestling squad did not enjoy the same success as the Tigers gymnasts on Friday, losing a dual to 12th-ranked Cornell 26-12.

The Tigers won three of the 10 matches en route to their third consecutive defeat to the Big Red.

MU freshman Gage Walker picked up his first collegiate pin and first home win in a dual, starting the nonconference matchup by taking down sophomore Marcello Milani at the 6:10 mark of their 125-pound bout.

After the Big Red took the lead with a pair of wins, Mizzou redshirt sophomore Zeke Seltzer picked up his first win of the season — a 4-1 decision over sophomore Mark Botello in the 149-pound bout.

The Tigers then lost five straight bouts; fifth-year senior Chris Foca’s 9-1 major decision over redshirt junior Colton Hawks in the 184-pound match clinched the victory for Cornell.

MU redshirt freshman Jarrett Stoner (285) closed the dual with a 5-0 decision over freshman Aiden Compton, improving to 6-4 this season.

Mizzou competed without a pair of key fifth-year seniors. Rocky Elam (197) will miss the rest of the season due to injury, and two-time 165-pound national champion Keegan O’Toole — who is 11-0 at 174 pounds this season — is expected to miss all of January as he recovers from an injury.

The Tigers (2-6) next face Stanford at 2 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Hearnes Center.

MU swim and dive teams beaten by Louisville

The Missouri men’s swimming and diving team lost its dual to No. 10 Louisville 193-107, while the MU women lost to the eighth-ranked Cardinals 204-95 at Mizzou Aquatic Center.

MU junior Collier Dyer won the men’s platform diving competition with a score of 383.03 points and the men’s 3-meter (375.60). Freshman Deacon Colbert placed second in the men’s platform with 335.63 points.

Junior Gabriela San Juan Carmona won the women’s 3-meter diving event with 301.28 points.

Senior Grant Bochenski won the men’s 100-yard backstroke with a time of 45.86 seconds. Bochenski also teamed up with freshman Luke Nebrich and sophomores Francois Malherbe and Darden Tate to win the men’s 200 freestyle relay in 1:18.40.

The Tigers swept the 200 butterfly and 1,000 freestyle races.

Junior Jan Zubik won the men’s 200 fly in 1:42.65, while sophomore Emily Roden won the women’s 200 fly (1:57.95). Senior Jibran Himsieh won the men’s 1,000 free with a time of 9:14.94, and sophomore Zoe Schneider touched the wall in 9:50.49 to take gold in the women’s 1,000 free.

The MU men and women will next host Missouri State and McKendree in a two-day meet that begins at 5 p.m. Jan. 17 at Mizzou Aquatic Center.

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