Mizzou Central

Mizzou Gymnast's Big Night Contributes to SEC Win; The Buzz, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025

Your daily briefing on what’s going on with Mizzou athletics, including full TV listings.
Lilly Marshall|
Mar 30, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Amari Celestine of Missouri completes her floor exercise routine as coach Shannon Welker applauds during the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Los Angeles Regional at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Amari Celestine of Missouri completes her floor exercise routine as coach Shannon Welker applauds during the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Los Angeles Regional at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Missouri gymnastics (No. 8) faced off with No. 12 Georgia in a top-15 Southeastern Conference showdown.

Missouri senior Amari Celestine had a strong showing, earning three scores of 9.000 or higher in the Tigers' 197.425-197.350 win.

Her impressive performance came on the heels of winning the all-around title in the Zou to the Lou Quad on Feb. 14. Her 39.625 not only secured the crown, but it was a career-best.

While the senior did not compete in every event against Georgia, she excelled in the three she appeared in.

Celestine's best event of the night was floor, where she earned a 9.950. That was good enough to give her the event title.

She also notched a 9.925 on bars and a 9.900 on vault, both of which tied her for second place.

A key ingredient in Celestine's recent success is her new mindset in which she emphasizes having fun, rather than putting pressure on herself to accomplish a specific goal.

"I'm going out there and not really focusing on scores," Celestine said at the end of the meet. "I feel like I do my best (when I'm) having fun."

Celestine was certainly having fun, and not just because of the scores she was earning. She had a special guest standing in the corner of the gym, cheering her on. That person was her brother.

"Having him physically in my corner tonight was (in)describable," Celestine said. "I was out there really doing it for him."

Missouri will need Celestine to continue to shine, as the Tigers have a tall task ahead of them. Missouri's next meet will be on the road against the No. 5 Florida Gators. The competition will begin at 5 p.m. Friday.

Saturday’s Mizzou Schedule

  • Swim and dive SEC Championship in Athens, Ga.
  • Women's tennis vs. Lindenwood at 9:30 a.m. in Columbia, Mo. — Watch, Stats
  • Softball vs. Oregon at 11:30 a.m. in Cathedral City, Calif. — Watch, Stats
  • Wrestling vs. Iowa State at noon in Columbia, Mo. — Watch, Stats
  • Baseball vs. Alabama State at 2 p.m. in Vero Beach, Fla. — Watch, Listen, Stats
  • Women's tennis vs. Western Illinois at 3 p.m. in Columbia, Mo. — Watch, Stats
  • Men's basketball vs. Arkansas at 7 p.m. in Fayetteville, Ark. — Watch, Listen, Stats

Mizzou Results

  • Swim and dive is currently competing in the SEC Championship. Senior Grant Bochenski earned ninth in the men's 100 backstroke (45.71), junior Jan Zubik earned tenth in the men's 200 butterfly (1:41.26) and junior Karolina Bank earned tenth in the women's 100 breaststroke (58.99).
  • Softball defeated Baylor 8-3. Senior Kara Daly and sophomore Stefania Abruscato each scored two runs in the victory.
  • Softball lost 3-1 to Minnesota. Freshman Madison Uptegrove notched her second run in two days.
  • Baseball narrowly defeated Florida A&M 6-5. With the game tied 5-5, sophomore Kaden Peer singled up the middle to bring junior Cameron Benson home.
  • Gymnastics overcame No. 12 Georgia 197.425-197.350. Redshirt senior Helen Hu earned a near-perfect 9.975 on beam.

Did you notice?

  • Missouri football is the program that has signed the most top-100 wide receivers from the class of 2025. Those wideouts are DaMarion Fowlkes, Donovan Olugbode and Shaun Terry II.
  • Missouri sophomore Hannah Horton won the vault title in the Tigers' meet against Georgia. She earned a 9.925 to tie her career-high on the apparatus.
  • Missouri senior Tamar Bates turned 22 on Friday. Bates averages the second most points per game (25.7) for the Tigers this season, and he will search for a belated birthday gift through a victory against Arkansas on Saturday.

More from Mizzou On SI:

Mizzou Baseball Takes Late Lead in Back-and-Forth Battle with Florida A&M


Gymnast Earns Near-Perfect Score en Route to Mizzou's Season-High 197.425
How to Watch: No. 15 Mizzou Encounters Arkansas on the Road

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Lilly Marshall
LILLY MARSHALL

Lilly Marshall covers gymnastics for Missouri Tigers On SI in addition to baseball, softball and football. Originally from the Tampa, Fla. area, she's contributed and/or volunteered with The Missourian, KOMU 8 News, the Tampa Bay Times and the The Maneater student paper before signing on as an intern with Missouri Tigers On SI.

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