Columbia News

The University of Missouri gymnastics team has set a new program record with six gymnasts earning Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-American honors, according to an announcement made Monday. This achievement doubles the previous record of three honorees set in 2024 and places Missouri among only four schools with at least five gymnasts recognized this season.

Helen Hu from Chicago, Illinois, and Mara Titarsolej from Zutphen, Netherlands, were named first-team All-Americans on beam and bars, respectively. Amari Celestine of Wildomar, California, was selected for the second team on floor and all-around. Kennedy Griffin of Strongsville, Ohio, and Jocelyn Moore of Hillsborough, New Jersey, also received second-team honors on floor.

Celestine has excelled in her debut season competing in the all-around. She recorded a personal best score of 39.650 against Auburn on March 9—the sixth-best in program history—and ranks 15th nationally with a 39.515 National Qualifying Score (NQS). On bars, she is the only Missouri gymnast since 1999 to achieve five consecutive scores of at least 9.900 and has scored 9.900 or better on floor in each of the team's last seven meets.

Griffin achieved her first career perfect score (10) on floor this year—becoming just the second gymnast in program history to do so—which highlighted Missouri's record-breaking "Zou to the Lou" meet where they posted a program-best floor score of 49.725. Griffin earned SEC Specialist of the Week recognition following that performance and ended the year with a floor NQS of 9.930.

Hu notched her first career perfect 10 on balance beam at Oklahoma on January 17—the first perfect score in NCAA gymnastics this season—and added another against Arkansas on March 14 as Missouri set its highest-ever beam score (49.575). Hu is currently the only gymnast nationwide with multiple perfect scores on beam this season and is just the second Tiger ever to accomplish that feat within one year. She was named All-SEC selection and co-SEC beam champion while becoming the first gymnast in conference history to win SEC Specialist of the Week five times during a single season. Hu ranks second nationally in beam NQS (9.965) and leads all competitors in the Southeastern Conference.

Moore has posted a score of 9.950 or higher on floor four times this season—including during senior day against Auburn when Missouri reached its first-ever team total over 198 points—and holds No.10 national ranking for floor NQS at 9.940.

Titarsolej secured her second straight SEC bars title by scoring her third career perfect ten at this year's conference championship meet held March 22; she remains the only Mizzou gymnast ever to achieve perfection on bars multiple times since joining from overseas last year.

Missouri will compete as the second seed at their upcoming NCAA Regional meet held Friday April 4 at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle against Georgia (third seed), Arizona (#21), and Arizona State (#26). The top two teams will advance to Sunday’s regional final; those winners earn automatic berths into nationals scheduled for Fort Worth later this month.

"Helen Hu (Chicago, Ill.) and Mara Titarsolej (Zutphen, Netherlands) on beam and bars, respectively," said officials announcing their selection as first-team All-Americans.