Heading into its fourth NCAA semifinal, Missouri had grown tired of hearing the word “underdogs” associated with its team. This time, the Tigers weren’t underdogs—they were undeniable when it mattered most.
Missouri advanced to its first national final in program history with a 197.300 in the afternoon semifinal of the NCAA national championships. The score trailed only Oklahoma and edged out Florida by a tenth, ending the Gators’ streak of national final appearances that dated back to 2019.
The Tigers and Gators traded spots throughout the meet, but Missouri moved into second heading into the final rotation—beam—while Florida headed to bars. Even then, the Tigers didn’t fully grasp how close the race was. It wasn’t until a couple of routines into the rotation that fifth-year Mara Titarsolej noticed the tension rising in the corral as the teams went tenth for tenth.
That’s when Missouri turned to its not-so-secret weapon: Helen Hu. Just a year ago, Hu thought her gymnastics career was over. On Thursday, she delivered a 9.9875—good enough for the individual beam title—and gave Missouri the margin it needed to clinch its historic finals berth.
“[Hu] gives us a lot of confidence. She’s going to hit it every time,” Titarsolej said.
For Hu, the pressure of the moment was very real. But with the thought of this potentially being her final routine, she was determined to enjoy it.
“My only thought was, I’m going to smile, remember my dance, have fun up there, and I’m going to do it for my team,” Hu said.
The finals berth guarantees Missouri its best finish in program history—something Hu credited to the foundation built over the 12 years head coach Shannon Welker has been at the helm.
“All of us buying into this team mentality, this culture, believing that we can do more…that’s been slow-growing, and it showed out more this year,” Hu said.
Titarsolej, who qualified individually last year and didn’t have the performance she wanted then, said the difference this time is clear.
“Everyone’s so dialed in to the same goals, and we embrace everybody as they are—it works really well,” she said.
As the Tigers prepare for Saturday’s final, Welker said seeing this team’s potential realized has been incredibly rewarding.
“I feel like we deserve to be here, quite honestly. I’m really proud of the great young women we have on our team, and I feel fortunate to work with them,” Welker said. “We’re just really excited to be there on Saturday.”
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Article by Savanna Wellman
