Missouri Gymnastics had its best meet of the season as many records shattered. That got the almost 4,000 fans present in the stadium emotional: I am not crying, you are! The Tigers broke their previous season’s high score in program history by scoring 198.100 on a senior day in Columbia. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of their superstar gymnast one last time. After all, scoring a career best isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. As the senior night finished with a peak audience, Missouri Gymnastics and the 22-year-old gymnast shined through and through.

The “Zou to the Lou” Quad meeting on Friday was all about Amari Celestine‘s performance as she won the all-around scoring with her career-best 39.625 and also scored a career-high on bars. This marked her sixth all-time best all-around performance in program history. Mondo Duplantis, are you watching? The news was shared by Instagram page Planet of Gymnastics, which very well summed up the fans’ emotions. The post captioned, “made her last one COUNT. it’s near perfection for Mizzou senior @amari_celestine 🙌💛” Celestine’s explosive floor performance secured the Tigers’ win and helped the team advance to a 10-3 record. Five of their routines earned at least a 9.900, leading Missouri to its fourth straight win over Illinois.

The crowd in the Hearnes Center cheered the loudest as Celestine took to her floor routine. The 22-year-old senior gymnast is ranked eighth on Bars and 23rd on the floor in NQS this season. After the meeting, the Tigers’ head coach seemed enthusiastic and praised the performance shown by the team. He said, “This is a great time for us to really be putting everything together, so I’m super proud of them.” The meeting also made Celestine the first gymnast since 1999 to be able to set five-straight record scores among the Missouri Tigers.

The Tigers were already in a commanding lead of 148.400-147.750 over No. 14 Alabama, No. 26 Illinois and No. 28 Iowa by the end of the third rotation. However, they showed no signs of easing up and put on an epic show on the floor. Three sophomores, Hannah Horton, Rayna Light, and Kennedy Griffin each scored 9.925s, while senior Jocelyn Moore secured a 9.950. The bar routine was also dominated by Missouri as they got a season-best score of 49.575 as three Tigers achieved a score of 9.900 in the routine.

The night was nothing short of magical for Missouri gymnastics, as one of the best performances in program history capped Celestine’s emotional farewell. With an outstanding display of skill, determination, and teamwork, the Tigers proved why they are a force to be reckoned with. As Celestine took her final bow, the tears in the stadium told the story of an unforgettable Senior Night.

Amari Celestine shares gymnastics goals for her senior season

In an interview with Maneater last year, Amari Celestine shared her gymnastics goals for her senior season. One of her major goals for the new season was to compete in each of the four apparatuses. Throughout her career, Celestine has competed in all four events successfully, but she has yet to perform in all of them in a single meet.

To achieve this all-around goal, Celestine made a return to bars, an event she had missed last year due to a shoulder injury. Her dedication paid off as today she recorded a career-best score of 9.950 on bars, a testament to her resilience and determination. Celestine had expressed that she missed performing cast handstands the most during her time away from bars. During her time off from events, she expanded her skill set by adding the beam to her competition repertoire, with the guidance of Missouri’s beam coach, Lacey Rubin. Now, with her all-around goals coming to fruition, Celestine and her team are preparing for their next challenge.

Missouri will next take the mat against No. 11 Georgia, with the meet set to begin at 7 p.m. Friday in Columbia, Missouri. As Celestine continues to push her limits, she remains a key figure in Missouri Gymnastics, setting the stage for an exciting final season.