Kelly sets new Tigers freshman mark

Barbadian gymnast Olivia Kelly opened her collegiate career at University of Missouri this week with a freshman record in the beam. The Bronx-born Kelly, the first Barbadian woman to compete at the Pan American Championships and to qualify and compete at Worlds, also contested the uneven bars on Sunday at Hearnes Center.

The 18-year-old made her career debut on bars and beam, scoring 9.900 with “a beautiful routine” in the ladder to mark the first Tiger freshman to reach the threshold. Kelly also made her career debut on bars, tallying a 9.825.

MU tallied 49.350 on beam, its second best in 2025. The No 11-ranked Tigers gymnastics team put together its best meet of the season to defeat No 6-ranked Kentucky by a 197.200-196.800 margin. In total, the Tigers (6-2, 1-1 SEC) posted six individual scores of 9.900 or better en route to the best team total against the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 SEC) in series history. Mizzou’s 197.200 is its highest score of the season thus far.

A two-time World Championships qualifier for Barbados, Kelly is a New York State Champion, New Jersey State Champion, and a USA Gymnastics Eastern National Champion.

Earlier this year, Kelly competed as an exhibition at Denver Quad, notching a 9.725 on bars and 9.775 on beam. She was named to the prestigious preseason list of Most Anticipated Freshmen by CollegeGymNews.com on bars, beam, floor (honorable mention), and all-around.

(TF)