Bellan & Middleton Lead Gymnastics at Mizzou Quad

Friday, February 20

Columbia, MO

7 p.m.

Ball State University

195.275

197.550

Missouri

February 20, 2026 | Gymnastics

COLUMBIA, Missouri - - The Ball State gymnastics team opened its busy weekend with a strong showing, earning 10 scores of 9.800-or-higher Friday night at Mizzou Arena in the Mizzou Quad.

The effort helped the Cardinals produce its second-highest team road score of the season at 195.275. Unfortunately, it was not enough to beat No. 8 Missouri (197.550), Air Force (195.675) or Illinois (195.450).

Senior Zoe Middleton provided Ball State's top mark of the night by tying for fifth on floor with a season-best 9.900. It was her 23rd career score of 9.900-or-better, with 13 of those marks coming on floor.

Senior Mary Rose Bellan registered the Cardinals' second-highest individual mark of the day, tying for third on bars with a career-best 9.875. Bellan also tied her career high with a 9.725 on vault.

ROTATION 1: Beam (48.400)
- Ball State's junior beam performers led the way, anchored by Ashley Szymanski who paced the squad with a 9.825
- Lindsay Fuller turned in Ball State's second-best performance, earning a 9.750
- Rounding out the junior trifecta was Delaney McMahon with a 9.725

ROTATION 2: Floor (49.100)
- The Cardinals turned in its best team floor score of the season with a 49.100, with all six gymnasts scoring at least a 9.725
- Middleton led the way with a season-best 9.900, her 23rd career score of 9.900-or-higher
- Sophomore Avery Kantor opened the rotation with a career-best 9.825 which was later tied by junior Ava Molina
- Junior Lindsay Girard added a 9.800 and senior Alauna Simms rounded out Ball State's countable scores with a 9.750
- Ball State's non-countable score, a 9.725 from freshman Carley Stalder

ROTATION 3: Vault (48.825)
- Middleton led the Cardinals for a second straight event, earning a 9.825
- Freshman Ava Thurston tied her career high with a 9.800, while classmate Stalder closed the rotation with a 9.775
- The Cardinals also counted a career-high tying 9.725 from Bellan and a 9.700 from sophomore Jordanna Phillis in the leadoff position
- Sophomore Karli Mercer also logged a 9.700 which was dropped

ROTATION 4: Bars (48.950)
- Bellan turned in another solid performance on bars, leading the squad with a 9.875
- Szymanski was second on the squad with a 9.825, while Middleton added a 9.800 to give the Cardinals three bars performances of at least 9.800
- The Cardinals also counted 9.725s from Mercer and Molina

ALL-AROUND
- Middleton finished the day with her third-best all-around score of the season at 39.125
- The highlight of her performance was her 9.900 on floor, which tied for fifth overall
- She also tied for seventh on vault (9.825) and placed 10th on bars (9.800) among the 24-competitor fields

UP NEXT:
It will be a quick turnaround for the Ball State gymnastics team which returns to action Sunday with a 1 p.m. Mid-American Conference dual at Western Michigan.