12 hours ago
It’s awards play astatine Rock M Nation, and we’ve sewage a batch to observe from nan 2025-26 schoolhouse year. New hires, postseason highs, unthinkable individual and squad performances... There’s a batch of bully things going connected successful CoMo, and we intend to talk astir it.
And because we ever strive to do things a spot otherwise astir here, we created our ain award, nan Rock M’my, a fewer years ago. Consider it to beryllium portion Emmy, portion Espy, and each parts emotion of Mizzou Athletics. (pronounced Rock Emmy)
I encouraged nan unit to not conscionable see nan awesome sports and nan apical dogs, but to excavation beneath nan aboveground and prime worthy nominees from each nan teams. Luckily, Rock M Nation represents a divers group of writers pinch knowledge astir a assortment of Mizzou sports, truthful this wasn’t excessively overmuch of an ask. With each nomination, you’ll besides find a spot of backstory, truthful you, nan fans, tin make an informed decision, because astatine nan extremity of each post, you’ll vote. Forget to formed your ballot 1 day? No large deal. I’ll supply links to nan different awards from nan preceding posts.
Once each nan votes for each grant person been tabulated complete nan adjacent fewer weeks, I’ll coming a winners list, and that student-athlete will triumph our wholly superior grant that will undoubtedly beryllium nan top triumph of their lives frankincense far.
Voting closes Friday, July 31 astatine 10pm CST.
In lawsuit you missed nan earlier votes:
We are incredibly fortunate to beryllium capable to screen athletics astatine nan University of Missouri, which happens to beryllium location of nan world’s champion publicity schoolhouse (it’s a fact). This, on pinch maine moving astatine nan J-School, allows america to bring connected a big of talented student journalists to go credentialed media members and regularly be property conferences each play long, Because I besides get nan chance to beryllium successful connected a batch of interviews myself and person nan pleasance of reference each of our activity astatine nan tract arsenic an editor, I decided to added a caller class this year— Best Interview. I already had a fewer circumstantial group successful mind who I thought would beryllium worthy candidates, and our writer’s nominations didn’t disappoint. I wasn’t looking for those who seemingly said successful a measurement conscionable to spell viral connected societal media— here’s looking astatine you, Drink — but players and coaches who took clip retired of their engaged days to springiness thoughtful, and sometimes funny, commentary. These nominees near rather an impression, and I cognize location are countless others we besides could person included.
Here are nan nominees for Best Interview:
Todd Schaefer, Women’s Hoops
While Todd Schaefer was only an adjunct coach for 1 play astatine Mizzou, he made rather an effect some connected and disconnected nan field. Schaefer is seen arsenic 1 of nan apical violative minds successful each of women’s assemblage hoops and was a large portion of nan Tigers averaging 72.4 points per crippled this past season, which classed successful nan apical 70 successful nan nation. But what impressed maine astir about Schaefer was erstwhile I sewage a chance to chat pinch him 1-on-1. I interviewed him for a floor plan that tin beryllium recovered here, and we sat down for 2 interviews, each of which lasted 45 minutes. Schaefer gave wonderfully in-depth answers that gave maine a awesome look into his unsocial measurement of reasoning astir nan sport. While he will not beryllium sticking astir Columbia — he is now connected Ohio State’s unit — I wish him each nan best. --Dylan Heinrich
Throughout nan season, first baseman Abby Hay consistently stood retired for her professionalism and genuine attraction for nan program. Whether nan Tigers were coming disconnected a large triumph aliases a difficult loss, nan inferior first baseman approached each question and reply pinch nan aforesaid level of honesty, thoughtfulness and respect. Her willingness to correspond nan squad pinch poise made each speech insightful and reflected nan activity she brings beyond nan field. --Aaron Segal
I’ll besides adhd that she’s almost been for illustration a 2nd coach successful interviews, knowing each facets of nan crippled and capable to explicate her teammates’ play pinch precision. When asked successful nan last regular play location crippled of nan play astir nan proposal she’d springiness her young teammates going into nan win-or-go-home SEC Tournament, she said, “It’s conscionable softball astatine nan extremity of nan day… You cognize what to do.” —Karen Steger
Dawn Sullivan, Volleyball
Head volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan had a unsocial expertise to make each question and reply consciousness for illustration a speech pinch an aged friend. She’s engaging, personable and afloat invested successful each discussion, creating an situation wherever it is easy to connect. Her astir memorable question and reply for maine was erstwhile I interviewed her for KCOU College Gameday up of Missouri’s crippled against Kentucky. She made maine consciousness wholly coming successful nan moment, turning what could person been a regular question and reply into 1 of nan astir enjoyable conversations I had each year. —Aaron Segal
Even erstwhile it was a crippled successful which he went 4-for-5 pinch a homer and 3 RBI, Missouri shot subordinate Jase Woita ever recovered a measurement to in installments his teammates complete himself successful post-game interviews. I ne'er felt for illustration he wasn’t afloat engaged pinch immoderate mobility a media personnel asked him, moreover aft games wherever Mizzou sewage heavy beaten.
My favourite representation has to beryllium aft Mizzou’s 11-8 nonaccomplishment to kansas, erstwhile Woita said he’d ne'er knowledgeable thing for illustration nan instrumentality ambiance that evening astatine Taylor Stadium, which really showed why he was a valuable leader connected nan team. —Henry Chappell
Zion Young was ever entertaining astatine nan podium and connected nan section — truthful much, successful fact, that I’ll fto a brace of his champion quotes, some from aft nan Auburn game, do nan activity to show why he is simply a apical campaigner for this award. He really was his ain hype man astatine times:
Of course, I should besides mention Young’s basking mic infinitesimal during nan OT coin toss. Should that really beryllium considered erstwhile we’re talking astir ‘best interview?’ That’s up for you to decide. But Young was almost arsenic bully down nan mic arsenic he was connected nan protect statement this year, and that’s saying something. — Matthew Gustafson
Kyle Levermore, Cross Country/Track & Field
When asked astir Drew Rogers’ career, Coach Levermore bypassed nan modular stat lines to stock a raw, affectional representation from his very first autumn successful Columbia. He recalled a devastating SEC Championship wherever Rogers stepped disconnected nan transverse state people successful tears, wholly crushed by a capacity that hadn’t clicked. Levermore promised Rogers they would fig it retired together, and conscionable for illustration that, Rogers became an SEC Champion successful nan 3,000 meters 15 months later. His expertise to stock his experiences pinch specified attraction is conscionable 1 lawsuit why interviews pinch Levermore were truthful impactful. —Sophie Silvers
Hannah Horton, Gymnastics
For personification who has historically been a spot introverted pinch nan media, Hannah Horton judge came retired of her ammunition this past twelvemonth pinch nan thief of her caller level music, featuring her favourite philharmonic artist, Tyler, nan Creator. Turns out, if you are asked for interviews perpetually for illustration Hannah was, you kinda get utilized to america and commencement to unfastened up! I honestly mislaid count of really galore times we talked to nan squad MVP this past season, but it was ever enjoyable.
Ask H2 astir Tyler, nan Creator, and her look would ray up. In precocious March, we asked astir her trying to get nan artist’s attraction connected her Instagram (with nan thief of nan squad societal accounts), and she talked for longer than I deliberation we’ve ever heard her speak.
“I emotion Tyler, nan Creator. He’s been my favourite artist, successful my apical five, since like, freshman aliases sophomore twelvemonth of precocious school,” she said. “And so, particularly since I person a Tyler, nan Creator level routine, I conscionable want him to announcement maine truthful bad, but it’s immoderate if he doesn’t. But still I emotion Tyler, nan Creator.”
“Please announcement me. He could conscionable travel to a meet,” she added.
A fewer weeks later, we asked astir it again.
“So Hannah, immoderate luck getting free Tyler, nan Creator tickets?” we asked.
“No actually, he has not gotten backmost to me,” she said. “It’s okay. It’s fine. Still my apical artist. He’s very famous. He has a batch of things to interest about, truthful it’s whatever.”
Amazing. --Karen Steger
Aeoden Sinclair, Wrestling
Jacob Crews, Men’s Basketball
From nan preseason until nan hours aft nan last buzzer sounded connected Mizzou’s season, Jacob Crews was nan astir predominant subordinate to look successful beforehand of nan media. He provided thoughtful responses connected a wide scope of topics, from nan team’s capacity to his ain travel arsenic an jock and personification and arsenic a father. Crews had an up-and-down season, but he didn’t fto that impact nan clip and attraction he took erstwhile he was up astatine nan podium. Media sum of nan Tigers’ play was amended because of that. — Matthew Gustafson
