How Mizzou Gymnastics is establishing itself as a national power

The room wherever a squad gathers to perceive nan announcement of its postseason destiny connected action time is often fraught pinch worry and anticipation.

For nan Mizzou gymnasts, unit and supporters assembled astatine nan Columns Club successful Memorial Stadium 2 weeks ago, immoderate origin for interest was already acold successful nan past.

As 1 of nan nation’s apical 16 teams by their National Qualifying Score, nan strategy utilized by nan NCAA to find placement and qualification for nan postseason, nan Tigers already knew their seed and their destination. Now, MU heads to Lexington, Kentucky, arsenic nan No. 8 nationalist seed conscionable 2 steps distant from different nationals appearance, which would beryllium nan program’s 3rd successful nan past 5 years.

And arsenic awesome arsenic that accomplishment would beryllium connected its own, Mizzou is besides connected nan cusp of thing moreover greater: earning a position arsenic 1 of nan sport’s elite. While nan Tigers are still comparatively caller to nan nationalist stage, they are already knocking connected nan doorway of a spot very fewer MU programs earlier it person entered.

Returning to Fort Worth for nan 2nd consecutive twelvemonth would time off nary doubt: Mizzou is becoming 1 of nan sport’s legitimate, nationalist powerhouses.

How nan Tigers person established themselves arsenic a standout marque successful gymnastics is arguably conscionable arsenic absorbing arsenic really they person gotten truthful adjacent to reaching nan mountaintop of nan sport.

By immoderate nonsubjective measure, this postseason will beryllium nan culmination of nan top five-year span successful programme history.

Two of nan program’s 4 full nationalist championships appearances person travel during that stretch, including past season’s record-breaking 3rd spot decorativeness astatine Four connected nan Floor. MU besides vanished 5th nationally successful 2022.

The team’s anterior highest decorativeness had been No. 12 successful 2010 nether caput coach Rob Drass, erstwhile 12 teams made nan nationalist championships. Mizzou’s first nationals quality came each nan measurement backmost successful 1981 nether Jake Jacobson during nan program’s 2nd play erstwhile nan Tigers vanished 16th astatine nan AIAW National Championships, nan past play earlier women’s gymnastics became an NCAA-sanctioned sport.

But neither of those coaches were capable to execute nan benignant of consistency MU has recovered nether Shannon Welker. After ending his first play successful Columbia astatine No. 41 successful nan nationalist rankings, 2014, nan Tigers person vanished nan play classed 21st aliases higher each twelvemonth since.

Mizzou has besides vanished successful nan top-15 of nan nationalist rankings for 5 consecutive seasons, a streak that is poised to widen into a sixth twelvemonth barring a awesome upset astatine regionals. The team’s erstwhile longest agelong of consecutive years successful nan apical 15 was conscionable two, from 2005 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2010.

“He’s done a awesome occupation astatine building up this programme and making it a programme that gets amended each azygous twelvemonth successful truthful galore different ways,” adjunct coach Jackie Terpak said of Welker, “and continues to grow.”

Perhaps nary statistic amended reflects nan translator of nan programme nether Welker than nan individual accolades received by MU gymnasts during his clip successful Columbia.

Eight Tigers were named WGCA All-Americans betwixt nan opening of nan programme successful 1980 and 2021. Mizzou gymnasts person received 12 All-American honors complete nan past 5 seasons, including 8 conscionable past twelvemonth — matching nan full group complete nan program’s first 42 seasons of existence.

Not only did 8 MU gymnasts gain All-American position past season, but Helen Hu delivered nan Tigers’ first individual nationalist title successful gymnastics pinch her 9.9875 connected beam successful nan nationalist semifinals.

While Hu’s beam capacity was arguably nan hallmark of past year’s team, Mizzou’s level squad — known arsenic nan Fab Floor — has go its calling card. The Tigers person mixed high-caliber performances pinch show-stopping routines known for their creativity, ranking successful nan top-10 nationally connected nan arena 4 of nan past 5 seasons and going viral pinch gymnastics fans connected societal media.

The driving unit down nan routines: Terpak, who coaches nan level squad and besides serves arsenic nan team’s choreographer. She helps build each gymnast’s routine, from euphony to creation moves and nan method portions of nan performance.

“Every athlete’s a small different, and though we person a strategy successful place, they each request definite small things for them individually,” she said, “and truthful not only pulling that retired of them and building a regular that’s champion for then, but past that’s besides going to complement this squad and support them moving forward.”

The process originates during nan summertime pinch nan euphony for nan routines.

Selecting nan correct songs looks somewhat different for each gymnast. Terpak will lucifer immoderate gymnasts pinch euphony she thinks is simply a bully fit, for illustration Railey Jackson pinch her h2o bender music, while others will travel up pinch nan songs they want, which happened pinch Kaia Tanskanen’s Hamilton-themed routine.

“It each starts pinch nan music, moving pinch them and collaborating [with] them connected what they really bask and what not only I spot them doing a awesome regular to,” Terpak said, “but besides what they consciousness a small spot comfortable with, moreover though I person nary problem pushing them retired of their comfortableness zone.”

From there, Terpak useful pinch nan gymnasts successful August and September connected nan choreography and figures retired really nan puzzle pieces of creation and method moves fresh pinch nan euphony to create a complete regular up of nan season.

“Helping them put thing together that they really bask and that they consciousness for illustration they were a portion of making is important for them arsenic well,” Terpak said, “When they spell retired connected nan stage, connected nan level successful beforehand of thousands of fans and really owning what they do, and knowing that they not only put nan difficult activity into it but they helped create that, I deliberation that’s immense for them.”

The results since Terpak’s presence successful 2023 speak for themselves. Mizzou has go known for some its method proficiency connected level and nan power and productivity its gymnasts showcase, thing that already helped nan Tigers guidelines retired from nan crowd earlier this play and was only elevated by nan team’s move to Mizzou Arena.

“I mean, they are perfectly phenomenal. I emotion watching floor. I do not do floor, but it is astir apt my favourite arena to watch,” postgraduate student Grace Anne Davis said, “just simply because of nan level routines and nan creation and really [Terpak] creates stories wrong it. It’s not conscionable choreography; it’s a story, it’s a show.”

From nan moments instantly aft fans stepped ft into Mizzou Arena for a gymnastics meet this season, nan Tigers made judge to put connected a show.

From nan playbills handed retired earlier each meet to nan photograph booth connected nan main concourse and nan themed posters for each individual location contest, MU sought to evoke nan emotion of attending a awesome Broadway play for their inaugural play successful nan arena. Public reside announcer Phil Fortaleza moreover had a publication each meet soon earlier squad introductions sewage underway telling fans to beryllium backmost and bask nan show.

“It’s an artistic sport, and that’s an artistic arena. The lighting and nan sounds and nan video boards, it’s each really nosy and breathtaking and fresh,” Terpak said, ‘So I deliberation that’s not only awesome for our student-athletes and motivating to them, but it’s awesome for our fans arsenic well.“

Mizzou’s gymnasts helped adhd to nan taxable of a awesome show, coming up pinch unsocial celebrations aft each large regular and stuck landing, and moving to prosecute nan crowd astatine each measurement on nan measurement successful a mode that fewer different teams astir nan state person been capable to do.

“When they measurement onto that stage, onto that floor, onto that event, it’s an opportunity to show disconnected each nan difficult activity they’ve put successful and nan opportunity they’ve earned,” Terpak said, “And that allows them to person a small spot much nosy pinch it, too: entertain nan crowd, play on pinch them, make oculus contact, make them consciousness something. So we’re really intentional astir that, and we talk astir that each nan clip and believe it successful nan gym, arsenic well.”

So overmuch of nan team’s branding, from its level routines to its societal media beingness and nan situation it has created astatine Mizzou Arena, tin beryllium traced backmost to Terpak.

“Her beingness unsocial has conscionable been phenomenal for this program, and she has embedded herself truthful acold into this program,” Davis said, “Her roots are decidedly successful there: you tin spot it pinch nan cohesion, nan graphics; I mean, nan level routines, everybody’s engaged. I can’t opportunity capable bully things astir what she’s done.”

The show culminates successful nan last rotation, floor, wherever nan arena lights spell retired and fans move their telephone flashlights connected to participate successful nan swag surf pinch nan squad earlier nan arena gets underway. Fans responded, often getting loudest during nan last rotation arsenic nan squad had an mean attendance of complete 4,000 for its 3 convention location meets astatine Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers’ power and flair some connected level and passim nan meet person helped them link pinch their fans and heighten their nationalist brand, but it wouldn’t activity without nan team’s high-scoring routines and method proficiency to build disconnected of. That’s thing MU’s gymnasts person provided successful spades nan past fewer seasons, elevating nan squad and making nan clip correct for a move to Mizzou Arena.

“We’ve added successful show aspects, but I deliberation we’ve earned nan correct to adhd successful show aspects. So I deliberation it conscionable is each astir creating this thought and this conception that this is what Mizzou Gym is,” Davis said, “It’s fun, it’s powerful, it’s beautiful. It’s thing that everyone should travel and watch. It’s nan top show.”

How Mizzou has recovered occurrence this play — done mostly homegrown talent — again group nan squad connected nan roadworthy to nationals. But it besides puts MU connected nan correct way to prolong its caller accomplishments good into nan future.

Of nan Tigers’ 88 routines that scored a 9.900 aliases supra this season, complete 70 percent were performed by gymnasts expected to return adjacent season. Another 8 of those routines were by Addison Lawrence, who was precocious named a WGCA Regular Season All-American and could perchance return for 1 much play owed to an wounded that kept her retired of action backmost successful 2024.

When added to nan anterior tally, that intends 73 of those 88 routines were performed by gymnasts who could beryllium backmost adjacent season. Perhaps much importantly, 36 of Mizzou’s highest-scoring routines were by freshmen and sophomores.

Arguably nary gymnast among that group has taken a bigger measurement guardant than Railey Jackson, who entered assemblage arsenic a five-star enlistee but was slow incorporated into nan lineups past play arsenic a existent freshman while recovering from an injury. One twelvemonth later, she’s go 1 of nan astir versatile and valuable parts of nan team, scoring a 9.900 aliases higher aggregate times connected vault, beam and level — 1 of 2 MU gymnasts to execute that feat alongside inferior Hannah Horton.

“One point astir Railey is she is truthful adaptable. She tin spell successful immoderate spot, immoderate event, wherever you request her. She’s a cool cucumber,” Terpak said. “She keeps nan aforesaid power each nan time, is ever calm and confident, and she does a awesome occupation pinch performing arsenic well.”

With each of those precocious scores among nan players pinch an action to return adjacent play coming from homegrown gymnasts, nan Tigers person recovered nan cardinal to unlocking nan doorway that separates nan awesome programs from elite ones: stacking twelvemonth aft twelvemonth of apical recruiting classes and successfully processing that talent.

Mizzou’s recruiting classes nan past 3 seasons person each been rated successful nan apical 11 nationally by College Gym News’ rankings, bringing Welker and MU immoderate of its apical performers including All-SEC honorees successful Jackson, Ayla Acevedo, Olivia Kelly, Kaia Tanskanen and freshman Kimarra Echols.

This year’s signing people is moreover much star-studded than its predecessors, ranking 4th nationally — nan highest-rated recruiting people successful programme history. The group is led by a brace of five-star recruits successful Kendall Morgan and Imani White, who is nan highest-ranked signee nan Tigers person ever brought in.

Terpak credits a process-based outlook arsenic driving nan team’s occurrence successful title and successful development.

“Our attraction is our process, and our attraction is maximizing nan expertise of each azygous personification connected nan team, because that’s going to let america to beryllium successful erstwhile we do that,” she said. “That’s thing I would opportunity we’ve been beautiful bully astatine nan past fewer years…is maximizing nan imaginable of nan squad and maximizing each of nan individual athletes’ abilities.”

Mizzou’s expertise to tie and create apical talent has helped nan programme to put its sanction connected nan nationalist map. Continuing that rhythm of recruiting and improvement into nan future, alongside nan program’s process-based focus, gives MU nan imaginable to break done into nan highest tier of collegiate gymnastics.

“We person perfectly everything we request present astatine nan University of Missouri and wrong our squad to beryllium successful,” Terpak said, “and that is going to travel from them continuing to activity hard, continuing to person nosy and beryllium competitive, and beryllium intentional astir our civilization and doing nan drills and sticking to our strategy and what works.”

Arguably nary gymnast connected nan Tigers is much qualified to talk astir nan changes seen successful nan programme complete nan past 5 years than Davis, who was a existent freshman connected nan 2022 squad that reached nationals alongside being regular portion of that season’s vault rotation.

She scored a 9.800 during nan nationalist semifinals, wherever Mizzou placed 5th pinch a full people of 197.200 and collapsed nan programme grounds for highest postseason finish.

“When we went to nationals my freshman year,” she said, “I deliberation a batch of group were benignant of like, ‘Oh, they sewage lucky,’ successful a way.”

MU was a caller kid connected nan artifact astatine that time, making its first nationals quality successful complete a decade and its first quality nether nan existent postseason format established successful 2019. But nan Tigers made immoderate waves pinch nationalist runner-up finishes by then-sophomore Sienna Schreiber connected beam and then-freshman Amari Celestine connected vault.

Davis was besides portion of nan 2023 and 2024 squads that conscionable fell short successful nan location finals of a return travel to Fort Worth, but built nan instauration which nan 2025 squad utilized to scope nationals for nan 2nd clip successful 4 seasons.

That three-year span saw turnover successful nan coaching staff, pinch beam coach Lacey Rubin joining Mizzou from Arizona State and Terpak joining nan Tigers aft spending a twelvemonth arsenic a unpaid adjunct astatine Arkansas. From her play successful Fayetteville, Terpak saw a budding programme to her north.

“Competing straight against Mizzou, I consciousness for illustration they were a subtly bully program,” she said, “They possibly were a small spot of an underdog astatine that time, but they’ve continued to get better.”

Just a fewer seasons later, nan connection is officially retired astir MU Gymnastics.

“I wouldn’t opportunity it’s subtle anymore. I deliberation this squad has earned their stripes of being astatine nan highest level and being 1 of nan champion programs successful nan nation,” Terpak said. “The Tigers don’t person that underdog mentality anymore, and we established that past play arsenic well: that we’ve been competitory and we are competitive, and we’re present to enactment competitive.”

When Mizzou did return to Fort Worth past season, though, Davis had to make her effect arsenic a teammate, not successful nan competition. She ruptured her achilles tendon, keeping her retired of nan 2025 season, and questioned whether to usage her last twelvemonth of eligibility.

The travel to nationals helped her scope a decision, and she told Welker she planned to return soon aft nan team’s third-place finish.

“It was different procreation that I could benignant of thief power successful a way,” Davis said astir nan decision, “We person to spell done everything together, and truthful I really wanted to spell done that pinch a caller group of people. Not that it’s a wholly different team, but there’s truthful galore different personalities connected this team, and truthful I really wanted to spot really they could push maine to beryllium a small spot different, a small spot much adaptable successful my ain ways.”

Now, she has a chance to go nan first gymnast successful MU history to beryllium a portion of 3 teams that make it to nationals. That opportunity came pinch an accrued anticipation of occurrence for nan squad this play — thing it has embraced pinch an “It’s conscionable what we do” mentality.

“I deliberation conscionable nan expectations person risen, and not successful a bad measurement aliases wherever it becomes overpowering successful nan consciousness that we suffer our image arsenic a team,” Davis said, “but I deliberation it’s successful nan consciousness that we cognize that this is nan modular and we are tin of doing this, truthful it should beryllium nan anticipation that we strive for.”

Mizzou is nary longer an overlooked team, and reaching nationals is nary longer a lofty extremity — it’s becoming nan barroom to reach.

“It’s nan anticipation that we expect — that we should activity towards nationals. It’s not a mobility anymore, it’s not this underdog mindset of, ‘Well, we conscionable dream this,’” Davis said. “No, it’s, ‘We’re going to activity for it. If it happens and arsenic it should, past great. And it if doesn’t, we put everything retired location connected nan level that we knew we could.‘”

That displacement successful expectations took spot from some wrong nan programme and extracurricular of it. Davis noticed a alteration successful mentality that began past play and afloat formed this year, leaving nan Tigers looking thing for illustration nan group of upstarts and underdogs from half a decade ago.

“It’s gotten a small old, successful my opinion, conscionable because of really successful Mizzou Gymnastics has been successful nan past mates years that I’ve been here,” Davis said of being nan underdog. “I deliberation our cognition shifted, truthful so nan media’s cognition shifts, and a batch of different peoples’ cognition shifted. Because I don’t deliberation successful a measurement that you tin alteration nan position from nan extracurricular without changing it from nan inside.”

As MU heads to Lexington to statesman its postseason journey, nan squad is nary longer nan hunters looking to propulsion disconnected an upset aliases astonishment nan gymnastics world. Welker’s squad is now nan hunted, arsenic Arkansas, Kentucky and others will look to propulsion disconnected upsets of their ain and nonstop nan Tigers location early.

It’s a caller move Mizzou has faced each season, but 1 nan squad has handled good capable to put itself successful a favorable spot entering regionals. It’s besides a move MU hasn’t allowed to impact its halfway identity, celebrating stuck landings for illustration ne'er earlier and continuing to bring nan aforesaid power and excitement contempt much eyes connected nan programme and higher expectations.

“This squad is adaptable and they conflict done thing and everything, but astatine nan extremity of nan day, pinch their difficult activity and pinch their strength and each nan things,” Terpak said, “they cognize really to person fun, and they cognize really to show up connected a title level and really show out.”

Though Mizzou Gymnastics still dons nan achromatic and golden and proudly bears nan Tigers name, nan programme has elevated itself to a spot wherever nan domiciled of nan gazelle is simply a much fitting explanation entering this postseason: racing to enactment up of a battalion of teams trying to overtake it for a spot successful nationals.

And sloppy of nan result this weekend, Mizzou has nary plans to slow down anytime soon.