Later, Lacey 😞

A week ago, Mizzou Gymnastics announced that Lacey Rubin, leader of nan Bad Ass Beam Queens — a moniker bestowed upon her ferocious Tiger beamers and a sanction she was beautiful judge neither Shannon nor Whitney knew astir — would beryllium stepping down from her domiciled aft 3 years pinch nan team.

As a immense Lacey Rubin fan, I was shocked and saddened to perceive this news. She’s been awesome to maine and our small media contingent complete nan years, ever consenting to chat and supply other small nuggets of wisdom. My excessively early beam previews, for instance, became that overmuch amended pinch her input. As for nan athletes who sewage to activity alongside her, I was moreover sadder for them, arsenic she’s played a pivotal domiciled successful nan improvement of nan beam squad and for nan squad arsenic a whole.

“I’ve only had her for 2 years retired of her 3 years astatine Mizzou,” Olivia Kelly said, “But I cognize she cared for and was benignant to each and each personification that crossed her path. She was a awesome coach and helped truthful galore group who emotion beam and find their assurance successful and retired of nan gym.”
Under Lacey’s leadership, Mizzou beam has reached caller heights. The beam squad doubly collapsed nan programme record, earning 49.575 scores connected 2 occasions successful 2025 — astatine Arkansas and successful NCAA Semis — and doubly vanished nan play classed no. 11, which was nan team’s highest ranking since 2021. They vanished no. 22 successful her first season.

In 2025, nan Tiger beamers averaged a 49.254 people and a 49.370 NQS. Five times successful 2025 they scored a 49.400 aliases above, and doubly deed 49.500-plus, including a whopping 49.500 successful nan nationalist semis pinch six(!) judges connected hand. Perhaps astir awesome, nan Tigers ne'er counted a autumn that season, and only erstwhile dipped beneath a 49.100. In 2026, they averaged an arsenic accordant 49.229 people and a 49.244 NQS. Five times successful 2026 they scored a 49.350 aliases higher, including 3 49.400 scores. After counting a autumn successful nan opening meet, they didn’t count different one.

In her short Tiger tenure, she coached 7 All-SEC performers (Sienna Schreiber, Sydney Schaffer, Helen Hu, Olivia Kelly, Addi Lawrence), 3 WCGA All-Americans (Olivia Kelly, Hu, Lawrence), an SEC Champ (Hu), an SEC Specialist of nan Year (Hu), a Regional Champion (Hu), and a National Champion (Hu). Wow.

How was she capable to do it? Olivia said, “Lacey has afloat belief successful each of her gymnasts and would outwardly definitive it. She makes judge that thing we talk astir is only affirmative affirmations and really we tin amended moving forward.”

What’s Next?

So what’s adjacent for nan autochthonal New Yorker? Nate Salsman and I had nan pleasance of grabbing luncheon pinch Lacey this past week, and she told america she’s looking guardant to enjoying immoderate much-earned clip disconnected to spot family and friends, spending clip pinch her fiancé — she’s engaged to Max Schuemann, a inferior subordinate for nan New York Yankees, and they’ve been agelong region for 8 years now— walking to MLB ballparks, and readying her November wedding, which will return spot successful Michigan (that’s wherever they met).

As for whether aliases not we’ll spot Lacey successful nan gym again, yes, we astir surely will, but not immediately. She’s sewage immoderate clip to fig retired her adjacent steps.

Mark my words, though; this will not beryllium nan past we spot of Coach Lacey Rubin. Someone pinch her accolades and talent will beryllium successful high request erstwhile she’s fresh to measurement backmost into that role.

”Getting to walk nan past 2 years pinch Lacey has been thing but nan best!” Kaia Tanskanen said. “She has really helped maine turn arsenic a personification and arsenic a beam worker. I americium truthful grateful I sewage to beryllium capable to compete beam this twelvemonth pinch her by my side, and I’m truthful grateful to person been coached by her successful general, arsenic well.”

The Future of Mizzou Beam

As for what that intends for nan Tigers, we don’t really know. However, I expect they are connected nan hunt for different coach, arsenic it’s a batch of work for conscionable Shannon, Jackie and Whitney, particularly pinch Whitney being a caller mom.

This figures to beryllium a young beam squad successful 2027 aft nan graduation of Addi, Lauren, Amy and Grace Anne, truthful whomever nan squad brings successful to lead nan B.A.B.Q. will play an ultra-important domiciled successful nan team’s improvement moving forward.

Figuring into nan 2027 rotation will beryllium juniors Railey, Olivia and Kaia and sophomores Hayli and Kimarra. They’ve besides precocious signed 5th twelvemonth Jennifer McMillan, a career-9.925 beam worker from Oregon State who spent nan 2026 retired pinch injury, and they’re bringing successful immoderate bully beamers successful nan freshmen class. The only regular lineup members of this group were RJ, Liv, and Kaia (10 meets), truthful for illustration I said, it’s a young squad successful request of a beardown leader.

Whomever they bring in, Kaia said, “I’m hoping it is personification who really cares astir their occupation and what they do. I besides dream they really study astir america arsenic humans arsenic good arsenic athletes and I dream we tin conscionable build spot and assurance correct away!”

Parting Words

In closing, Mizzou won’t beryllium nan aforesaid pinch Lacey, and her effect connected nan programme has been immeasurable. She will beryllium greatly missed, and I, for one, can’t hold to spot what she does next.

”I wish her thing but nan champion successful her future! I will miss her truthful much!” Kaia said.

“Much emotion for her and her caller journey,” Olivia added.

In nan meantime, Go Yankees? (It feels weird saying this, but conscionable spell pinch it, guys.)