2 months ago
I can’t judge we’re here, you guys!!! It’s each led to this. The NCAA Regionals. The goal, obviously, is to beforehand to nan NCAA National Championships successful Fort Worth successful a fewer weeks, conscionable arsenic they did past twelvemonth erstwhile they shocked nan state and ended up successful 3rd place, beating retired Utah successful nan nationalist championships.
But first, nan Tigers person to get past astatine slightest 3 of nan 4 teams successful their Lexington Regional Round 2, Session 1 quad meet (more connected them successful a bit) connected Friday, and past aft advancing to Sunday’s finals, they must again spot successful nan apical 2 successful different quad meet to make it to nationals. My palms are sweating conscionable reasoning astir it. Not because I’m tense for this team, mind you, but because nan anticipation of this clip of nan play and being successful attendance IN Lexington for Karen’s First Regionals is sidesplitting me.
Also, I simply can’t hold til this Tiger squad proves each them haters wrong, because conscionable for illustration a twelvemonth agone erstwhile group bizarrely picked Georgia to beforehand complete Missouri contempt nary rhyme aliases logic arsenic to why that would really happen, this twelvemonth nan “hot” prime is Arkansas complete Mizzou. I simply don’t spot it. Not successful a illusion way, but successful nan measurement that is shown done information that nan GymBacks are NOT a bully roadworthy team; they person ONE bully people this play successful a roadworthy meet, a meet that, per 1 source, is famously truthful “notorious for its overscoring they don’t connection a stream.” [editor’s note: this is nary dislike to Arkansas; I for illustration galore group connected their team]
But seriously, if nan bracket goes chalk, Regional Finals rather virtually will beryllium an SEC meet, pinch nan Sooners, Tigers, Razorbacks & Wildcats facing off. I’m not convinced it will extremity up chalk, however.
“We’re excited to return to evidently NCAA Regionals again. I deliberation it’s really an anticipation for us. We’re a 2 seed for nan 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, and truthful that’s exciting. And you know, I deliberation for a recreation standpoint, for our squad and for our fans, that’s astir arsenic bully arsenic we could person asked for… I deliberation our grouping is good. I deliberation that should springiness america a batch of confidence.”
“We person seen each seeded squad successful our regional, and we’ve had a batch of occurrence against galore of them this twelvemonth connected a mates of occasions, including SEC Championships. So I deliberation that’s good. We were astatine Kentucky this year. We already competed location and won there, truthful I’m excited to get backmost there, and I deliberation that’s going to bode good for our team.”
When: Friday, April 3, 2026
Where: Historic Memorial Coliseum | Lexington, KY
Time: 12:00pm CST
TV: ESPN+
Order of Events: Mizzou will compete connected Bars —> Beam —> Floor —> Vault | NC State will commencement connected Vault, Maryland connected beam, and Arkansas connected floor.
“I consciousness for illustration we’ve opened nan past fewer weekends beautiful beardown connected bars,” Shannon said astatine nan team’s action show party. “I would expect you’ll spot a batch of america starting connected bars nan adjacent fewer meets during our location rounds, and I deliberation that’s been a bully arena for america to commencement on. And we conscionable ended really beardown astatine SEC championships connected vault. So that really benignant of puts those 2 successful play, astir apt some days.”
Leotard Prediction— The Tigers will debut their 4th leo of nan play successful this meet, and I honestly can’t callback what this 1 looks like, ha.
Format: There are 4 judges astatine location meets and nan precocious and debased are dropped, counting nan mediate 2 scores.
Should nan Tigers spot successful nan apical 2 — they should easy beryllium successful nan apical 2 of their session, barring immoderate gymcastrophes— they’ll past look nan apical 2 from nan day’s later session, which includes #1 Oklahoma, #16 Kentucky (also nan big school), #18 Ohio State, and nan victor of nan April 1 play-in, #31 Central Michigan and #36 Rutgers. That convention is slated to commencement astatine 6pm CT connected Friday connected ESPN+. The Regional Final will beryllium connected Sunday, April 5 astatine 4pm CST connected ESPNU.
What To Expect At The Venue
Historic Memorial Coliseum is besides nan location of women’s hoops and volleyball. The coliseum was precocious renovated successful 2025 successful grant of its 75th day and was considered a monolithic finance successful women’s sports facilities. The Tigers already person familiarity pinch nan location, having conscionable competed location connected February 13.
“I deliberation our grouping is good. I deliberation that’s should springiness america a batch of confidence. You know, obviously, we’ve seen each of it, beautiful overmuch all. We person seen each seeded squad successful our regional, and we’ve had a batch of occurrence against galore of them this twelvemonth connected a mates of occasions, including SEC championships past weekend. So So I deliberation that’s good. We were astatine Kentucky this year. We already competed location and won there, truthful I’m excited to get backmost there, and I deliberation that’s that’s going to bode good for our team.”
What do nan teams nan #8 Missouri Tigers will look successful Friday’s Round II Session I of nan NCAA Regional?
They’re each reddish teams. SO MUCH RED. You each cognize I emotion a squad colour coordinated floor plan astir here, and that makes it difficult erstwhile to separate erstwhile each nan teams person nan aforesaid main color.
#8 Missouri Tigers: Mizzou Gold (#fdb719) | Tiger Paw Black (#000000)
#21 NC State Wolfpack: Wolfpack Red (#cc0000) | Wolfpack Black (#000000) | Wolfpack White (#ffffff)
#9 Arkansas Razorbacks: Razorback Red (#9d2235) | Apple Blossom (#ffffff) — it’s white, you guys, why we getting fancy here?
#27 Maryland Terrapins: Maryland Red (#e21833) | Maryland Gold (#ffd200) | White (#ffffff) | Black (#000000)
Bonus points will beryllium awarded if you cognize which of nan reds beryllium to which squad without looking it up. One of them I deliberation is obvious, but moreover correct now, looking astatine this aft making this schematic a fewer days ago, I can’t separate betwixt nan different two.
“If you look astatine our squad scores,” Shannon said earlier SECs, “our mean is really good. If you look astatine Road to Nationals and if you look astatine our NQS versus our mean score, they are like, almost identical… That tells maine that we are competing astatine a really accordant level correct there. Now, I would for illustration to beryllium a small higher connected that apical scope of nan score, but you know, you tin conscionable do nan champion you tin pinch nan squad you have.”
What some of these in-depth charts shows maine is really underscored Mizzou has been this season, to beryllium honest. Even pinch six location meets, Mizzou’s squad sewage nary breaks. Additionally, I’ve added a caller file to nan charts for this meet, cataloguing really nan teams did astatine their respective convention championships. I LOVE DATA.
A Closer Look: Maryland Terrapins
1/2Maryland’s 2026 leo releases
Record: 19-6 (3-6 successful Big 10)
Key Additions: Emily DeFrees (freshman, BB/FX)
Key Losses: Layla Hammer (VLT/BB, injury) | Natalie Martin (VLT/BB/FX, transportation to Ohio State) | Tasha Brozowski (UB) | Victoria Gatzendorfer (UB/BB) | Sierra Kondo (UB) | Rhea Leblanc (VLT/UB/FX) | Hailey Merchant (UB) | Maggie Murphy (VLT) | Alexa Rothenbuescher (AA)
Notables:
- Maryland is coming disconnected a tenth spot decorativeness astatine nan Big 10 Championships pinch a 195.300. They scored a 48.825 connected vault, 48.55 connected bars, 48.70 connected beam, and 49.225 connected floor.
- Their highest people this play was a 196.675 astatine Penn State connected January 24. They besides had 5 different 196 people this season, arsenic good arsenic six 195 scores and a 194.625.
- Fun Fact: Victoria Gatzendorfer, who was a Terps postgraduate successful 2025, is simply a erstwhile Tiger, having competed her freshman play for nan achromatic & golden successful 2022.
- Apparatus-wise, nan Terps haven’t deed a 49 connected vault since precocious February, and beam has been connected a downward slope nan past 3 weeks. Bars besides featured a batch of valleys, and astatine champion they deed 49.0-49.1. Floor is decidedly Maryland’s beardown suit, oftentimes scoring successful nan 49.3 ranges. Their 49.575 successful their 3rd meet was much than 2/10 higher than different another level people each season.
- 9.9(!) Tally- 16 connected nan season
- VAULT: Engelmayer (1)
- BARS: Komoroski (1) | Reade (1)
- BEAM: DeFrees (1) | Komoroski (2)
- FLOOR: DeFrees (1) | Kogler (1) | Komoroski (3) | Reade (5)
Honors:
- All-Big 10 Second Team: Maddie Komoroski (Floor, Beam)
A Closer Look: North Carolina State Wolfpack
1/2NC State releases a caller leo connected Senior Day each year; here’s nan 2026 creation that was worn 3/13 & 3/21.
Record: 15-5 (5-2 successful ACC) | Preseason poll: 5th
Key Additions: Emerson Fisk (VT/UB/FX) | Autumn Rardin (VT/BB/FX) | Adasyn Tackett (BB)
Key Losses: Ashley Knight (2x All-ACC Vaulter, shin splints) | Jenna Rusk (UB/FX, chartless injury)
Notables:
- NC State is coming disconnected a 4th spot decorativeness (out of six teams) astatine nan ACC Championships pinch a 196.500. They scored a 49.025 connected vault, 49.175 connected bars, 49.150 connected beam and a 49.150 connected floor.
- Their precocious people this play was a 197.150 group connected March 1 successful a quad meet pinch Towson, Ursinus College, and West Virginia. They recorded 1 different 197 people this season, a 197.125 group astatine location connected February 8. Aside from 2 195 scores connected January 24 and February 1, each of nan Pack’s different scores autumn successful nan 196 range.
- The Pack group their programme record, a 49.500 connected bars connected Senior Night, March 13. Elle Hadrick’s 9.975 matched nan highest individual bars people successful programme history.
- Apparatus-wise, Wolfpack vault typically hovers astir 49.0-49.1. Prior to nan 49.5 connected bars connected Senior Night, they hadn’t deed anyplace adjacent that since early February’s 49.45. Beam has featured galore valleys, but by nan extremity of February - early March, they were consistently hitting 49.3-49.4. On floor, NC State didn’t person immoderate scores nether 49 connected nan season, and person scored successful nan 49.4 scope 3 times.
- NC State only debuts one caller leo a twelvemonth — that’s truthful sad! — coming retired connected Senior Day each year, and past they’re apt to deterioration it erstwhile much a week aliases 2 later.
- NC State has 5 freshmen connected their roster, but only 3 person seen action frankincense acold this season, nan champion of which has been, I would say, Autumn Rardin.
- 9.9(!) Tally- 27 connected nan season
- VAULT: Knight (1) | Thomas (2)
- BARS: Hadrick (3) | Harper (2) | Reid (1) | Volk (3)
- BEAM: Hall (1) | Rardin (1) | Tackett (1) | Thomas (1)
- FLOOR: Hadrick (3) | Myers (1) | Rardin (2) | Thomas (5)
Honors:
- All-ACC: Elle Hadrick (UB), Syniya Thomas (VLT, FX)
- All-ACC Championship Team: Ava Myers (VLT), Autumn Rardin (VLT)
- ACC Preseason Watch List: Ashley Knight, Syniya Thomas, Autumn Rardin (ACC Newcomer to Watch)
- ACC Weekly Honors: Thomas (1/13 Specialist, 2/10), Hadrick (3/17 Specialist)
A Closer Look: Arkansas Razorbacks
1/3Arkansas’ 2026 leo releases: Ruby Radiance, Eternal Rouge & Flow State
Record: 7-13-1 (2-5-1 SEC) | 10th successful WCGA Preseason Poll
Key Additions: Morgan Price (Fisk transfer, AA) | Alison Cucci (freshman, AA) | Avalon Campbell (freshman, UB) | Avery King (freshman)
Five erstwhile four- aliases five-star recruits besides dress up nan Razorbacks’ rookie class, though I’ve only mentioned nan ones who’ve seen action this play above. The third-ranked enlistee of her class, Allison Cucci enters collegiate gymnastics arsenic nan program’s highest-ranked and rated enlistee ever.
Key Losses: Dakota Essenpries— transportation to MIZ (VT) | Kaitlyn Ewald (UB, BB) | Kalyxta Gamiao (BB, FX) | Maddie Jones (UB, BB, FX) | Mati Waligora (UB, BB, FX)
Notables:
- #9 Arkansas is coming disconnected a seventh spot decorativeness astatine SECs, earning a 196.975. They earned a 49.150 connected vault, 49.125 connected bars, 49.350 connected beam and 49.350 connected floor. They, for illustration Missouri, vanished strong, but not truthful beardown to flooded nan slower start.
- Arkansas’ precocious people this play was a 197.700 astatine February’s Metroplex Challenge. Their adjacent highest was a 197.500 astatine location against Oklahoma. There is rather of spot of scoring inconsistency successful nan GymBacks’ results, arsenic they besides had a 195.975 astatine Florida and 3 196 scores. In fact, six of their 7 lowest scores this play came connected nan road, ranging from that aforementioned 195.975 to 197.225. Likely what arsenic an astronomically inflated 197.700 aside, nan Gymbacks person conscionable 2 different 197 scores connected nan roadworthy (197.100 & 197.225).
- For nan circumstantial apparatuses, nan vault squad’s precocious score, an astonishing 49.625, is much than 0.2 higher than immoderate different rotation score, and they consistently people successful nan 49.35 range. On bars, they person 2 sub-49 rotation scores, including successful their last regular play meet. Most often, I’d opportunity Arky bars tin beryllium recovered successful nan 49.2-49.25 range. On beam, they person nary sub-49 scores and person 3 49.4o-plus scores, chiefly falling successful nan 49.3-49.4 range. Finally, connected floor, they person 1 sub-49 score, pinch 3 scores successful nan 49.5-49.65 scores, including 2 scores of 49.60-plus. They consistently autumn successful nan 49.4-49.6 scope connected FX. Like everyone else, I would expect each their scores to beryllium a teensy spot little successful this information pinch location being much judges.
- The Price (Score) is Right: Morgan Price scored nan first ever cleanable 10 successful Arkansas Gymbacks history past week connected vault aft antecedently being nan recipient of Fisk’s first ever cleanable 10 past play connected bars! What can’t this gal do?
- Home Crowd: Arkansas group nan SEC gymnastics attendance grounds connected March 6 erstwhile they welcomed successful 15,512 fans to Bud Walton for nan team’s meet against OU. This collapsed nan erstwhile grounds of 15,162 group by Alabama 20 years ago. The squad collapsed its programme grounds connected vault astatine nan Metroplex Challenge connected February 8, scoring a 49.675.
- 9.9(!) Tally- 72 connected nan season
- VAULT: Cucci (4) | Klein (2) | M. Price (7) | Smith (1) | Weaver (2)
- BARS: Campbell (1) | Cucci (2) | M. Price (8) | Roberson (3) | Smith (3)
- BEAM: Cucci (3) | Klein (2) | Park (1) | M. Price (4) | Roberson (9) | Weaver (1)
- FLOOR: Cucci (3) | Klein (1) | F. Price (2) | Roberson (8) | Smith (5)
Honors:
- SEC Newcomer of nan Year: Morgan Price
- WCGA Regular Season All-America honors: Morgan Price (First Team, VLT/Second Team, UB) | Joscelyn Roberson (First Team, BB) | Lauren Williams (Second Team, VLT)
- All-SEC: VAULT— Morgan Price | BARS— Leah Smith, Joscelyn Roberson, Allison Cucci | BEAM— Joscelyn Roberson, Allison Cucci | FLOOR— Leah Smith, Joscelyn Roberson, Frankie Price, Allison Cucci | ALL-AROUND: Joscelyn Roberson, Hailey Klein, Allison Cucci
- SEC Weekly Honors: Allison Cucci (Freshman of Week, 3/17) | Lauren Williams (Specialist, 1/20)
Record: 14-9 (4-4 SEC)
Notables:
- SECs Quick Recap: #8 Mizzou is coming disconnected a sixth spot decorativeness astatine nan SEC Championships pinch a 197.025 squad people that really came connected arsenic a consequence of a very beardown backmost half of nan meet. After opening nan meet pinch a decent bars people (49.275, 2nd highest successful convention I), they had immoderate oopsies connected beam, earning conscionable a 49.00. In nan last 2 events, however, nan Tigers shined, finishing pinch nan 3rd highest people of some sessions mixed pinch a 49.450 connected a level rotation that featured 4 (4!!!) 9.90 scores, arsenic good arsenic a season-high 49.350 connected vault which featured a metallic badge for Hannah Horton, who earned a 9.95, and a stuck Yurchenko Full for freshman Kimarra Echols that should besides person notched a 9.95, if we’re being honest. You tin publication my recap here (of which I sewage galore quotes)!
- Team Makeup & Roster Construction: “We’re building connected consistency. I deliberation this team’s gotten amended arsenic we move done nan year,” Shannon Welker said. “We person a small spot of a younger team, but they proceed to get better. I deliberation besides to solidify immoderate options arsenic well. You know, readying connected competing 2 days, we whitethorn request immoderate options to sub in, sub retired successful those areas. So I deliberation that was what we were trying to get done nan past mates of days here, and conscionable cognize who those options are.”
- The Best is Yet to Come: We haven’t seen nan champion of this squad yet, and truthful nan anticipation is sidesplitting maine for them to get there. Their precocious scores aren’t rather wherever they were past season, and immoderate of that I consciousness for illustration is owed to lackluster judging— pinch six location meets, 1 would expect an iota of location cooking astatine immoderate point, but instead, it oftentimes seemed to use their opponents (cough, cough LSU).
- The Tigers averaged a 197.155 crossed 5 meets (3 home) successful January, 197.192 crossed 3 meets (2 home) successful February, and 197.350 crossed 3 regular play meets (2 away) successful March.
- The Quest for Group Excellence: After nan Oklahoma meet, Shannon said, “We’ve had immoderate really awesome individual performances, and I deliberation we’re really trying to make this displacement to group excellence for illustration in, you know, that arena excellence correct location connected each event. I deliberation that’s thing that’s a small spot of a modulation we’re pushing towards correct now.”
- “Every twelvemonth gets a small spot better,” Shannon said. “We’re capable to assistance nan barroom conscionable a small spot much and a small more, right? If we want to compete for a nationalist title, you’re not going to make these monster strides each year. A batch of years, it’s conscionable small things that commencement to stack up, because we’re successful that past 3-5% of our travel correct here. That is nan hardest part. That’s measurement harder, right? That’s measurement harder than nan first 10%, 20%… truthful you know, it’s conscionable small increments and recognizing wherever we’re making immoderate gains and celebrating those gains, too.”
- Practice Makes Perfect: As past infinitesimal Regionals prep, nan Tigers hosted an unfastened practice/intrasquad complete nan weekend, pinch aggregate run-throughs of beam and bars lineups arsenic they whitethorn beryllium successful fluctuation. You tin publication that here. “We person a batch of bodies that person been doing a batch of activity for us, and we’re going to request nan imaginable to plug personification successful and beryllium caller [in a two-day format weekend] …” Shannon said. “We person to person those group disposable and getting better, truthful we tin person them arsenic options to put our squad successful nan champion position to triumph that day.”
- 9.9(!) Tally- 88 connected nan season
- VAULT: Echols (2) | Horton (4) | Jackson (2) | Tisler (1)
- BARS: Echols (7) | Green (1) | Horton (6) | Kelly (1) | Lawrence (2) | Macpherson (1) | Terry (4)
- BEAM: Jackson (3) | Kelly (4) | Lawrence (6) | Macpherson (6) | Wier (2)
- FLOOR: Acevedo (3) | Griffin (9) | Horton (10) | Jackson (2) | Tanskanen (7) | Terry (1) | Tisler (4)
Honors:
- SEC Specialist of nan Year: Hannah Horton
- A Tiger gymnast has won a Specialist of nan Year grant each of nan past 3 seasons (Helen Hu 2025, Jocelyn Moore 2024) and 3 of nan past 5 years (joining Sienna Schreiber, 2022)
- On winning nan Specialist of nan Year title, Hannah said, “My extremity for myself this play was to get Specialist of nan Week, and of people I was like, okay that that didn’t happen. I tin do it adjacent season. But cognize that I sewage Specialist of nan Year, it’s moreover a bigger and amended award… It’s conscionable honestly amazing, a blessing.”
- WCGA Regular Season All-American Honors: Addison Lawrence (First Team, Beam) | Kimarra Echols (Second Team, Bars)
- Per @ PlanetofGym, Mizzou is 1 of only six teams successful nan state to person astatine slightest 2 athletes gain regular play All-American honors each of nan past 5 seasons
- All-SEC: VAULT— Hannah Horton, Kimarra Echols | BARS— Kimarra Echols, Maiya Terry, Olivia Kelly, Makayla Green | BEAM— Addi Lawrence, Olivia Kelly | FLOOR— Elise Tisler, Ayla Acevedo, Kennedy Griffin, Kaia Tanskanen, Hannah Horton
- All-SEC Freshman Team: Kimarra Echols
On asking if this portion of nan season, successful a benignant of win-or-go-home platform, changes nan team’s mindset, Shannon was adamant astatine nan team’s unfastened believe connected Saturday that this is not nan case.
“I deliberation we tin beryllium really good,” he said. “And I still deliberation we’re going to person an opportunity to proceed to spell heavy successful nan play correct there. So, you know, I deliberation if you attack it pinch [that] mindset that you mentioned initially, I deliberation that doesn’t thief you. I deliberation you sewage to spell retired and compete free and compete aggressive. And you know, if we’re bully capable to move on, we’re bully capable to move on, which I deliberation we are. But you know, if you time off it retired location connected nan array and you make it through, awesome. If you don’t, it’s not for deficiency of effort. And I deliberation that’s what we sewage to effort to conscionable support that mindset correct there.”
[go done this assemblage while listening to Kool & The Gang’s 80s hit, “Celebration,” please. Photos courtesy of Mizzou Athletics and Rock M Nation photographers]
1/16Gymnastics astatine SEC Championships (courtesy of Mizzou Athletics) Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
- Regionals High Score: 197.400 successful LA Regionals Second Round, 2023 | 197.600 successful LA Regional Finals, 2023
- Vault: 49.500, scored astatine Illinois Quad, March 17, 2024
- Uneven Bars: 49.600, scored astatine Mizzou Quad, March 10, 2024
- Balance Beam: 49.575, scored astatine Arkansas, March 2025 & astatine SEC Championships, March 2025
- Floor Exercise: 49.725, scored astatine Zou to nan Lou, February 14, 2025
- Overall Score: 198.100, scored vs. Auburn, March 9, 2025
