2025 Season Rank: 3rd
Who they’re losing: Mara Titarsolej, Helen Hu, Jocelyn Moore, Amari Celestine, Kyra Burns, Abby Mueller, Kylie Minard, Courtney Woods, Jessa Conedera
Who they’re gaining: Makayla Green, Dakota Essenpries, Sara Wabi, Kimarra Echols, Bryce Kupbens, Maiya Terry, Hayli Westerlind
The New Faces:
After the best season in program history — highlighted by the team’s first-ever 198, their debut in the evening session of the SEC Championships, and their highest finish ever — the Mizzou Tigers are reloading and hungry to prove that the top of the rankings is where they belong. Despite losing some of the greatest gymnasts in program history, Mizzou brings in three transfers and four talented freshmen who are expected to make an immediate impact.
Transfers:
Makayla Green, a transfer from Illinois, brings a reliable bar routine that averaged a 9.85 last season during her junior year with the Illini, making bars her most likely lineup spot at Mizzou. Dakota Essenpries transfers in from Arkansas, where she competed a Yurchenko 1.5 on vault — a skill that will only add to the depth of this already talented Mizzou vault squad. Sara Wabi, an all-arounder from Illinois State, will likely contend for lineup spots on bars and floor.
Freshmen:
Head coach Shannon Welker is especially high on five-star recruit Kimarra Echols. Echols has high scoring potential on every event and will likely see time in the all-around during her freshman season. Hayli Westerlind is also a well-rounded gymnast who could contribute on multiple events, but her strongest chances to make lineups this year are on beam and potentially bars. Welker described Maiya Terry as “sneaky good,” noting her potential to crack into the bars or floor lineup. Rounding out the freshman class is Bryce Kupbens, who has been seen training Yurchenko 1.5s over the summer. While that vault may not be lineup-ready this season, she’s definitely someone to keep an eye on throughout her time as a Tiger.
Vault Breakdown:
Losing from post season lineup: Joscelyn Moore, Amari Celestine
New faces to watch for: Kimarra Echols, Olivia Kelly, Railey Jackson, Dakota Essenpries
Outlook: For the first time in program history, the Tigers could have a full lineup of 10.0 start value vaults. Junior Hannah Horton holds the highest returning average from last season (9.842) and is likely a lock in this lineup. Kaia Tanskanen, fresh off competing at the World Championships, spent the offseason working a variety of vaults (Yurchenko 1.5 and Front Pike Half) in an effort to find one that scores higher than her Tsuk full. Coach Welker says they will likely go with the Front Pike Half due to the vault’s dynamics and scoring potential. Elise Tisler didn’t consistently perform her Yurchenko 1.5 last season due to back issues; however, she’s back training the vault this year with the intent of being in the lineup come January. The Tigers also return Olivia Kelly and Kennedy Griffin, who both compete very clean Yurchenko fulls, but have been seen training huge Yurchenko 1.5s that look like realistic upgrades for the season. Among the newcomers, freshman Kimarra Echols competed a massive Yurchenko full in her club career that scored as high as 9.975 (and above 9.5 in 100% of meets during the 2024 and 2025 seasons). She has also been training a Yurchenko 1.5 in the preseason that is expected to make its debut sometime this year. Other athletes to watch who are on the brink of making this lineup include sophomore Railey Jackson, who is also training a Yurchenko 1.5, and transfer Dakota Essenpries, who averaged a 9.813 during her freshman season at Arkansas.
Uneven Bar Breakdown:
Losing from post season lineup: Mara Titarsolej, Amari Celestine, Joscelyn Moore, Kyra Burns
New faces to watch for: Makayla Green, Sara Wabi, Kimarra Echols, Lauren Macpherson
Outlook: This is the event where the Tigers are losing the most from last season’s lineup, with more than half of the competitors graduating. The highest returning average on this event actually belongs to transfer Makayla Green, who averaged a 9.85 last season with the Illini. We anticipate that she’ll be a lock on this event, as it was one of the main reasons she was brought onto the team. The second-highest returning average comes from Olivia Kelly, who was the epitome of consistency last season, averaging a 9.846. Kimarra Echols is one to watch on this event, bringing clean lines, consistency, and a Khorkina release — a skill not often seen in college gymnastics. Hannah Horton will also likely retain her lineup spot from last season, where she averaged a 9.763. Coach Welker said she is looking great and believes she can even push for a 10.0 this season. The final two spots will likely come down to Rayna Light, who competed a few times last year and averaged a 9.819; Sara Wabi, who averaged a 9.725 at Illinois State; and Lauren MacPherson, who had a 9.646 average at San Jose State in 2024. Also in contention are Addi Lawrence and Railey Jackson. These athletes have big shoes to fill, and it’s imperative that some of these new faces step up early in the season to prove that bars can once again be a strength for the Tigers in 2026.
Beam Breakdown:
Losing from post season lineup: Helen Hu, Amari Celestine
New faces to watch for: Lauren Macpherson, Hayli Westerlind, Kimarra Echols
Outlook: Beam was the other event in which Mizzou ranked highly last season, tying with bars for fourth in the nation. However, the team only lost two routines from last season’s postseason beam squad. The gymnast expected to fill the sixth-year veteran Helen Hu–level dominance in the anchor position is Lauren MacPherson, who is returning from an Achilles injury sustained during the preseason last year. MacPherson is stunning on beam and displays a high level of consistency that will bolster this lineup nicely, having averaged a 9.865 during the 2024 season at San Jose State. Olivia Kelly was also incredibly consistent in her freshman season (9.853 average), and you can expect to see her retain her lineup spot and likely appear toward the back end of the lineup. Other athletes returning to the lineup from last season include Railey Jackson (9.82) and Amy Wier (9.815), who both stand to improve now that they have a year of competitive lineup experience under their belts. The final two spots are up for grabs among several athletes, including Addi Lawrence (9.795), Rayna Light (9.75), and Grace Anne Davis, who is returning from injury but averaged a 9.733 in 2024, as well as freshmen Kimarra Echols and Hayli Westerlind. Echols may have the edge, as Coach Welker will likely want to see her compete in the all-around this season — but don’t sleep on Westerlind! Beam was her strongest event as a Level 10, and it’s the area where we expect her to make the strongest push for a lineup spot.
Floor Breakdown:
Losing from post season lineup: Amari Celestine, Joscleyn Moore
New faces to watch for: Kimarra Echols, Sara Wabi, Railey Jackson, Olivia Kelly
Outlook: Watch out for the Mizzou Tigers on floor this season! This is without a doubt their strongest event in terms of experience and depth, and we’re expecting several new faces to make an even bigger impact in 2026. Kennedy Griffin is one of the most reliable floor competitors in the nation, averaging a 9.892 last season. Also look for Hannah Horton, who is training a huge double layout to add to her routine for 2026 after averaging a 9.87 last year. Kaia Tanskanen broke into the lineup late last season but immediately proved she can score big, averaging a 9.9. Her experience on the world stage only adds to her confidence and composure, not to mention the increased difficulty she brings. We also expect Kimarra Echols to become a staple on this event — she brings a huge E-level tumbling pass (tucked full-in), a career high of 9.9 from her club career, and an impressive 92% hit rate. The remaining two spots could be filled by a number of athletes, including Railey Jackson (9.86), Elise Tisler (9.861), Rayna Light (9.858), Sara Wabi (9.829), or Olivia Kelly, who has yet to make her debut on floor. No matter who the coaches choose, Mizzou can’t go wrong with any of these options.
Final Outlook:
There’s no doubt that the Tigers are losing a lot from last season; however, they have plenty of new faces among the freshmen and transfers who can step up and make an immediate impact. Plus the sophomores sound like they have only gotten stronger according to Welker. Some of the lineups may be unpredictable at the start of the season as the team works to determine who is the most consistent, but once they find their groove, this is a squad that will absolutely be contending for a spot at the NCAA Championships once again.
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