It’s awards season at Rock M Nation, and we’ve got a lot to celebrate from the 20225-26 school year. New faces, postseason highs, incredible individual and team performances… There’s a lot of good things going on in CoMo, and we intend to talk about it.
And because we always strive to do things a bit differently around here, we created our own award, the Rock M’my, a few years ago. Consider it to be part Emmy, part Espy, and all parts love of Mizzou Athletics. (pronounced Rock Emmy).
Once all the votes
for each award have been tabulated over the next few weeks, I’ll present a winners list, and that student-athlete/team/coach will win our completely serious award that will undoubtedly be the greatest triumph of their lives thus far.
Voting closes Friday, July 31 at 10pm CST.
Let’s begin!
We’re kicking off the Rock M’mys with perhaps my favorite category, Best Photograph! This is just the second year of this award, but since we had the services of three exceptional staff photographers during the 2025-26 season — Hannah Henderson, Margo Jenkins and Dan Murphy — I felt it was absolutely necessary to honor their hard work with a little friendly competition. I’m no photographer, despite labeling my photos as courtesy of Karen Steger Professional Phone Photography, and I honestly love every photo the three of them take. So much so that I can be found sharing them in the Rock M Slack channel and shouting my praises. With hundreds (or thousands?) of photos to choose from and Word Press not having a super easy way to find them all (booooo), I tasked the trio with finding their three faves, giving them a snappy title, and writing some sort of description.
ENJOY!!!! YOU ARE IN A FOR A TREAT.
Here are the nominees for Best Photo
Exit Interview
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: Having ended his collegiate career with a loss in the first round of March Madness, the dejection is plain on Jayden Stone’s face. Reporters in the locker room were clamoring to speak with him, which would be frustrating for a photographer trying to get a clean image. I chose to shoot wider to include the cameras, bringing more context to the scene while nailing the claustrophobia of being in that locker room. (Side note: Jayden Stone asked me to send him that photo after the game, and it’s now his profile photo on Instagram) —Dan Murphy
Everything Was a Blur
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: This photo has a lot of backstory. Pictured and very blurry is Monica Wanjiku, a standout sophomore who was expected to qualify for nationals this past outdoor season. In a heartbreaking twist of fate and femur, she suffered a knee injury in the 10,000-meter race two days prior and missed qualification by three places. She was unable to overcome her injury in the 5,000-meter race, pictured above, yet gave it her all while still managing a 28th-place finish out of 48. Coach Levermore has an outstanding relationship with Monica, and as such is the designated coach shouting her times and encouraging words. I turned down my shutter speed slow enough that Monica would be blurred, but just fast enough that her form could be distinguished. Coach Levermore always leans on a fence, not moving while doing so, which works perfectly with my choice of a slower shutter speed. —Dan Murphy
Mirror, Mirror, on the Ground, Who is the Fastest Runner Around?
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: It’s Lasse! Lasse Funck was an absolute treat to watch this season, and this shot is just one example of that. I love when tracks keep their steeplechase pits open, as it gives way to all sorts of creative shots using the reflections from the water. The final rays of sunshine, the yellow flowers, and Lasse’s golden uniform are contrasted perfectly with the blue from the water, sky, and Drake University-colored track. —Dan Murphy
Breaking The Surface
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES:
This image captures more than just a swimmer racing through the water; it turns the consistent and harsh splashes into something abstract. The explosion of water hides every part of the athlete — we can’t even identify her — except for her swim cap with the prominent Mizzou logo on it, allowing the viewer to focus on the thousands of frozen droplets in midair while still conveying the athlete’s speed and power. Capturing the swimmer and the environment around her required careful camera settings and precise timing. Using a high shutter speed preserved the sharpness of the water, creating the illusion that it is both completely still and constantly in motion. The final result you see before you is an image that blends sports photography with my artistic perspective. That’s one of the things I love most about sports photography. It allows you to stop moments that happen too quickly for the human eye to fully appreciate. Sometimes the most artistic images come from simply paying attention to the details hidden inside the action. —Margo Jenkins
Put Your Game Faces On Boys, It’s Standoff Time
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES:
This photograph holds a special meaning for me because it captures two teams that have shaped my life in different ways. Growing up in Nashville, I spent years cheering for Vanderbilt, but since coming to the University of Missouri, I’ve embraced being a Tiger through and through. Photographing these teams facing one another felt like watching two of my homes meet on the same court.
Visually, I was drawn to the moment when both teams naturally lined up almost perfectly as they walked across the court together. The composition creates a sense of anticipation, almost like a standoff before the next play. My eyes naturally move back and forth between the players, following the line of white Missouri jerseys to the contrasting black Vanderbilt jerseys. That contrast not only separates the teams but also builds tension within the frame. All of the Vanderbilt players are looking at Missouri’s players, but not all of the Tigers are looking back. To me, this makes the image feel charged with emotion, reminding viewers that some of the most compelling moments in sports happen in the pauses in between games. —Margo Jenkins
Yin and Yang, But Make it Basketball
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: As I’ve said before, one of my favorite things about photography is finding art in places where people aren’t expecting it. Basketball is full of patterns, balance, and movement, and this frame reminded me of a yin and yang symbol. T.O. Barrett’s body reaches effortlessly toward the basket while the Tennessee defender stretches in the opposite direction, creating two opposing shapes that somehow fit perfectly together. The contrast between Missouri’s white uniforms and Tennessee’s bright orange only adds to that visual balance.
Barrett had an incredible game against Tennessee, and this image captures just how dominant he was. Even the players in the background seem to stop and watch, almost reacting the same way the crowd did. In that moment, everyone became a spectator. That’s what drew me to this frame. It isn’t just about scoring a basket, it’s about capturing a moment where everything else seems to pause. That’s what I love about sports photography. Beyond documenting the game, it lets me find small moments of art hidden inside the competition. —Margo Jenkins
Eyes on the Prize
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: To get this photo of Kaia Tanskanen, I decided to take advantage of warmups to try shots I may not have otherwise attempted. I’m always looking to shoot tighter on sports subjects, which can be difficult if you’re far away from them, but almost always results in better photos than shooting super wide. I tracked Tanskanen as she ran down the vault runway while staying tight on her face, and I was able to get her propelling off the springboard before getting to the horse to complete her Pike Front Half. I ultimately nominated this photo because of the way we can see her eyes focusing on the horse while her fingers frame her eyes which, along with the apparatus being in frame ahead of her, provides more context to what she’s doing. —Hannah Henderson
Equipment used: Canon R5, Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
Settings: shutter speed 1/1600, ISO 3200, aperture f/2.8, focal length 200mm
The Danger Zone
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: As you may or may not remember, there are two versions of this photo: one during the day and this one taken at night. You really only get one attempt at this photo opportunity each game (granted, you can take many shots during the whole runout), so I knew I wanted to re-attempt it when I noticed a fellow photographer’s knee in the corner of the best photos from my first try. The second time went a lot better, and I actually think the way the fireworks stand out against the darkness of the sky make for a much better photo than what I got during the day. This photo was chosen because I think it really evokes that sense of being at the game and the pride for the Tigers and anticipation leading up to kickoff. —Hannah Henderson
Equipment used: Canon R5, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, Canon EF to RF adapter
Settings: shutter speed 1/1000, ISO 8000, aperture f/2.8, focal length 16mm
Fire and Water
PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: This is another example of using the opportunity of repetitive moments to get creative while having patience for the moment. Much like the previous photo, this photo also serves to showcase more of that gameday experience, but this one is more focused on the fans. Everyone knows what a quintessential Mizzou experience it is to sing along to “Mr. Brightside” with thousands of others next to you. The cheering of the fans, Truman spraying the crowd and the fireworks going off at just the right moment to fill the frame on the opposite side of the composition feels so perfectly Mizzou to me, which is why I selected it. —Hannah Henderson
Equipment used: Canon R7, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, Canon EF to RF adapter
Settings: shutter speed 1/640, ISO 3200, aperture f/2.8, focal length 16mm
