It’s awards season at Rock M Nation, and we’ve got a lot to celebrate from the 2025-26 school year. New hires, 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, three years ago. Consider it to be part Emmy, part Espy, and all parts love of Mizzou Athletics. (pronounced Rock Emmy)
I encouraged the
staff to not just consider the major sports and the top dogs, but to dig below the surface and select worthy nominees from all the teams. Luckily, Rock M Nation represents a diverse group of writers with knowledge about a variety of Mizzou sports, so this wasn’t too much of an ask. With each nomination, you’ll also find a bit of backstory, so you, the fans, can make an informed decision, because at the end of each post, you’ll vote. Forget to cast your ballot one day? No big deal. I’ll provide links to the other awards from the preceding posts.
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 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.
In case you missed the vote:
Let’s begin.
Sometimes we as sports fans have the pleasure of witnessing greatness, a moment that leaves you astonished. There were many great performances this season that left Mizzou fans excited and jumping up and down, screaming and wanting more. Imagine, if you will, a Mount Rushmore of 2025-26 Mizzou Athletes. Chances are you’d find some of them atop the mountain for what they accomplished.
In fact, there were so many noteworthy performances we couldn’t write about them all. So who was included? Let’s find out. Please make sure you read all the nominations carefully before casting your online ballot. They deserve your time for all their awesomeness!
NOTE: I am thinking this year I will award two of these— one male and one female.
Here are the nominees for Best Performance
Slaughter’s career-high 33 points vs. Northwestern
In her second year as the top option, Grace Slaughter had a plethora of memorable performances. But perhaps none was better than her career-high of 33 points against Northwestern during the Fort Myers Tip-Off. She shot 12-21 from the field, 4-6 from three and 5-8 from the free throw line to reach 1,000 career points. In addition to her scoring, Slaughter grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists as the Tigers picked up a big non-conference win against Northwestern 85-70. —Dylan Heinrich
Marissa McCann’s perfect game
In a game that wasn’t even supposed to happen — Mizzou needed to boost their NCAA resume with another win and added it last minute— junior Marissa McCann etched her name in Mizzou history with the Tigers’ 7-0 win over SIUE on April 22, throwing the thirteenth perfect game in school history, and the first since 2022 (and just the third since 2012!)
Of her performance, head coach Larissa Anderson said, “She been wanting a no-hitter all year long. We’ve talked about it and I’m like, you don’t go out trying to throw a no-hitter. It happens because of an individual’s effort and concentration on individual pitches, and that’s exactly what she did today. She didn’t try to do too much. She owned every single pitch she threw. She commanded it. She threw it with conviction.”
Considering that in the earlier matchup against SIUE this season that CC Harrison threw a no-no, I’m wondering if Southern Illinois is now regretting the decision to play this one. –Karen Steger
Drew Rogers’ SEC mile title
When the stakes were highest at the SEC Indoor Championships, Drew Rogers delivered a memorable performance. Stepping up against an ultra-competitive field, Rogers claimed the SEC Mile Championship with a stellar time of 4:02.42, just enough to kick out Florida’s Oussama Allaoui and South Carolina’s Jaouad Khchina. By capturing the title, Rogers became Mizzou’s first conference mile champion in six years, one year after he became the 3,000-meter champion. His talent will surely be missed on the course. –Sophie Silvers
Luke Nebrich at SEC Championships
Missouri sprinter Luke Nebrich was lights out all season as the top swimmer on the Tigers’ roster, qualifying for his second consecutive NCAA Championships in two individual and as part of four relays. He shined the brightest at the SEC Championships, earning top five finishes in both sprint freestyle events, the 50 and 100 free. In Knoxville, Nebrich finished fourth in the in the 50 in 18.74, beating his own school record by 0.01. In the 100, he took fifth place in 41.81, just off his season best. In both races, he was the youngest of top finishers as just a sophomore. He also was part of the 200 free relay, which placed 8th, 9th place 400 free and medley relays, and took 17th in the 100 fly. Nebrich’s individual performances were the best finishes by a Mizzou swimmer at the meet, and I can’t wait to see his progress in his remaining years in the black & gold. —Karen Steger
Josh McDevitt’s 6⅓ innings vs. Georgia
McDevitt delivered one of Mizzou’s most impressive individual mound performances of the season, especially considering the opponent. Against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, McDevitt allowed one earned run and struck out six Bulldogs over 6⅓ innings in Athens. The Tigers’ offense couldn’t back up McDevitt in the 4-0 loss, but this was yet another performance that showed the value McDevitt provided to the Tigers staff as a top-level SEC pitcher. At the time, over his 12 starts, McDevitt allowed four hits or fewer in nine of them. Definitely an arm Missouri wants to hold onto as the transfer portal develops. –Henry Chappell
Sands’ 32 digs vs. South Carolina
When Missouri needed its veteran libero most, Maya Sands delivered one of the best defensive performances of her career. Facing South Carolina in a pivotal SEC matchup, Sands recorded a season-high 32 digs, anchoring the Tigers’ defense and showcasing the consistency that made her one of the nation’s premier liberos. The performance was another highlight in a remarkable career that included a third straight SEC Libero of the Year honor and cemented her legacy as one of the greatest defensive players in program history. —Aaron Segal
Hannah Horton, Regional Floor Co-Champ
In selecting Hannah Horton for best performance, I really could have gone with any number of incredible performances she had in the 2025-26 season. After all, she garnered an astonishing 24 scores of 9.90 or higher between vault, bars and floor, and took 19 — NINETEEN!!! — event titles during the season. She earned All-SEC honors on vault and floor, competed as an individual in the national championships on bars, and won SEC Specialist of the Year honors. It was a G-O-O-D season for H2.
I ultimately decided to focus on Hannah’s performance in Session I of the Lexington Regional, as her 9.925 earned her her first regional title, which she shared with Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson and Kentucky’s Creslyn Brose, the latter of whom was in Session II. Hannah’s routine, as it did at so many other points this season, left me speechless. Her double layout was massive and executed with absolute perfection, her choreography — set to her favorite artist, Tyler the Creator — was crisp, and she earned two 9.95 scores from the judges. Because titles are determined in these earlier sessions and not in the Regional Finals, I chose to focus on this performance specifically, though I’ll say her performance in the Regional Final was even better— she earned two 10s from the judges… and should have more than that.
When asked about her performance post-meet, Hannah said, “It’s just amazing going out there to be able to have fun and also to perform that routine,” she said. “I feel like this year, this routine actually brought me out of my shell. I feel like every single year I’m getting better and better at performing. So it actually helps to have this routine.” —Karen Steger
Hardy’s 300 rushing yards vs. Mississippi State
Ahmad Hardy, who runs like a rocket-fueled 18-wheeler going downhill, might’ve been the best athlete I saw in my four years at Mizzou and might be the most talented MU running back of this century. Even though the Tigers were out of the College Football Playoff by the time they hosted Mississippi State, Hardy going for 300 yards was still incredible to watch. I just hope we can see him play again this season. —Quentin Corpuel
Gian Octa straight-set victory vs. no. 11 South Carolina
When Missouri faced one of the nation’s top teams, Gian Octa rose to the occasion with one of the biggest wins of her sophomore season. Competing against No. 11 South Carolina, Octa earned a commanding 6-3, 6-3 straight-set victory over Helena Buchwald, giving the Tigers their first point of the match and showcasing the steady baseline game that made her a reliable presence in the lineup. Her performance against a nationally ranked opponent highlighted the poise and consistency she brought to Missouri throughout the season. —Aaron Segal
Mark Mitchell’s double-double & buzzer beater vs. Oklahoma
Mizzou looked like it was headed for a bleak overtime loss to Oklahoma at home with only a few seconds remaining, a defeat that would have nearly put the team’s tournament hopes out of reach. The Tigers needed another miracle after Trent Pierce’s buzzer beater to force extra basketball, and I think a lot of folks were surprised when the ball found its way to Mark Mitchell, who for all his strengths is not known as a three-point shooter. But Mitchell made his way up the court to put up a contested shot and sent Mizzou Arena into a hysteria when he sunk the team’s second buzzer beater in the span of 15 minutes, this time to seal an 88-87 win. The shot also finished his day with 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading MU in both categories. Mitchell’s buzzer beater wasn’t the sole moment that saved Mizzou’s season, but it was one of the defining moments in the Tigers’ turnaround. —Matthew Gustafson
