Hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s been a crazy semester, and now that we are in a good spot where fall sports are all but wrapped up and winter sports are starting to get into full swing, it’s
time for a check in.
If you’re new here, WELCOME to “Olympic Sports Catch Up!” As the Olympic sports manager at this beautiful little website, I lead a team of talented and passionate writers who have a special interest in non-revenue Olympic sports at Missouri (I despise the phrase “non-revenue”).
I’ve broken down each of the sports below and will be sharing fun/relevant info, social posts, any writing our talented crew has done, and links to other stories from outside of Rock M if I find ‘em.
Enjoy!
Baseball
- Mizzou Baseball releases 2026 schedule by Henry Chappell
The Tigers will take on one College World Series team, two regional champions, the reigning SEC champions and 11 NCAA Regional qualifiers. In-state matchups certainly weren’t neglected either as Lindenwood, SEMO, and Missouri State are all on tap for Missouri to clash.
The class includes 11 high school signees and three JUCO transfers, with half of the prospects from the Show Me State.
“I’m very excited about this group of talented young men,” Jackson said. “Not only are they quality players, but they are quality individuals that truly embody our program’s core values and competitive mindset. With each class, we continue to build a roster that will allow us to be competitive in the best conference in the country, now and for years to come.”
Basketball- Women’s
- Shannon Dowell is the perfect running mate for Mizzou women’s basketball sidebar by Dylan Heinrich
Jordan and Pippen. Shaq and Kobe. Sabrina and Stewie. Basketball is a game that thrives on great duos, usually that bring varying skill sets to the table. It’s been quite some time since Mizzou women’s basketball has had an elite duo. The last time the Tigers had two players average 15-plus points was the 2021-22 season with Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank. But for the first time in over a decade, Mizzou has two players averaging 18-plus points with Grace Slaughter and Shannon Dowell. Even during the Sophie Cunningham years it was a one-woman show with some supplemental pieces.
- Dowell’s last-second layup lifts Mizzou women’s basketball to dramatic win over Cal by Quentin Corpuel
Do you believe in ghosts? Because Mizzou women’s basketball sure does.
With 6.2 seconds left and the Tigers trailing by one, Shannon Dowell threw an inbounds pass from the sideline to Jayla Smith, who handed the ball back to Dowell. She dribbled toward the top of the key, where Grace Slaughter set a ghost screen on Mjracle Sheppard, who was guarding Dowell. Sheppard thought Gisella Maul, who was guarding Slaughter, would switch onto Dowell.
Maul never did. She’d fallen for the ghost of Slaughter.
Instead, with a suddenly wide-open lane in front of her, Dowell beelined for the basket and converted a go-ahead layup with 1.7 seconds left.
“I was just so relieved,” Dowell said. “It’s one of those shots that’s just so wide open that you’ve really got to focus even more to make it.”
- Hoopin’ and Hollerin: Tigers back in CoMo for pair of games by Dylan Heinrich— Read Dylan’s preview of the Tigers’ matchups of the week with the Cal Golden Bears in the ACC-SEC Challenge and a regional matchup with SIUE.
- This was published in early November by the Columbia Tribune’s Calum McAndrew, but it’s such a good read if you haven’t checked it out already— ‘I wasn’t done.’ Inside Missouri coach Kellie Harper’s year away, happy return to sideline. This excerpt below showcases her thoughts on how her 364 days away from the game and the multifaceted puzzle that is collegiate coaching.
While Harper watched her former peers try to solve the puzzle — try frantically to win in an unforgiving business — it hit her.
“I was taken aback by how their joy was attached to the results,” Harper told the Tribune. “And I know I was that way for 20 years. We’re so competitive, and we want to win so bad that sometimes you do lose sight of the big picture. I said it last year. I said, ‘Man, if I do this again, I’m not going to be one of those people. I’m not going to be somebody that is miserable day to day, regardless of the situation.’”
- Enjoy this gallery of photos by Hannah Henderson from the Cal win.
- UP NEXT: The Tigers will take on SIUE on Sunday at 2pm at Mizzou Arena. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. Grace Slaughter will be honored pre-game for her 1,000th career point, which she score in the win over Northwestern.
Cross Country
- The Tigers Race Their Last Hurrah at the NCAA Championship by Sophie Silvers (Nov. 22)
Freshman Monica Wanjiku of Kenya became the second freshman to earn All-American Honors for Missouri and led the Tigers, placing 35th with a time of 19:17.4.
“I wanted just to get All-American and its a dream come true in my first nationals,” Wanjiku said. “I feel so great, I’m so happy for the team and this what I expected. I knew it was going to be hard but at least now I have experience for the next one.”
- Per MUTigers.com, former Tiger standout Karissa Schweizer has earned a spot on Team USA for the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships after finishing fourth in the 10K at the 2025 USATF Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Portland, Oregon.
One of the most accomplished athletes in program history, Schweizer is a six-time NCAA Champion, 10-time All-American and five-time SEC Champion. She captured the 2018 Honda Sport Award for Cross Country and graduated holding multiple school records across indoor, outdoor and cross country competition.
Gymnastics
- A Second Look: Mizzou Gym intrasquad by me (Nov. 26)
When you’ve got a team coming off such an immensely successful season, I wondered how you keep the team from getting too focused on that end result and stay in the present.
“Good question,” Shannon said. “We have to make sure that we’re focused on the process. I think we talk about it all the time, and that’s something we hammer home with our own team… the scores and the outcomes, those will take care of themselves. If you’re doing a good job day to day and making sure that you’re doing all those things that got you to the point in the first place. I think we just have to keep going back to that and those things. And that doesn’t mean that it’s not challenging, but we do try and stay focused on those from day to day, and that’ll help get us where we need to go.”
- The Art of the Leo by me (Dec. 3)
So what makes a good leotard? I know what I like personally, but they’re not exactly reaching out to me to ask for my non-expert opinion. And, of course, it’s not about me. [scoffs] It’s about the athletes.
“I want the team to feel great in it,” Whitney said. “It’s a balance of school pride while also keeping them feminine and soft. I never want them to be uncomfortable… they can’t focus when they’re not comfortable. And so, when we design leos, if we can put a belt somewhere to make them feel slimmer or cleaner or whatever, I am happy to do that.”
- College Gym News 2026 Preseason Poll: How Our Editors Ranked Their Top 36— CGN conducted its annual poll of its contributors on their top 36. Here’s how the Tigers stacked up: 10th (6th in SEC), 8th (5th in SEC), 9th (6th in SEC), 9th (6th in SEC), 6th (4th in SEC), 9th (7th in SEC), 10th (7th in SEC), 6th (4th in SEC), 7th (4th in SEC), 7th (4th in SEC), 3rd (3rd in SEC), 11th (8th in SEC— this is crazy, Tara), 10th (7th in SEC), 6th (4th in SEC), 8th (5th in SEC)
- Shout out to contributors Julianna, Sophie, Sara, Brandis for your top 6 national rankings!
- In compiling all the rankings together, Missouri finished 8th with 436 points, behind fellow SEC teams, OU (1st), LSU (2nd), Florida (3rd), & Alabama (7th).
- And finally, in another CGN piece— CGN Roundtable: Thoughts on Our 2026 Preseason Poll — they conducted a roundtable in which they picked teams they may have overrated/underrated, who could surprise them, and how their projections may compare to the eventual Road to Nationals standings. I’ve compiled any time Mizzou was mentioned…. you’re welcome.
Sara: I went with LSU, Oklahoma, Missouri, and UCLA [in the national final]. Each of these teams is very successful, with LSU and Oklahoma already winning national championship titles. Missouri ended in third place last season, and I believe that will happen again due to depth on the other rosters. UCLA was able to make it to the final four and ended in second, but I do think with LSU and Oklahoma’s past success, that will be hard to beat, especially with Missouri bringing in two five-star recruits.
Elizabeth: I stuck with the 2025 nationals teams with one exception in swapping Arkansas in for Missouri. The Tigers lost quite a lot of star power due to graduation, and while it still has a strong roster, I think the Razorbacks’ additions put it a smidge ahead. It’ll likely come down to the regionals draw and which teams have an easier road to Fort Worth.
Sarah: I included Utah, Michigan State, Missouri, and Alabama in my top eight. While Utah cannot ever truly be counted out of national title contention, one team had to go in the No. 5 slot, and the Red Rocks were my choice here due to the loss of several consistently high-scoring routines in each lineup. I have Michigan State and Alabama retaining their final rankings from last year, as both teams’ most impactful lineups (vault and floor, respectively) will presumably look relatively similar this season. I have Missouri finishing just outside of the national final, largely due to the fact that the Tigers are losing many integral routines. However, I think that the incoming freshmen and transfers – coupled with increased contributions from returning gymnasts like Kaia Tanskanen – will keep Missouri in the running to make nationals.
Alyssa: I have Utah, Michigan State, Missouri, and Alabama making nationals, but not the final four. So to word it another way, I project the top eight teams to be the same eight teams as last year, just in a different order. I feel like even with roster changes, these teams will come out of their respective regionals.
Sophie: I really struggled with these spots, but settled on Michigan State, Missouri, UCLA, and Alabama. Michigan State and Missouri both had record finishes in 2025, and I see that success continuing for them both in 2026. UCLA has a great freshman class, and Alabama has strong returners that know how to hit when it counts.
Mariah: This was a tough group for me to decide on but I ended up with UCLA, Alabama, Michigan State, and Missouri rounding out the nationals field with Kentucky just on the outside. A lot of these teams have lost a decent amount of routines from last year, but I think the replacements are there.
- OF COURSE we are most excited to see freshman five star Kimarra Echols!
- UP NEXT: Black & Gold intrasquad on Friday, December 12 at 6pm at Mizzou Arena
Swimming & Diving
- Fast Water, Faster Times Await at Mizzou Invite by Karen Steger (Nov. 20)
Though perhaps unconventional, the team will be focusing on NCAAs, and I get the approach. This conference is insanely good; we’re talking long course American and World Record holders competing in the SEC. If they officially recognized short course world records, there’d be some title holders here, right in the water next to them.
“We’d love to win [SECs], but we’re just not in that position right now. So right now, let’s acknowledge where we’re at and maximize what we can do as a program,” Grevers said.
That focus became clear. “NCAAs is the mark.”
- Per MU Tigers, the Tigers took the overall team titles at the Mizzou Invite. Here’s some notable results:
- Individual winners included double event winners Luke Nebrich (50, 100 free) and Libby Bakker (100, 200 back),
- NCAA Q times were attained by Nebrich in both sprint frees, Zara Zallen (100 free, 100 br), Matthew Mortenson & Piper McNeil (400 IM), Paige Striley (100 fly), Brady Johnson Logan Ottke & Lina Bank (100 br), Jan Zubik (100 back), and in several relays (men’s 200 & 400 free relay, women’s 200 free relay)
- Several school records were broken as well at the invite, including Nebrich in the 50 free, whose 18.75 leadoff leg in the 200 Free Relay broke Michael Chadwich’s 2017 school record, the 200 Free Relay of Darden Tate, Nebrich, Ethan Vance and Francois Malherbe, and Matthew Mortenson in the 400 IM.
- Diving had a three-day long podium sweep, with first – third place wins in the 1m, 3m and platform. Collier Dyer’s first place finish in the 1m was the second highest 1m score in school history (422.05).
- NEXT UP: Select divers will be traveling to Midland, Texas for the USA Winter Nationals Dec. 10-16.
Track & Field
- The Countdown to Track and Field Season has Begun: meet the team and see the schedule by Sophie Silvers (Dec. 5)
Missouri’s track and field has unveiled its 2026 schedule, featuring five indoor meets at our very own Columbia, Mo. Hearnes indoor facility to open up the season in January. Following that, there will be a full slate of three more indoor meets with postseason competition to end it off. Soon after, the outdoor meets will start as the Tigers will start at an invitational and progress into SEC and NCAA postseason events, finishing at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in June.
TJ Harris, Missouri’s newly hired assistant coach, joins the Tigers after spending the past four seasons at San José State, where he served as the associate head coach and coordinated the Spartans’ field events. During his time, he oversaw the development of multiple conference champions and guided the program’s growth across the jumping sections. Harris will take on responsibilities as Missouri’s horizontal and high jumps coach, bringing a strong track record of athlete development and a deep background in field events to the Tigers’ staff.
Volleyball
- Mizzou volleyball missed the NCAA Tournament: Here’s Why by Dylan Heinrich (Dec. 4)
While the committee looks at a team’s entire resume, they heavily focus on how a team finishes the season. This was a struggle for Mizzou, as the Tigers got hot in October before suffering some uncharacteristic losses down the stretch. During November the team lost to Vanderbilt, Alabama and Ole Miss, who are all ranked as No. 75 or lower in the RPI.
These losses against inferior opponents were especially frustrating given that the Tigers beat Tennessee and Mississippi State, who were both ranked higher in the SEC; the Lady Vols were ranked in the top 25 of the RPI. Like I mentioned earlier, the Tigers avoided such losses during October when they rattled off seven consecutive wins, including beating Ole Miss in the regular season before losing the rematch in the team’s first game of the conference tournament.
Wrestling
- Tiger Style Wrestling Goes 1-1 at the Hustle in the Heartland Invite by Colin Simmons (Dec. 6)
Mizzou went 1-1, shutting out the Sharks and then struggling against Nebraska. The Tigers now sit at 6-5 in duals on the season. No. 17 Evan Bates (197lbs) secured Mizzou its only victory by fall against the Sharks. He made quick work of unranked John Dusza, pinning him in 18 seconds.
Sinclair continues to perform against high-ranked opponents, defeating No. 7 Silas Allred of Nebraska this time around. Going up to Bates’ territory, he had the biggest upset for Mizzou, taking down No. 10 Camden McDanel after securing the lone takedown of the bout in the second period.
Wrestler Spotlight: Josh Edmond— 149 lbs has been a hard weight class to gauge this season because Edmond hasn’t shown the greatness that he was expected coming into the season. He was once ranked No. 6 at 149lbs but has fallen to No. 14. The redshirt senior has a 9-2 record this season with one loss coming against unranked Ryder Block (Iowa) and another to No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan).
In this edition against Illinois, the dual came down to the heavyweights after great efforts from the 184lbs and 197lbs classes for Mizzou. The Tigers ultimately fell 21-17, but plenty of positives were taken away from several weight classes.
Notable wins included no. 25 Mack Mauger over no. 22 Spencer Moore (5-2) and no. 17 Evan Bates over UR Cade Lautt (14-6 MD)
- UP NEXT: Cougar Clash in Edwardsville, Ill. on Sunday, Dec. 7
Majority Rules
MAJORITY RULES IS BACK with another episode. In Episode 2, the MR team reflects on personal experiences over Thanksgiving, highlight key performances from Mizzou athletes, and analyze the challenges faced by different teams throughout the season. The crew emphasizes the growth and potential of Mizzou’s athletic programs, particularly under the leadership of Coach Kellie Harper in women’s basketball. MIZ!
