Today marks the start of Missouri’s follow-up campaign after a historic 2025 season in which the Tigers not only qualified to the national final for the first time in program history, but also captured a third-place finish. Along the way, Missouri recorded three of the highest scores in program history and saw three different gymnasts earn perfect 10s on three separate events. While the Tigers lost key contributors in Jocelyn Moore and Amari Celestine, they open 2026 with their highest preseason ranking ever and return important pieces, including juniors Kennedy Griffin and Hannah Horton. An influx of transfers and injury returners adds further intrigue, and freshman Kimarra Echols—who impressed with a strong all-around showing at the team’s preseason intrasquad—appears poised to make an immediate impact.
Iowa State, meanwhile, begins a season with hopes of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Just outside the preseason rankings, the Cyclones enter 2026 with cautious optimism but significant rebuilding ahead. Gymnasts responsible for 10 postseason routines graduated last year, and head coach Ashley Miles Greig has overhauled her coaching staff. Immediate contributions from a seven-member freshman class will be crucial, while leadership shifts to junior Noelle Adams and sophomores Haylee Hardin and Frédérique Sgarbossa. All three earned spots on the preseason All–Big 12 team and qualified to regionals as individuals in 2025.
The meet streams live on SECN+ at 3 p.m. ET with commentary from Max Thoma and Missouri alumna Adalayna Hufendik-Schrimpf.
Welcome back to gymnastics! Missouri is the first SEC team to debut this season, and they have freshman Kimarra Echols and sophomore Kaia Tanskanen slated to debut in the all-around today. Iowa State also has an international sophomore scheduled to compete all-around for the first time in Frédérique Sgarbossa. The Cyclones are also unveiling a new leotard today: Radiance.
Rotation 1: Missouri VT, Iowa State UB
Griffin (Missouri): FTY with a medium hop. Good dynamics. 9.850
Schell (Iowa State): Piked Jaeger with some knees. Bail to handstand. Giant full to double tuck, stuck, but with flexed feet. 9.725
Tanskanen (Missouri): Front pike 1/2, bounce in place on the landing, but with a low chest. 9.775
Nock (Iowa State): Clear hip is very short of handstand. She falls on the Geinger. Resumes with the shootover, but goes to her knees on the double layout. Rough debut. 7.800
Jackson (Missouri): Yurchenko 1.5, small hop forward. Less distance than we’ll see from others. 9.875
Wills (Iowa State): Toe on to Maloney to Pak salto – she misses her hand and comes off. Double layout dismount with a bounce up in place. 9.050
Echols (Missouri): Does the Yurchenko full – great height and distance, medium hop back. 9.850
Thomas (Iowa State): Clear hip to Tkatchev and she falls. Resumes with Pak salto. Giant full to double back, underrotated and a big step forward. 8.800
Horton (Missouri): Yurchenko 1.5, medium step forward. Pin-straight body position and good dynamics. 9.875
Bochow (Iowa State): Jaeger is good. Bail to handstand. She has lovely toe point. Double layout with a medium step back to get them back on track. 9.725
Tisler (Missouri): Yurchenko 1.5 with a medium hop forward, a touch of pike in the air. 9.800
Sgarbossa (Iowa State): Clear hip to Pak salto. Van Leeuwen and dismounts with a floaty double layout, small step forward. 9.750
Essenpries (Missouri): Exhibitioning today. Yurchenko 1.5 with a big hop forward, but good form. 9.725
AFTER ONE: Missouri 49.175, Iowa State 47.050
Unfortunately, a very rough opening rotation for Iowa State, but Bochow and Sgarbossa were able to steady things at the end of the rotation. On vault they’ll just want to hit six routines to regain some confidence and momentum. Missouri showed clean vaulting with minimal mistakes – the landing errors look standard for week 1. Bars is one of the lineups that has seen the most change since last season, so they’ll want to keep up their momentum and show that it won’t be a weakness.
Rotation 2: Iowa State VT, Missouri UB
Schell (Iowa State): I missed this due to streaming issues, unfortunately. 9.650
Lawrence (Missouri): In instead of Tanskanen. I missed the first half thanks to streaming glitches. Finishes with a giant full to double back stuck. 9.9000
Wills (Iowa State): Yurnchenko full with a small hop, but significant piking in the air. 9.650
Macpherson (Missouri): Tkatchev. Toe on to bail handstand. Legs glued together throughout this routine. Full in dismount, stuck. She’s psyched and a little tearful. 9.875
Roberts (Iowa State): Yurchenko half-on front tuck off. Medium step forward and off-direction. 9.650
Light (Missouri): Maloney to Pak salto with leg separation on both skills. Overcooks her final handstand and comes off. Double layout and the coach is completely blocking our view, but looks like a good landing with a small step backwards. 9.250
Guinee (Iowa State): Yurchenko full with a lot of distance and a medium hop back. Good body position throughout. Per commentators she’s hoping to do a 1.5 later in the season. 9.775
Horton (Missouri): Shaposhnikova to Pak salto, legs glued and toes pointed throughout. Double layout with equally good form, and stuck. 9.925
Sgarbossa (Iowa State): Yurchenko full with good dynamics and a medium hop back. 9.725
Echols (Missouri): Bail to handstand. Markelov/Khorkina. Double layout with a small hop back. Excellent form and toe point throughout. 9.900
Hardin (Iowa State): Yurchenko half-on front pike off with a big hop forward. Nice height and distance.
Green (Missouri): Maloney to Pak salto with leg separation. Double layout is stuck. 9.850
Hammond (Iowa State): exhibition: Yurchenko full, small step back, but she was quite piked in the air. 9.575
Terry (Missouri): exhibition: Toe on to Geinger, leg separation on catch. Full-in dismount with a medium step forward and a low chest.
AFTER TWO: Missouri 98.650, Iowa State 95.575
Missouri showed its first break with Light’s fall, but won’t be worried since it was an aggressive mistake. The final three routines look especially impressive, and the Tigers will keep rolling and hope to stay calm on beam. Iowa State vaulted without significant errors, which should have them feeling better going into floor.
Rotation 3: Missouri BB, Iowa State FX
Wier (Missouri): Hitch kick to front aerial to bhs to loso, definitely not connected from aerial to the rest, which it seems like she intends. Straddle jump to straddle 1/2. Cartwheel Gainer full stuck. 9.900
Schell (Iowa State): Lady Gaga song to start. Rudi to loso, landed well. Switch side half to straddle jump. 1.5 twist to front layout is solid. 9.825
Macpherson (Missouri): Switch leap to split jump. Bhs bhs loso landed confidently. Standing Gainer loso, well done. 1.5 twist dismount is stuck, and she’s emotional again after her second great routine today. 9.900
Hammond (Iowa State): Big hop back and then a step on the double pike, looks like she stayed in bounds though. Switch side half to straddle jump. 1.5 twist to front layout, no issues. She does a second leap series that looked good. 9.475
Tanskanen (Missouri): Bhs loso and she’s crooked and immediately off. Beat jump to straddle 1/2. Beat jump to front toss, big leg up wobble. 1.5 twist dismount with one small step forward. 9.000
Sgarbossa (Iowa State): Roundoff directly to double back, solid landing. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump, appears to be the leap series of choice for the Cyclones. Does a wolf turn that goes….almost 2.5 times around, but I think she’s aiming for a double. Front layout to front full, second element a bit underrotated. 9.725
Jackson (Missouri): Front aerial to bhs is smooth. Switch leap to switch 1/2 to beat jump, good split positions. Gainer pike dismount wiht a medium step forward. 9.875
Guinee (Iowa State): Roundoff directly to full-in but lands on her knees. Switch half to wolf full to wolf full. Front layout to front full, solid landing. Per commentators she’s hoping to do a double layout mount later in the season. 9.025
Echols (Missouri): A bit unsteady coming out of her full turn. Bhs bhs loso and she falls. Wobbles a bit on choreography, showing nerves now. Beat jump to split ring jump. Double full dismount with a small hop back. 9.150
Adams (Iowa State): Michael Jackson routine. Double back with a controlled step back. Switch leap full to split leap full and a third element that I missed. Front layout to what looks like it was meant to be a Rudi, but she doesn’t get the height and rotation and puts a knee down. 8.925
Lawrence (Missouri): Side aerial to bhs, very solid. Split jump to split 3/4. 1.5 dismount stuck cold. 9.950
Hardin (Iowa State): Huge double pike with a step/slide back. 1.5 twist to front layout with great body position. Switch leap full to Popa. Double back with a great landing. 9.900
Kelly (Missouri): exhibition: Front aerial to bhs and a tiny bit off on the landing but doesn’t wobble. Switch leap to split jump, second element looked under split. Side aerial and she has to turn her shoulders to the side to keep her balance. Double wolf turn. Stuck 1.5 twist dismount.
AFTER THREE: Missouri 147.400, Iowa State 143.550
Missouri’s first real hiccup in this rotation, having to count a fall on beam. Their veterans kept things on track, however, and Echols’ routine will score very well when hit. They’ll be in good spirits as they move to floor, which should be a great event for them again this year. Iowa State underperformed on floor, counting a fall and a sub-9.500 score, and now they have to face beam.
Rotation 4: Iowa State BB, Missouri FX
Hardin (Iowa State): Bhs loso, a tiny wobble on landing. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Punch front landed great. Wobbles on the full turn and on the step after. Bhs to 1.5 twist with a small hop forward. 9.700
Tisler (Missouri): Fhs front layout to Rudi. Switch full to Popa. 1.5 twist to front layout with good body position. 9.900
O’Brochta (Iowa State): Bhs loso, no issues. Front aerial. Split 1/2 to split 1/2 transverse and both skills under split. Bhs Gainer full, medium hop back. 9.700
Acevedo (Missouri): Gymnast competing in glasses alert! Big double pike, a bit underrotated with a step forward. 1.5 twist to front layout is good. Switch leap 1/2 to wolf full. Double back with a solid landing. She’s getting a big cheer from the crowd. 9.900
Hammond (Iowa State): Bhs loso, landed easily. Beat jump to straddle half to Korbut, guess we can call that the Ragan Smith legacy/tribute. Standing Gainer loso has her off the beam. Gainer full and holds onto the landing. 9.200
Tanskanen (Missouri): She takes off her crown and sets it down before mounting the floor. Full-in with a controlled step back. Hamilton themed routine. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump. 1.5 twist to front full with a bigger step forward. 9.900
Weldon (Iowa State): Bhs loso with a wobble. Wobbles on the full turn. Front aerial is clean. Split jump to split ring jump. Gainer full is stuck with a lower chest. Nervy debut, but a lot of potential. 9.400
Horton (Missouri): Double layout floats and looks easy. Switch wolf full to switch side half. Front pike through to double tuck, great landing. 9.925
Sgarbossa (Iowa State): Wolf turn. Side aerial to bhs, huge wobble with a turn to the side and leg up, but pulls it back on. Switch leap to straddle jump with another significant wobble, but again rights herself. Cat leap to side somi, no problem. 1.5 twist dismount with a small step back. 9.350
Echols (Missouri): Full-in is underrotated with a low chest and step forward. Front tuck through to high double back and she bounces up and forward on the landing. Switch ring to switch full is good. This will be another blockbuster floor routine for Missouri when she finds the landings. 9.750
Adams (Iowa State): Cat leap to front aerial, wobbles with a leg up. Steps back to repeat so she can do the bhs for connection credit. Switch leap to switch leap, smooth. Side aerial to split jump. Cartwheel Gainer full is stuck. 9.650
Griffin (Missouri): Flipping her ponytail and showing sass as she walks on. Double pike is landed well. Front tuck through to double back, she’s short and hops forward. Switch full to Popa to Popa. 9.875
Guinee (Iowa State): exhibition: Bhs loso, no problem. Beat jump to loso. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Bhs 1.5 twist dismount is stuck. They’ll wish she was in the lineup today!
Terry (Missouri): exhibition: Front double full looks fully rotated. Switch side to wolf full. Front layout to Rudi with pike in the second skill.
FINAL: Missouri 196.850, Iowa State 191.350
Ouch. This one hurts for Iowa State, especially given the new NQS rules. The team has plenty of room for improvement, but such a low score could really drag them down throughout the season. A lot of the Cyclones’ mistakes today looked like nerves and shaking off early-season rust, but they’ll want to come back much stronger immediately next week. Missouri had a strong debut, with its freshmen and transfers proving as impactful as hoped. They showed that their success last season wasn’t a fluke, with floor especially making a strong statement. They also had strong exhibition routines on every event, so the next few weeks may see them tinkering with lineups to find their ultimate top six everywhere.
VT: Railey Jackson, Hannah Horton, 9.875
UB: Hannah Horton, 9.925
BB: Addison Lawrence, 9.950
FX: Hannah Horton, 9.925
AA: Kimarra Echols, 38.650
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Live blog by Diana Scroggins
