COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou gymnastics team added two members to its 2016 signing class, Head Coach Shannon Welker announced on Wednesday (Aug. 19). Britney Ward (Ozark, Mo.) and Xarria Lewis (Columbia, Mo.), will enroll at Mizzou for the fall semester and compete in black and gold starting the 2016 campaign.
The duo joins an eight-member freshman class of Allison Bower (Mesa, Ariz.), Madeleine Huber (St. Louis, Mo.), Brooke Kelly (Leeds, Ala.), Morgan Porter (Overland, Mo.), Michaelee Turner (Parkville, Mo.) and Storee Yzaguirre (Aubrey, Texas).
BRITNEY WARD
Hometown: Ozark, Mo.
Parents: Darrell and Debbie Ward
Club: Missouri Valley Gymnastics
Club Coach: Debbie Ward
Accolades
- Won the 2013 J.O. National Level 10 beam title
- Also placed seventh in the all-around at 2013 J.O. Nationals
- Finished second in the all-around at the 2014 Region IV Championships
- 2011 and 2012 Missouri State Championships all-around champion
- Four-time J.O. National qualifier
Coach Welker on Britney:
"We are very excited to have Britney joining us this season. She will immediately add to our winning culture and is someone who loves to compete."
Why Britney chose Mizzou:
"I chose Missouri because I love the atmosphere the school provides. The staff all have very positive attitudes and everyone is very welcoming. Whether you are walking around campus or at a football game, you can feel the pride everyone has to call themselves Tigers, and I want to be a part of that!"
XARRIA LEWIS
Hometown: Columbia, Mo.
Parents: Kendall and Suzanne Lewis
Club: Show-Me Gymnastics
Club Coach: Kathy Sanford
Accolades
- Claimed the 2015 Missouri Level 10 floor title
- Qualified for the 2015 Level 10 J.O. National Invitational Tournament
- Won both the vault and floor crowns at the 2014 Missouri Level 9 championships
- 2014 Level 9 Western qualifier
Coach Welker on Xarria:
"Xarria is quite an athlete and is pure power. We love the fact that we have a young woman from Columbia that can make our team better, and she definitely has the ability to do that."
Why Xarria chose Mizzou:
"It's always been my dream to compete at Mizzou from the first meet I attended when I was seven. Now I get to make that dream happen. I grew up here and nowhere else could really feel like home."
