An Open Letter To Mizzou Gymnastics Fans
Shannon Welker, Mizzou Gymnastics Head Coach
1/4/2024
Mizzou Gymnastics Fans,
We are so excited to get the 2024 season kicked off on Saturday, January 6th! After a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Regional Finals and our first winning season in SEC competition, we are excited to continue building Mizzou Gymnastics into an elite program. With a solid freshman class, along with multiple All-SEC and All-Americans returners, we project another exciting year for Tiger Gymnastics Nation!
At the end of the 2023 season, we took some time to evaluate how we can continue to grow into an even more competitive program. We have to look into preparation and detail — how do we adjust our training methods and what are those little things that can give us an edge? As a team and coaching staff, we discussed the things we wanted to improve and how we can make those adjustments.
From those meetings, here are the four goals for the 2024 season.
- Stick more landings
- Have better depth
- Establish ourselves in the rankings sooner
- Make it to the NCAA Championships this April!
Our fans can expect a group of women that have belief in each other and love of Mizzou Gymnastics. We are committed to the mission of being the best team possible every year and this one is no different. From a gymnastics standpoint, here is an insight into each event.
Our vault just might be our most improved event this season. We have added a lot of talent here with three freshmen and JJ Jachna (back from a freshman-year injury) that should see time in the lineup. Jocelyn, Amari, Hannah and JJ will have 10.0 vaults and possibly more by mid-season. This is an event we finished out strong last year, but we want to make this an early season strength in 2024 and believe we have the talent to make it happen.
For bars, our team has been very solid in our preparation. Coach Whitney Snowden and this crew attacked handstands and sticks early in the preparation phase. We will certainly miss seeing the beautiful lines of Helen Hu and Alisa Sheremeta here, but be assured we have some returners that have made noticeable improvements and are ready to step into bigger roles. Additionally, Amaya Marshall is back from a foot injury last season and will be a big contributor for us here. Lastly, we brought in two-time WCGA All-American transfer Mara Titarsolej (who might just be the prettiest bar swinger in the country) and we expect her to be one of the best in the nation on the apparatus this season.
From the beginning of pre-season to now, we have made solid progress in our execution and consistency on beam. We bring back some experienced and impressive returners in Sienna, Grace Anne and Sydney from the 2023 squad, and Amaya will be back in the mix. There will be some new faces on beam this year working with coach Lacey Rubin, and expect to see Mara, Amari, Kennedy, Rayna and others competing to make lineups on this event.
Floor has been a strong and consistent event for us the last few years, and we anticipate nothing less this year as we bring back so many great routines. Our freshman class will definitely make its mark on this event in 2024. Coach Jackie Terpak has done an impressive job on our choreography and presentation, so look for improvement in this area. We have multiple routines with ‘E’ level passes and have increased our skill level to match the improved dance. Expect to see Amari and Jocelyn be leaders on this event!
Our fans can expect a group of women that have belief in each other and love of Mizzou Gymnastics. We are committed to the mission of being the best team possible every year and this one is no different.Shannon Welker
Overall, we are pleased with the progress of our team. We feel we are physically and mentally strong and ready to represent the Mizzou Gymnastics tradition! Our success has been largely due to the unity and hard work of our Tiger gymnasts. The strides every one of our student-athletes have made in this offseason ensures that this program thrives not just this season, but for years to come.
As we continue to build Mizzou Gymnastics into one of the premier teams in the world of college gymnastics, we hope to have the support of our community in Columbia, the mid-Missouri region and the entire Show-Me State. This season, we have four home meets at Hearnes Center in addition to our ‘Mizzou to the Lou’ meet at Family Arena in St. Charles on Feb. 16. Your support is so impactful in fueling our team in the present and building our team of the future. Make sure to show out loud and proud in 2024 as we continue our growth!
M-I-Z,
Coach Welker
