COLUMBIA, MO. – Teams from across Mizzou Athletics gathered Monday night at Mizzou Arena for the annual ROARS Awards to celebrate the highlight moments, teams and people that defined the 2024-25 year in sports at Mizzou.
Nominations were submitted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Mizzou Made and Mizzou Athletics Administration with voting open to all student-athletes and athletic staff members. The voting for the athletics awards concluded the first week of April. Any achievements that took place after the cut-off date will be considered for the 2026 ROARS Awards.
Here's a rundown of the night's award winners:
Dr. Judy Wells Academic Achievement Award (Given to two student-athletes for their exemplary dedication and achievement through the Mizzou Made Program): Claudina Diaz, Track and Field; Cam Steed, Wrestling
Cheer Member of the Year Award (Academics, community involvement and Cheer Squad performance were all considered): Jenna Wallace
Heather Morris Courage Award (Honors Heather Morris, an employee of the Mizzou Made Program who lost a courageous fight with breast cancer and honors a student-athlete who has demonstrates heart and perseverance in the face of adversity): Keegan O'Toole, Wrestling
Golden Girl of the Year Award (Academics, community involvement, and Golden Girl performance were all considered): Ella Phillips
Community Hero Award (Given to two student-athletes who display a strong commitment to serving the community): Jenna McCormick, Soccer; Kristian Williams, Football
Letterwinners Club Award (Given to two student-athletes chosen by the Letterwinners Club who have contributed to their team and the community while remaining dedicated to the student-athlete experience): Sierra Smith, Will Whittington, Swimming and Diving
For the Love of the Game Award (Given to two student-athletes who work hard, compete and make a significant contribution to their team for no other reason than the love of their sport): Tamar Bates, Men's Basketball; Irene Garcia, Women's Golf
Newcomer of the Year Award (Given to two first-year student-athletes, freshmen or transfers, who made the greatest impact on their respective team's season): Mychael Vernon, Volleyball; Jonathan Seremes, Track & Field
Coach of the Year (Given to the head coach who led their team to high level of success and developed strong student-athletes in multiple areas): Shannon Welker, Gymnastics
Highlight of the Year Award (Given to the student-athlete who delivered a clutch play, game-changing moment or outstanding performance): Laurin Krings, Softball, NCAA Regional performance
Team Performance of the Year (Given to two teams to honor their athletic performance for the entire season): Volleyball; Men's Basketball
Director of Athletics Leadership Award (Given to one student-athlete who best represents the proud Mizzou tradition of scholarship, leadership, community service and ethics. Five finalists were interviewed by a panel with the winner receiving a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship): Noah Surtin, Wrestling
Norris Stevenson Athlete of the Year Award (Given to the male student-athlete who consistently performed at a high level and led his team to success): Brady Cook, Football
Debbie Walker Athlete of the Year Award (Given to the female student-athlete who consistently performed at a high level and led her team to success): Amari Celestine, Gymnastics
Tiger Cup (Given to one team based on a ranking of six categories: Academic Achievement, Community Service, Athletic Success, Athletes Supporting Athletes, Career Development and Miscellaneous Events): Women's Swimming and Diving
In addition, student-athletes were recognized who have devoted 100, 200 and 300 hours to community service over the last year:
100 Hours
Nicole Louw, Women's Track and Field
William Whittington, Men's Swim and Dive
Nate Pulliam, Wrestling
Morgan Schaefer, Soccer
Seth Nitzel, Wrestling
Ashlyn Mills, Soccer
Kyra Burns, Gymnastics
200 Hours
Skylar Ciccolini: Women's Track and Field
300 Hours
Sierra Smith, Women's Swimming and Diving
Jenna McCormick, Soccer