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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mizzou Gymnastics hosted an open intrasquad meet spread across two days. Uneven bars and vault took place on Friday, with balance beam and floor routines being held on Saturday. This was the first time head coach Shannon Welker has shown off his squad since their third-place finish at the national championships in April. He brought back 13 returners, headlined by Hannah Horton and Kaia Tanskanen, who competed in the World Championships for Finland in the middle of October. "I think they see the fun that we have here," said Welker. "Our goal when they're in their post-leotard years really is for them to look back and go, man, that was awesome. From a competitive experience to a cultural experience, those are the reasons why I think they really enjoy their experience." You can view the full press conference with coach Welker, as well as the athletes, in the video player above. The other seven spots on the Tigers' squad were filled out by vetran transfers like Dakota Essenpries and Sara Wabi, as well as big name recruits, like five-star Kimarra Echols. "The culture here is honestly so amazing," said Echols on her decision to attend Mizzou. "Stepping on this campus, everyone is so friendly, coming to the gym and watching the practice. Everyone was always so energetic." Following the historic 2025 gymnastics season, all home meets will be held inside Mizzou Arena, something coach Welker has been trying to get done since he first took the job 13 years ago. "We just had an opportunity last year, capitalizing on a lot of success last year, and then having an athletic director too, that really saw that potential, not only in our own team, but in the sport as well," said Welker. "I think it's a big signal to our team that, 'hey, the University of Missouri is willing to invest the resources to keep us competitive at the top" "Obviously, going into Mizzou Arena is going to be really exciting. So having more fans would be really fun," said returning junior Rayna Light. "When the energy's higher we feel it, and it's just more fun in general to compete." The 2026 home schedule is highlighted by meets against defending national champion Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, and the Mizzou Quad against Illinois, Air Force and Ball State. The season officially starts on January 4th in Mizzou Arena against Iowa State. Up Next - Mizzou Gymnastics will host the Black & Gold intrasquad meet on December 12th in Mizzou Arena.
