You may not know their names off-hand, but without these performers and staff members, Mizzou’s teams would not have gotten to where they did
It’s awards season at Rock M Nation, and we’ve got a lot to celebrate from the 2023-24 school year. New hires, postseason highs, incredible individual and team performances… There’s a lot of good things going on in CoMo, and we intend to talk about it.
And because we always strive to do things a bit differently around here, we created our own award, the Rock M’my, two years ago. Consider it to be part Emmy, part Espy, and all parts love of Mizzou Athletics. (pronounced Rock Emmy)
I encouraged the staff to not just consider the major sports and the top dogs, but to dig below the surface and select worthy nominees from all the teams. Luckily, Rock M Nation represents a diverse group of writers with knowledge about a variety of Mizzou sports, so this wasn’t too much of an ask. With each nomination, you’ll also find a bit of backstory, so you, the fans, can make an informed decision, because at the end of each post, you’ll vote. Forget to cast your ballot one day? No big deal. I’ll provide links to the other awards from the preceding posts.
Once all the votes for each award have been tabulated, I’ll present a winners list, and that student-athlete will win our completely serious award that will undoubtedly be the greatest triumph of their lives thus far.
In case you missed the earlier vote, you have until Friday, July 25 at 11pm CST:
Let’s begin.
Teams don’t win because of the contribution of one star. After all, there are 24 individual routines in a gymnastics meets, six players on the volleyball court, five on Norm Stewart Court, and 11 on the field at Faurot during a game. Because there was a bit of confusion amongst my writers here, some of these nominations are for coaches, some for a players’ season-long performance, and some for a performance in one game. Regardless of how they were selected, these nominees were not the most famous faces, but should be remembered for what they did this season.
Here are the nominees for Best Performance in a Supporting Role:
Morgan Meador, Soccer
Kicking off the list is one player who received very few mentions this season. As a defender, there isn’t a lot to say about Meador’s performance from a day-to-day. But now at the end of the season, you can see the overall impact of her game.
Meador was one of only four players to start every game, leading the team with minutes at 1489. Not only did she play every game, but she only sat for a total of 41 minutes all YEAR. She was the backbone of the Mizzou defense all year, serving as a steadfast leader for a youthful back line. —Dylan Heinrich
Lacey Rubin, Balance Beam Coach
That four-inch wide apparatus was definitely the most improved event for the Tigers this year, and Amari Celestine said it best. “Our beam team last year was… yes it was something.”
Under Lacey’s leadership, the Tigers twice broke the program record this season, earning 49.575 scores on two occasions— at Arkansas and in NCAA Semis, finishing with their highest national ranking since 2021 when they finished 10th — while averaging a 49.254 rotation score and a 49.370 National Qualifying Score (NQS). Five times this season they scored a 49.400 or above, and twice hit 49.500-plus, including a whopping 49.500 in the national semis with six(!) judges on hand. Perhaps most awesome, the Tigers never counted a fall this season, and only once dipped below a 49.100 (redacted score at Denver).
Six Tigers earned (or tied) season high scores on beam this year, which also included three beam first-timers. As Amari reminded us throughout the season, she was the team’s ONLY returning beamer from last season (Hu & Lawrence were beamers in 2023). Three earned WCGA All-American honors— Olivia Kelly, Helen Hu and Addison Lawrence.
And then, of course, Lacey oversaw the development of “The Helenator,” Helen Hu, who earned three of four possible postseason beam titles, was awarded SEC Specialist of the Week a record-high five times, SEC Specialist of the Year, thrice earned perfect 10s, ranked second nationally on beam by season’s end, and was crowned the Tigers’ first national champion. —Karen Steger
Marcus Carroll, Football
You know what people won’t remember much of from the 2024 season? The play of Marcus Carroll, erstwhile backup Mizzou RB. “Backup” may be a bit unfair, but that’s how things trended as the year played out, with Nate Noel getting the majority of the snaps out of the backfield. But Carroll was an essential part of Mizzou’s offensive success in 2024, logging a 77.7 PFF grade for the season to go with 12 touchdowns. He was at his best in a snowy outing against Arkansas, finding pay dirt twice to help the Tigers reach 9 regular season wins. Maybe he wasn’t the potent runner the Tigers have had in Drinkwitz’s tenure, but he excelled in the role laid out for him. —Josh Matejka
Blake Craig, Football
The redshirt freshman kicker had a turbulent 2024 season, struggling mightily with consistency. But in the Music City Bowl against Iowa, Craig came up clutch. With the Tigers down three early in the fourth quarter, he smashed a 51-yard field goal, which broke a Music City Bowl record for longest field goal. That record didn’t stand for long, as he booted a 56-yarder on the next drive, a kick that’d prove to be the game-winner.
—Quentin Corpuel
Drake Heismeyer, Football
A back up offensive lineman might be the least sexy position on a college football team (OK, maybe third string walk-on punter might compete for that title) but few positions are more important when they are called upon to step up. Fifth-year senior Drake Heismeyer did just that for the Tigers in his swan song in Columbia.
After multi-year starting center Connor Tollison went down with an injury against Oklahoma, Heismeyer stepped in and the Mizzou offense didn’t miss a beat. In fact, it was after he entered the game that the Tigers began and completed their comeback against the Sooners. Even in their lone loss once Heismeyer took over the starting center role, Mizzou still had one of their best offensive games of the SEC schedule. They put up 381 yards, including 144 rushing yards, against a very dangerous South Carolina defense. Drake Heismeyer may not have been a star for Mizzou, but he certainly served as a key support for their 10-win campaign. —Nathan Hurst
Arielle Wilson, Volleyball Defensive Coordinator
Wilson played a key role in Mizzou Volleyball’s mid-season transformation as the Tigers reeled off nine straight wins over the span of a month, including a massive upset of top-10 Texas in Austin. The team quickly established itself on offense in 2025, becoming one of the nation’s top attacks, but took longer to find a defensive identity. That defense quickly rose up from the bottom of the SEC to become a formidable unit during the streak, an impressive feat considering the team’s height deficit at times up front. The blocking continued to improve, though, and proved crucial to another major upset in the NCAA Tournament against host SMU. Wilson’s role as defensive coordinator got her noticed by Central Michigan this offseason, and she is now set to lead the Chippewas into her first season as a head coach. —Matthew Gustafson