These newbies made quite the name for themselves on the playing field this year!
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 over the next few weeks, 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.
Voting closes Friday, January 25 at 11pm CST.
Let’s begin.
What a year! Mizzou Athletics welcomed in a ton of new talent in the pool, on the court, on the field… everywhere, through high school recruiting and through the transfer portal. The Rock M staff was encouraged to make selections from an innumerable number of possibilities and came up with a list of three freshmen and four transfers from seven different sports who led their teams, won awards and in some cases, won championships. Yes, we definitely left out some worthy candidates. Gymnastics could easily have had three other nominees, for instance. Best of luck! This is a hard one…
Here are the nominees for Newcomer of the Year:
Olivia Kelly, Gymnastics
After a preseason scooter accident slowed the initial progress of the highly recruited Bronx, NY freshman, Olivia Kelly came on strong as the season progressed, finding herself as a mainstay in the bars and beam lineups and able to help the Tigers at pivotal moments with beautiful, unique routines that secured them their program high score, third place in the national finals, and an undefeated home record, among other accolades.
On the team’s no. 4 ranked bars squad, Liv shined, earning just one score under 9.80 in seven meets while scoring a 9.90 on the road at Arkansas, a 9.925 in the Washington Regional, and a 9.8875 that earned her Second Team All-American honors in the National Semis.
On beam, she scored just one routine lower than 9.8125 (a 9.700 v. UGA), and by season’s end had amassed four 9.90s, a 9.8875 and two 9.875s. Liv’s 9.90 in the Washington Regional helped propel Mizzou to the Regional Final, and her 9.8875 in the National Semifinal not only earned her Second Team All-American honors, but it also helped secure the Tigers a spot at the program’s Four on the Floor.
I will say, this honestly could have been any number of freshmen or transfers on the Tiger roster this year, as freshmen Railey Jackson and Kaia Tanskanen, along with transfers Abby Mueller, Amy Wier, and Elise Tisler were also big contributors to the team’s success but I ultimately went with Liv for her multiple All-American performances, something you don’t see from many freshies. —Karen Steger
Mark Mitchell, Men’s Hoops
The highly touted transfer from Duke was the headline of a star-studded transfer portal class for the Mizzou Basketball program that returned to the NCAA Tournament after a winless conference season in 2023-24. Mitchell averaged 13.9 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game — landing him on Second Team All-SEC honors. The highlight was perhaps his performance against no. 4 Alabama, when he scored a career-high 31 points on 11-15 shooting after earlier in the week dropping 25 points on 6-12 shooting against Oklahoma. Returning for his senior year, the Kansas City, Kansas native is primed to have another big campaign this upcoming season. — Sammy Stava
Jonathan Seremes, Track & Field
While each nominee earned their stripes this year, only one newcomer became a National Champion. Not voting for freshman Jonathan Seremes, the reigning SEC and NCAA Indoor Triple Jump Champion and Mizzou record holder is like ordering a salad at a Kansas City BBQ joint; it’s technically allowed, but it’s missing the point.
Seremes’ season exemplified perfect progress. He broke his own school record three times and won four of four meets. Seremes became the first man in Mizzou track and field program history to receive votes for the prestigious Bowerman Watch List, the Heisman equivalent in track and field.
Seremes is a world-class competitor; his non-collegiate June 20, 17.08m jump in Paris ranks 14th in the world this year. While school’s not back in session ‘til August, Seremes’ international season is far from over.
The irony of this nomination is that, Seremes himself may not care too much about this award because he and his coach remain committed to the process and progress over the accolades. So, in honor of Seremes’ perspective, consider this award a recognition of his records and awards, but, more importantly, a reflection of his humility and work ethic.
—Abigail Klapatauskas
Mychael Vernon, Volleyball
Mychael Vernon entered this season with high expectations after an excellent career at Oregon State, and the Tigers hoped she could be the missing piece to a promising offense. She surpassed all expectations, finishing third in the SEC with 504 kills and recording 4.27 kills per set, second-best in program history. Vernon was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year, AVCA Central Region Player of the Year, and an AVCA Third Team All-American. The grad transfer helped the Tigers reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2017 and is now playing professionally with Akademia Sant’Anna Messina in Italy’s Serie A2. —Matthew Gustafson
Laniah Randle, Women’s Hoops
For a season that had few bright spots, the addition of Laniah Randle to the roster was a massive plus. The transfer from Southern Illinois was widely considered the best defender on the team, finishing the season first on the team with 55 steals and second with 14 blocks. That wasn’t the only way Randle stuffed the stat sheet, finishing tied second in PPG with 11.6 and first in rebounding at 6.2.
She was integral to many of the team’s wins, including a steal in the game against Mississippi State that allowed Grace Slaughter to score the game-winning bucket. Randle had a key moment in the Arkansas win, breaking the tie with a steal-and-score with two seconds remaining, halting a 12-game losing streak to the Pigs. She scored 20+ points on four separate occasions and finished the season with six double-doubles. —Dylan Heinrich
Trent Mierl, Men’s Golf
It’s not often a freshman walks onto the green and commands the attention of the SEC, but that’s just what Trent Mierl did. And boy, did he come out swinging. In his collegiate debut, Mierl was on the podium, earning a third-place finish. The newcomer added an extra flare to the team, helping secure victory at the Tiger Intercollegiate and the squad reach new heights not seen in years. Individually, Mierl set a career high nine-under score in late March and also earned SEC Freshman of the Week accolades twice. His dominance didn’t stop there. Overall, he recorded three top ten finishes. The golfer also earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors, making him the second Tiger since Mizzou joined the SEC in 2012 to record the accolade. Additionally, he is the first Tiger (since joining the SEC) to lead the team in stroke average (72.39). Buckle up, folks, Mierl and the Tigers have a lot to show these next three years. — Rory Whetstone
Corey Flagg, Jr., Football
Eli Drinkwitz wanted — no, needed — some veteran leadership if he wanted to capitalize on the momentum of Mizzou’s Cotton-Bowl-winning season. As we’ve come to expect from his staff, they sought at least some of it in the transfer portal. And in the elder Flagg, they got exactly what they were looking for. After playing rotational snaps for the majority of the season, Flagg started the last seven games of the year. He ended up leading the team in tackles with 81, while adding an interception, a QB pressure, 4.5 tackles for loss and an unquantifiable amount of big-game experience. —Josh Matejka