COLUMBIA, MO – What does it take to stop a cyclone?

In Missouri, it’s the wrath of a gymnast.

The Missouri Tigers hosted the Iowa State Cyclones in a dual meet on Sunday afternoon, the first matchup of a daunting 2026 schedule.

Coming off of a third place finish at the 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, the Tigers were expected to impress.

The result? A near six-point victory over Iowa State, a cosmic margin of victory in collegiate gymnastics.

Their final tally of 196.850 compared to their opponent’s 191.325 represents one of the largest statistical victories in modern gymnastics competition.

In the 2016 men’s national championship, the Oklahoma Sooners bested their second place competition by over 10 points, the largest margin of victory under the NCAA’s current scoring system.

In a January 2025 women’s matchup, the top-ranked Sooners took down Arkansas by nearly two points. That same season, LSU defeated Georgia by 1.4 points. These were staggering wins in a field of competition often determined by decimals.

Missouri’s 5.525 point victory on Sunday was its largest win since Jan. 22, 2022, a 5.825-point thrashing of Brown. Sunday represented the third-largest point differential under Head Coach Shannon Welker.

After last month’s Black & Gold Intrasquad competition, Welker mentioned how the vault event was a major focus point this year.

The Tigers found a rhythm in their first rotation, with Railey Jackson and Hannah Horton posting first-place scores of 9.875.

While the Tigers were competing on vault, Iowa State had a rocky rotation. Four falls between three different gymnasts on the bars put them down over two points early-on, creating an uphill battle for the next three rotations.

Iowa State sophomore Hayley Hardin placed in a three-way tie for second place on the floor. Other than a fifth-place beam routine from Aubree Guinee, no other Cyclones placed as top-five individuals in any event.

Leading the way for the Tigers was freshman all-around champion Kimmara Echols. Aside from a fall on the beam, the young star put on an impactful performance that contributed to a charming result.

“There’s a lightness in her gymnastics…it’s really cool,” Welker said.

Another strong piece for Missouri was Hannah Horton, who placed first in all three events she competed in. Her 9.925-scoring floor routine was nearly half a point higher than Iowa State’s team average.

As a team, the Tigers looked comfortable in their new venue. While they won on the scoresheet, an arguably bigger factor was the confidence they displayed in a new setting. A setting that will welcome in each of the current top-3 seeds later this season.

For Tiger fans, Sunday’s performances and ensuing scores affirmed the program’s strong aspirations. The Tigers hope to maintain a similar momentum when they travel to Lincoln on Saturday.

Further facts and figures:

• In 1996, Iowa State defeated Missouri 194.150-187.550 in a Big 8 Championship that also featured Nebraska and Oklahoma.
• 30 years later, the Tigers flipped the script on the Cyclones with the Cornhuskers and Sooners up next on the docket.

The Tigers’ next competition will be against Nebraska on Jan. 10.