Retiring Two Years Ago, Missouri Gymnastics Star Pens Heartfelt Message Ahead of NCAA Championship

If you thought that the finale of collegiate gymnastics couldn’t get more dramatic, then you are mistaken. What happened, you ask? Well, just when everyone thought Missouri was breathing its last, they found their magic again. The Missouri Tigers clawed their way back to the NCAA championships for the second time in four years. This came after surviving a tough Seattle Regional. But the most shocking part of it was who was at the center of this resistance. So who was it? Well, Missouri faithful might remember her as someone who came out of retirement.

If you are thinking of Helen Hu, then you’re right on the money. But before that, you might be curious about how Missouri fared. Well, they went toe-to-toe in a breathtaking duel that shifted with each landing, each extension, and each judge’s score. When the chalk dust settled on April 6, Missouri’s 197.425 edged Auburn by the slimmest margin imaginable, just one-tenth of a point. But for Helen Hu, this was an extra sweet point. After all, she had retired two years back. But why is she suddenly back? Well, there’s quite a sweet story behind that.

Hu had retired back in 2023 due to chronic back pain because of a permanent Spinal fracture. But perhaps even she would’ve never imagined how a friend’s marriage would become her gateway back to gymnastics. This all became public when Adalayna Schrimpf shared a tweet on April 10 that caught the mat world by fire. The tweet said, “My best friend & college roommate @hu_dat_gymnast retired, traveled the world, then UN-retired at my wedding last summer (yes, really).”

This was followed by a carousel of pictures with the Gymnastics star on April 10, just days before Missouri’s NCAA Championship appearance. “Now she’s headed to nationals for her final NCAA meet ever. @NCAA_Gymnastics… Want to fly me out? The gymternet deserves this full-circle moment.” Hu’s reply revealed an honest confession on Gymnast’s part, who echoed how pivotal that wedding had been.

The tweet read, “I truly would not be here this season if not for our friendship AND the impeccable timing of her wedding. It’s only right that she’s there with me to close out my career (again).” This was truly a unique moment since before Schrimpf’s 2024 nuptials, Helen had embraced her life off the mat. The pain from her spondylolisthesis had become overwhelming during her senior season, leaving her barely able to compete at regionals and confirming her decision to retire.

She even said, “When we were at regionals, I remember being in so much pain that as sad as I was that we didn’t make it to Nationals, I was like, I don’t even know if I could get to that point two weeks from then,” Hu recalls. “That felt like my body telling me it was time to retire and be done.” By 2024, her competitive days seemed firmly behind her until Schrimpf’s wedding invitation brought her back to Missouri. While in Columbia for the ceremony, Hu stayed with current Missouri senior Jocelyn Moore.

What began as a casual visit to watch summer training turned transformative when Hu stepped onto the beam after a 15-month absence. Coach Shannon Welker had never stopped hoping for Hu’s return, despite her consistent refusals due to her back condition. “The entirety of my senior year in 2023, the entire coaching staff kept being like, you’re gonna stay for that fifth year, right?”

Hu says with a laugh. “Even my teammates were joking about how I’m not leaving. I repeatedly turned them down, but Shannon was persistent. I guess his persistence eventually paid off.” Two months after the wedding visit, Hu was officially back on the roster! Well, it is not just about being on the roster; Helen Hu, being Helen Hu, has made her presence felt during the season.

A Lookback at Helen Hu’s Season as Missouri Gymnastics Gears Up for NCAA Championships

Let’s be real, Missouri’s Helen Hu hasn’t just been good in 2025; She has been perfect. Three times perfect, to be exact. The redshirt senior kicked things off with a bang on January 3rd at the Beauty and the Beast event, where she helped Mizzou grab its eighth win in the unique spectacle. Her rock-solid 9.900 on beam was just a hint of what was coming! And then, boom! Just two weeks later in Norman, Oklahoma, Hu did what gymnasts dream about.

She hopped up on the beam during Mizzou’s dual with the Sooners, nailed her routine, and stuck that landing like her feet were glued to the floor. The result? A perfect 10.000 — the first anyone had seen in collegiate gymnastics all season. But hey, why stop at one perfect score when you can make history? By March, Hu had already climbed to the No. 2 spot among beam performers nationwide.

Then came that electric night at Arkansas’s Bud Walton Arena. With Mizzou already crushing it against the No. 16 Razorbacks, Hu stepped up for the final routine of the evening. The crowd hushed. Boy, did she deliver! Another flawless performance, another perfect 10. Just like that, Mizzou locked up a 197.800-197.225 win and grabbed their first-ever spot in Session II of the SEC Championship since joining the conference.

As the stakes got higher, so did Hu’s game. She snatched the SEC Beam Championship title with jaw-dropping precision. Then, would you believe it, she dropped her THIRD perfect 10 at the NCAA regional semifinal in Seattle! That masterclass helped push Mizzou to a team score of 197.650, their best postseason score ever. But the real nail-biter? That came in the regional final.

Auburn was breathing down on them in a tense fight. True to form, she delivered when it mattered most, scoring a clutch 9.925 that helped them edge out Auburn by the slimmest of margins, just one-tenth of a point! Now the Tigers are headed to the big dance in Fort Worth on April 17th. They’ll take on the heavyweights like Oklahoma, Florida, and Alabama in the first semifinal.