Missouri State STUNT will compete in the 2026 College STUNT National Championship, beginning first round action against No. 5 seed Mercyhurst on April 24 in Nashville, Tennessee. Missouri State enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed and will play at Lipscomb University.
The national championship event brings together top collegiate teams for a double-elimination bracket running from April 23 to April 26. Other Division I qualifiers include Cal Baptist, Kentucky, Cal Poly, and Mercyhurst.
If Missouri State wins its opening match against Mercyhurst, it will face top-seeded and reigning champions Cal Baptist in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The team could also play Kentucky or Cal Poly depending on results.
“We’re very excited to be here to compete at the highest level,” said head coach Kennedy Wingbermuehle. “As a second year team, this is an impressive feat that we are extremely proud of. This group of girls have made this year very special. We have worked hard for this opportunity and will prove that we belong here.”
Wingbermuehle was named as Missouri State’s inaugural head coach for its new STUNT program on Feb. 27, 2024 and led the Bears through their first season in Division I competition during 2025, including securing their first-ever win over Drury that February at a tournament hosted by Oklahoma Baptist University.
In their initial season, Missouri State posted a record of nine wins and eighteen losses overall and went three-and-five in Mid America West Conference regular season play. The Bears advanced past Central Arkansas during conference tournament play in Lexington, Kentucky last year.
STUNT was recently approved as an NCAA championship sport following a vote by NCAA membership at the 2026 NCAA Convention; the first official NCAA championship is projected for spring of next year with student-athletes from all divisions eligible to compete for one national title.
