October 09, 2025
Students devised an innovative solution that is having an uplifting effect on the entire Mizzou community.
At Mizzou Engineering, we lead by working with partners across campus and bringing people together, making us a source of strength and guidance for our community.
When Team Truman was looking for ways to highlight Truman the Tiger’s tradition of doing pushups each time Mizzou scores, they turned to students in the College.
The task was to raise Truman up from his previous position in the endzone and bring him closer to fans.
“We wanted a platform that would be sturdy, durable and really showcase Truman as the face of Mizzou,” said Cynthia Metz, head cheerleading coach and mascot coordinator. “We needed some professionals to assist in making this a reality.”
Metz reached out to Mizzou Engineering and the Mizzou Racing team, who quickly got to work. Chief mechanical engineer Ben Higgins led the design on the same software the team uses to design, validate and simulate parts on their race car.
The platform needed to be strong but light — four to six people would hoist it and Truman to shoulder height — so the engineers chose aluminum, welding together spars purchased from a local supplier.
The platform was powder-coated in Jefferson City, and the block M hand-painted. The team’s wrap sponsor, ProDezigns, provided the Mizzou Engineering and Mizzou Racing logos on the platform edges.
The results of the cross-campus collaboration are now proudly on display each time the Tigers score on Faurot Field.
“Mizzou Engineering students were the natural choice for the kind of smart, innovative solution we needed,” Metz said. “They brought our vision to life.”
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