Inductees

Her name had flown on to the radar of college gymnastics recruiters across the country – Utah State, Penn State, Nebraska, nearby Minnesota – and ultimately she found the one made for her.

In fact, Julie Dorn remembers visiting the University of Missouri during a gymnastics competition.

“I will never forget walking into the Hearnes Center and seeing fans sitting as high as D section,” Dorn said. “There were 10,000-plus fans there, and it was an impactful moment.”

Soon, she signed a national letter of intent with Mizzou and delivered an inspiring career that has stood the test of time. That’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Dorn with the Class of 2022.

Thanks to coach Jake Jacobson and teammates transforming her into an even better competitor, Dorn emerged Mizzou’s first two-time NCAA All-American (in 1990, by placing fourth overall on the vault and sixth overall on the floor exercise), was a three-time NCAA qualifier and still holds 16 school records.

Along the way, she won individual titles at the Cat Classic in 1988 and 1989 and, in 1990, propelled Mizzou to its first Cat Classic championship.

A year later, she captured three events in the inaugural Shakespeare’s Festival and earned three all-conference honors in winning league championships in the vault and floor exercise.

Additionally, Dorn was the 1991 Big Eight Conference Female Athlete of the Year, meaning Mizzou swept the awards for the first time in school history since basketball’s Doug Smith earned the men’s honor.

“I connected with Jake Jacobson immediately (on the recruiting trip),” Dorn said. “He was – and still is – very dedicated, genuine and passionate and really loved coaching Mizzou Gymnastics.”

Dorn’s arrival had come at a time when gymnastics was rapidly growing in popularity following the 1984 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team that featured Mary Lou Retton.

Having grown up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Dorn was inspired by that team and then trained under John Tobler. In fact, she qualified for the USA Gymnastics national championships as an eighth-grader.

At Mizzou, she counts as mentors Coach Jacobson, upperclassmen such as Cindy Turney and Mary Houghton, assistants Jeff Conner and Kris Merlo, track & field coach Dr. Rick McGuire, and then-Mizzou graduate assistant Joe Castiglione (MSHOF 2015).

Another was Kim Leslie, a Texan ranked No. 1 for four consecutive weeks as a freshman during Dorn’s junior season.

“When we first started training together, Kim absolutely pushed me harder than anyone,” Dorn said. “She showed up in amazing shape and was throwing high-level skills with ease. She was amazing and no doubt was a huge reason that MU was ranked in the top 10 for most of the season.”

In Dorn’s sophomore year (1989), a new release move on bars and the full twisting double back (called full-in) for her first tumbling pass on the floor paved the way to success.

The 1990 season was something else, and her senior year of 1991 had its memorable moments. Mizzou won the prestigious Cat Classic by beating Arizona, Auburn, Penn State and Brigham Young in the Friday night team competition. She later was the No. 2 seed at nationals.

Looking back, the support from her parents, Marilyn and Bill, and siblings, Janine and Patrick, made a difference. Their encouragement, along with that of many others, not only led to her success in the sport but readied her for life’s challenges.

In 2015, Dorn was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she leaned on all those lessons gleaned from the past.

“I had to overcome fear, make adjustments daily depending upon scans and updates and it took every ounce of determination and grit for me to get through surgeries and treatments,” Dorn said. “On top of that, the world of gymnastics is a close-knit community, and I had former teammates and coaches from clubs and college who came out of the woodwork to support me. It made all the difference in the world. I am beyond blessed and grateful to all that gymnastics has afforded me in my life!”

After college, Dorn worked for the Big 12 Conference, Mizzou Athletics, Kansas City Chiefs, Columbia Orthopaedic Group and the Boys & Girls Town of Missouri. Since 2015, she has been the Chief Development Officer at The Food Bank in Columbia.

Dorn also gives back to the sport as a coach and has taught her daughter gymnastics.

“The gym was always my escape from the rest of the world and life in general,” Dorn said, “and it is still that way for me today.”