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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Five Gophers Named All-Big Ten
3/18/2019 5:45:00 PM | Gymnastics
Five University of Minnesota gymnasts have been selected to the 2019 All-Big Ten teams, the conference announced Monday. Juniors Ivy Lu and Paige Williams and sophomores Ona Loper and Lexy Ramler earn First Team honors, and freshman Tiarre Sales represents the Maroon and Gold on the Second Team All-Big Ten.
The Gophers tout the second-highest number of gymnasts to be honored by the conference, with only Michigan earning more spots (six). The last time Minnesota had five gymnasts selected to the all-conference team was in 2016 when Lindsay Mable, Hanna Nordquist and Bailie Holst were chosen as first-team honorees and Madeline Hanley and Ciara Gardner were tabbed for second-team honors.
This is the second year of First Team All-Big Ten recognition for Ramler and Lu who were both given the honor in 2018. With the addition of Williams and Loper, Minnesota has now seen 69 Gophers gymnasts named to the First Team All-Big Ten and touts the second-most of all the conference schools.
Ramler has been named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week six times over the course of the 2019 season and is currently ranked No. 10 as an individual in the all-around with an RQS score of 39.575. The St. Michael, Minn. native became the highest-scoring all-around gymnast in program history earlier this season when she recorded a career-high 39.725 in the all-around against Maryland. She has earned a 39.600 or higher four different times this season and has seen a 10 flash from three individual beam judges throughout the season, resulting in a new career high of 9.975 on the apparatus. With scores such as those, it is unsurprising that Ramler is ranked No. 4 in the nation on beam and No. 1 in the Big Ten thanks to her RQS score of 9.940.
Lu was selected as the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week on four different occasions throughout the 2019 season, earned the honor through her outstanding performances on the uneven bars. She is currently ranked No. 10 in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten on bars with her RQS score of 9.925. The Montreal, Quebec native is the school record holder on both the uneven bars (9.975) and the balance beam (10). She shares the honor with former Gophers gymnasts in both cases, and would claim the record for herself were she to hit a perfect 10 on bars.
The Big Ten chose Williams as the Event Specialist of the Week twice this season for her impressive scores on vault and floor exercise. The junior from Wylie, Texas is ranked No. 23 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten on floor and boasts career highs of 9.975 on floor and 9.900 on vault, both of which were earned this season. Her 9.975 on floor ties the school record and makes her the third Gophers gymnast on this year's team to claim a share of a school record.
Loper is ranked No. 34 in the nation and No. 6 in the conference in the all-around with her RQS score of 39.300. After a season-ending injury cut her freshman campaign short, Loper has returned to the competition floor with a vengeance, recording new career-high scores on vault (9.925), bars (9.875), beam (9.925) and in the all-around (39.450) this season.
Sales has been a standout freshman for the Gophers this season, posting scores of 9.900 or higher on all three of the events (V, UB, BB) she has competed. She won her first event title at last weekend's quad meet against Michigan, Mizzou and Centenary with a career-high 9.950 on beam to take the crown.
The Gophers are set to compete at the B1G Championships on Saturday, Mar. 23 in University Park, Pa. They will start on bars after a bye as they compete in Session Two, which begins at 4:00 p.m. CT. BTN will provide live coverage of both the morning and evening sessions.
2019 All-Big Ten Teams
FIRST TEAM
Mary Jane Otto, ILL
Clair Kaji, IOWA
Abby Brenner, MICH
Lauren Farley, MICH
Olivia Karas, MICH
Emma McLean, MICH
Natalie Wojcik, MICH
Ona Loper, MINN
Ivy Lu, MINN
Lexy Ramler, MINN
Paige Williams, MINN
Sienna Crouse, NEB
Sierra Hassel, NEB
Taylor Houchin, NEB
Jamie Stone, OSU
Lauren Bridgens, PSU
SECOND TEAM
Karen Howell, ILL
Kasey Meeks, ILL
Kylie Noonan, ILL
Nicole Chow, IOWA
Lauren Guerin, IOWA
Audrey Barber, MD
Lexi Funk, MICH
Gabrielle Douglas, MSU
Lea Mitchell, MSU
Tiarre Sales, MINN
Adnerys De Jesus, NEB
Olivia Aepli, OSU
Jenna Swartzentruber, OSU
Sabrina Garcia, PSU
Belle Huang, RUT
The Gophers tout the second-highest number of gymnasts to be honored by the conference, with only Michigan earning more spots (six). The last time Minnesota had five gymnasts selected to the all-conference team was in 2016 when Lindsay Mable, Hanna Nordquist and Bailie Holst were chosen as first-team honorees and Madeline Hanley and Ciara Gardner were tabbed for second-team honors.
This is the second year of First Team All-Big Ten recognition for Ramler and Lu who were both given the honor in 2018. With the addition of Williams and Loper, Minnesota has now seen 69 Gophers gymnasts named to the First Team All-Big Ten and touts the second-most of all the conference schools.
Ramler has been named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week six times over the course of the 2019 season and is currently ranked No. 10 as an individual in the all-around with an RQS score of 39.575. The St. Michael, Minn. native became the highest-scoring all-around gymnast in program history earlier this season when she recorded a career-high 39.725 in the all-around against Maryland. She has earned a 39.600 or higher four different times this season and has seen a 10 flash from three individual beam judges throughout the season, resulting in a new career high of 9.975 on the apparatus. With scores such as those, it is unsurprising that Ramler is ranked No. 4 in the nation on beam and No. 1 in the Big Ten thanks to her RQS score of 9.940.
Lu was selected as the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week on four different occasions throughout the 2019 season, earned the honor through her outstanding performances on the uneven bars. She is currently ranked No. 10 in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten on bars with her RQS score of 9.925. The Montreal, Quebec native is the school record holder on both the uneven bars (9.975) and the balance beam (10). She shares the honor with former Gophers gymnasts in both cases, and would claim the record for herself were she to hit a perfect 10 on bars.
The Big Ten chose Williams as the Event Specialist of the Week twice this season for her impressive scores on vault and floor exercise. The junior from Wylie, Texas is ranked No. 23 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten on floor and boasts career highs of 9.975 on floor and 9.900 on vault, both of which were earned this season. Her 9.975 on floor ties the school record and makes her the third Gophers gymnast on this year's team to claim a share of a school record.
Loper is ranked No. 34 in the nation and No. 6 in the conference in the all-around with her RQS score of 39.300. After a season-ending injury cut her freshman campaign short, Loper has returned to the competition floor with a vengeance, recording new career-high scores on vault (9.925), bars (9.875), beam (9.925) and in the all-around (39.450) this season.
Sales has been a standout freshman for the Gophers this season, posting scores of 9.900 or higher on all three of the events (V, UB, BB) she has competed. She won her first event title at last weekend's quad meet against Michigan, Mizzou and Centenary with a career-high 9.950 on beam to take the crown.
The Gophers are set to compete at the B1G Championships on Saturday, Mar. 23 in University Park, Pa. They will start on bars after a bye as they compete in Session Two, which begins at 4:00 p.m. CT. BTN will provide live coverage of both the morning and evening sessions.
2019 All-Big Ten Teams
FIRST TEAM
Mary Jane Otto, ILL
Clair Kaji, IOWA
Abby Brenner, MICH
Lauren Farley, MICH
Olivia Karas, MICH
Emma McLean, MICH
Natalie Wojcik, MICH
Ona Loper, MINN
Ivy Lu, MINN
Lexy Ramler, MINN
Paige Williams, MINN
Sienna Crouse, NEB
Sierra Hassel, NEB
Taylor Houchin, NEB
Jamie Stone, OSU
Lauren Bridgens, PSU
SECOND TEAM
Karen Howell, ILL
Kasey Meeks, ILL
Kylie Noonan, ILL
Nicole Chow, IOWA
Lauren Guerin, IOWA
Audrey Barber, MD
Lexi Funk, MICH
Gabrielle Douglas, MSU
Lea Mitchell, MSU
Tiarre Sales, MINN
Adnerys De Jesus, NEB
Olivia Aepli, OSU
Jenna Swartzentruber, OSU
Sabrina Garcia, PSU
Belle Huang, RUT
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