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Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Meet the Freshmen: Mya Hooten
10/14/2020 10:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Get to know incoming freshman Mya Hooten from Woodbury, Minn. and Classic Gymnastics.
MINNEAPOLIS- The Gophers women's gymnastics team welcomes six incoming freshmen to the team for the 2020-21 season and it is time to get to know our newcomers!Â
Mya Hooten attended Chanhassen High School and competed for Classic Gymnastics. In 2019, Hooten was a Nastia Liukin Cup participant and was the National Floor Champion. She put up the following scores in 2019: 9.8 on vault, 9.675 on bars, 9.6 on beam, 9.875 on floor and a 38.725 in the all-around.
Hooten was a 2017 and 2018 National Qualifier. She earned an eighth place finish in 2018 in the all-around at Nationals, and a seventh place finish in 2017. Also in 2017, she earned a second place finish on floor at Nationals.
Gopher Sports: What was it like to compete at the Nastia Liukin Cup?Â
Mya Hooten: Competing at the Nastia Liukin Cup was an unforgettable experience. I learned to just have fun! While I was on floor waiting for the judge, I saw the camera crew coming towards me and I felt a lot of pressure, but I told myself to just do my thing!Â
GS: How old were you when you started to compete competitively?
MH: I started to competitively compete at the age of 7. What made me fall in love with gymnastics is the teammates and knowing you will always have someone that will support you.Â
GS: Which gymnast did you admire while growing up?
MH: Shawn Johnson
GS: What is your earliest gymnastics memory?Â
MH: I fractured both of my arms at the same time while competing on floor!
GS: Why did you choose the University of Minnesota?Â
MH: I chose the University of Minnesota because it's my home state and the coaching staff is amazing! It just felt like home! Also, the academics here are amazing as well.
GS: What makes this program so special?Â
MH: The teammates were so welcoming to us freshmen and the bond the team has is incredible.
GS: How have the upperclassmen helped welcome you to the team?Â
MH: They are always checking up on us freshmen to see how we are doing and offering their support as we transition into college.Â
Quick Hits:
Dream Job: Nurse
Best pizza topping: PepperoniÂ
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?: The ability to read minds
Favorite music genre: Hip Hop/RapÂ
Favorite movie: Dumbo
Mya Hooten attended Chanhassen High School and competed for Classic Gymnastics. In 2019, Hooten was a Nastia Liukin Cup participant and was the National Floor Champion. She put up the following scores in 2019: 9.8 on vault, 9.675 on bars, 9.6 on beam, 9.875 on floor and a 38.725 in the all-around.
Hooten was a 2017 and 2018 National Qualifier. She earned an eighth place finish in 2018 in the all-around at Nationals, and a seventh place finish in 2017. Also in 2017, she earned a second place finish on floor at Nationals.
Gopher Sports: What was it like to compete at the Nastia Liukin Cup?Â
Mya Hooten: Competing at the Nastia Liukin Cup was an unforgettable experience. I learned to just have fun! While I was on floor waiting for the judge, I saw the camera crew coming towards me and I felt a lot of pressure, but I told myself to just do my thing!Â
GS: How old were you when you started to compete competitively?
MH: I started to competitively compete at the age of 7. What made me fall in love with gymnastics is the teammates and knowing you will always have someone that will support you.Â
GS: Which gymnast did you admire while growing up?
MH: Shawn Johnson
GS: What is your earliest gymnastics memory?Â
MH: I fractured both of my arms at the same time while competing on floor!
GS: Why did you choose the University of Minnesota?Â
MH: I chose the University of Minnesota because it's my home state and the coaching staff is amazing! It just felt like home! Also, the academics here are amazing as well.
GS: What makes this program so special?Â
MH: The teammates were so welcoming to us freshmen and the bond the team has is incredible.
GS: How have the upperclassmen helped welcome you to the team?Â
MH: They are always checking up on us freshmen to see how we are doing and offering their support as we transition into college.Â
Quick Hits:
Dream Job: Nurse
Best pizza topping: PepperoniÂ
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?: The ability to read minds
Favorite music genre: Hip Hop/RapÂ
Favorite movie: Dumbo
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