University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Add Four to Round Out Class of 2024
3/2/2020 1:55:00 PM | Gymnastics
Jenny Hansen announced the addition of four more student-athletes to round out the 2024 signing class. Erin Fortman, Emily Koch, Mya Hooten and Katie Horak will all join the Gophers next fall.
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these four young women to our Golden Gopher Family," Hansen said. "It's rare to be able to bring so many Minnesotans to our team in the same incoming class. We are extremely excited to keep them home and have them competing for the University of Minnesota. All three bring different qualities to our team and compliment each other very well. They will bring in a well balanced class along with Gianna Gerdes."
Erin Fortman • Flyaways Gymnastics • Blaine High School
Fortman hails from Blaine, Minn. and attended Blaine High School. Fortman lettered in academics as a freshman and sophomore, while making Dean's list as a junior.
In 2019, Fortman placed sixth at Regionals and qualified for Nationals. She was the 2019 Region 4 floor champion with a 9.7, and took first place on bars with a 9.7 at the Texas Classic. Fortman competed at the 2015 and 2016 Level 9 Westerns Championships.
Hansen on Fortman: "Erin Fortman was someone we learned of late in the process, however we see great potential in her ability to contribute on both uneven bars and floor exercise immediately."
Emily Koch • Legacy Gymnastics • Bloomington Jefferson High School
Koch attended Bloomington High School and competes for Legacy Gymnastics. She was a member of the National Honors Society and lettered in academics as a sophomore and junior. Kock earned the Legacy Award in 2019, given to a gymnast who displays great leadership at her club.
She finished first on floor (9.725) and vault (9.55) at the 2019 Twisted Moose Meet. Recorded a 9.4 on beam at the 2019 Tim Rand Invitational and a 9.2 on bars at the Minnesota State Meet.
Hansen on Koch: "Emily Koch is particularly strong on both vault and floor, but she has the potential to become competitive on every event."
Mya Hooten • Classic Gymnastics • Chanhassen High School
Hooten attended Chanhassen High School and competes for Classic Gymnastics. In 2019, Hooten was a Nastia Liukin Cup participant and was the National Floor Champion. Hooten has 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. In 2017, she earned a second place finish on floor at Nationals.
Hansen on Hooten: "Mya Hooten will be an all-around contender the moment she steps on campus. She has incredible power and performs her gymnastics with incredible ease. Mya is already coming in at a very high level, but her room for growth is incredible. We can't wait for her arrival on campus."
Katie Horak • Revolution Gymnastics • Buffalo High School
Horak will graduate from Buffalo High School this spring. She held a 4.0 GPA for three of her four years and was awarded the Academic Excellence Award three times in high school. She spent all four years on Student Council, holding an executive position as a senior. Also participated in track and field.
She was the 2018 State Championships all-around champion, placing first on vault and floor, and third on beam. Horak placed third in the all-around at regionals in 2018, going first on avult and third on beam. At the 2018 Westerns, Horak was once again the all-around champion, earning a first place finish on beam and second on vault on floor.
Horak was a 2019 Nationals competitor and earned a fourth place finish in the all-around at the State Championships. She placed fifth in the all-around and fourth on vault at Regionals in 2019.
Hansen on Horak: "Katie Horak brings great power and has just started to tap into her potential. Katie moved to Revolution Gymnastics just a few years ago and really started to blossom under former Gopher Kristin (Furukawa) Tobler and her husband Ben Tobler. We look forward to helping her develop on all four events during her time as a Gopher."
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these four young women to our Golden Gopher Family," Hansen said. "It's rare to be able to bring so many Minnesotans to our team in the same incoming class. We are extremely excited to keep them home and have them competing for the University of Minnesota. All three bring different qualities to our team and compliment each other very well. They will bring in a well balanced class along with Gianna Gerdes."
Erin Fortman • Flyaways Gymnastics • Blaine High School
Fortman hails from Blaine, Minn. and attended Blaine High School. Fortman lettered in academics as a freshman and sophomore, while making Dean's list as a junior.
In 2019, Fortman placed sixth at Regionals and qualified for Nationals. She was the 2019 Region 4 floor champion with a 9.7, and took first place on bars with a 9.7 at the Texas Classic. Fortman competed at the 2015 and 2016 Level 9 Westerns Championships.
Hansen on Fortman: "Erin Fortman was someone we learned of late in the process, however we see great potential in her ability to contribute on both uneven bars and floor exercise immediately."
Emily Koch • Legacy Gymnastics • Bloomington Jefferson High School
Koch attended Bloomington High School and competes for Legacy Gymnastics. She was a member of the National Honors Society and lettered in academics as a sophomore and junior. Kock earned the Legacy Award in 2019, given to a gymnast who displays great leadership at her club.
She finished first on floor (9.725) and vault (9.55) at the 2019 Twisted Moose Meet. Recorded a 9.4 on beam at the 2019 Tim Rand Invitational and a 9.2 on bars at the Minnesota State Meet.
Hansen on Koch: "Emily Koch is particularly strong on both vault and floor, but she has the potential to become competitive on every event."
Mya Hooten • Classic Gymnastics • Chanhassen High School
Hooten attended Chanhassen High School and competes for Classic Gymnastics. In 2019, Hooten was a Nastia Liukin Cup participant and was the National Floor Champion. Hooten has 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. In 2017, she earned a second place finish on floor at Nationals.
Hansen on Hooten: "Mya Hooten will be an all-around contender the moment she steps on campus. She has incredible power and performs her gymnastics with incredible ease. Mya is already coming in at a very high level, but her room for growth is incredible. We can't wait for her arrival on campus."
Katie Horak • Revolution Gymnastics • Buffalo High School
Horak will graduate from Buffalo High School this spring. She held a 4.0 GPA for three of her four years and was awarded the Academic Excellence Award three times in high school. She spent all four years on Student Council, holding an executive position as a senior. Also participated in track and field.
She was the 2018 State Championships all-around champion, placing first on vault and floor, and third on beam. Horak placed third in the all-around at regionals in 2018, going first on avult and third on beam. At the 2018 Westerns, Horak was once again the all-around champion, earning a first place finish on beam and second on vault on floor.
Horak was a 2019 Nationals competitor and earned a fourth place finish in the all-around at the State Championships. She placed fifth in the all-around and fourth on vault at Regionals in 2019.
Hansen on Horak: "Katie Horak brings great power and has just started to tap into her potential. Katie moved to Revolution Gymnastics just a few years ago and really started to blossom under former Gopher Kristin (Furukawa) Tobler and her husband Ben Tobler. We look forward to helping her develop on all four events during her time as a Gopher."
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Arianna Ostrum 10.0 Vault
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Arianna Ostrum Wins All-Around Title
Wednesday, March 04
Highlights: Big Four Meet
Sunday, March 01