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Gophers Hold 2021 Team Banquet
9/4/2021 4:00:00 PM | Gymnastics
The University of Minnesota women's gymnastics program saluted the 2021 season with their annual team banquet on Friday where they honored last year's team and looked back on last season's accomplishments.
The season was highlighted by the program's first Big Ten Championship since 2006 and claiming a spot at the National Championship for the first time under the new eight-team format. The Gophers broke numerous team records including a new team score record of 197.750 set at the Big Ten Championship. Minnesota also set a new record on floor (49.575) and uneven bars (49.575) while notching the second-highest vault score in program history (49.525) at the NCAA Regional Semifinal and third-highest beam score (49.600).Â
The Gophers had multiple All-Big Ten Team representatives in 2021 including Ramler, Loper and Hooten leading the way with first team honors. Mary Korlin-Downs, Maddie Quarles, Tiarre Sales and Hannah Willmarth represented the Maroon and Gold on the Second Team All-Big Ten. The Gophers touted the highest number of gymnasts to be honored by the conference, with Michigan earning the next highest with five gymnasts recognized.
There was a record-breaking number of All-Americans from the 2021 season. Ramler earned WCGA All-American honors in the all-around, vault, bars and beam. Loper was named a WCGA All-American on vault and also Second Team All-America on floor and in the all-around. Freshman phenom Hooten was recognized as an WCGA All-American on floor. Korlin-Downs was awarded with Second Team WCGA All-American honors on beam and Quarles was Second Team WCGA All-American on vault.Â
At the conclusion of the 2021 NCAA Championship Semifinal, the University of Minnesota made program history with 11 total Championship All-American honors. Loper led the way for the Gophers with All-American honors on vault and in the all-around, along with Second Team All-American honors on floor. Ramler earned All-American recognition on beam, while also recording Second Team honors on bars, vault and in the all-around. Hooten continued to impress in her first collegiate season, with All-American honors on floor and Second Team honors on vault. Korlin-Downs was awarded the first All-American honor of her career on beam and Quarles rounded out the honors as a Second Team All-American on vault.
In the classroom, all 13 age-eligible student-athletes in Maya Albertin, Kate Grotenhuis, Korlin-Downs, Mallory LeNeave, Loper, Lexi Montgomery, Abbie Nhylin, Quarles, Ramler, Halle Remlinger, Tiarre Sales, Ali Sonier and Hannah Willmarth earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Eight representatives of women's gymnastics also earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors including Albertin, LeNeave, Loper, Nylin, Ramler, Remlinger, Sales and Willmarth.
The coaching staff handed out four awards at the banquet:
Most Valuable Performer: Lexy Ramler
Ramler is one of the most decorated student-athletes in University of Minnesota history and her 2021 campaign accumulated a multitude of accolades, including being named the winner of the prestigious AAI Award. Ramler scored a perfect 10 on both vault and beam, and also set a new program record in the all-around with a 39.850. She won 31 event titles during the season and was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week six times.Â
Ramler ended the regular season tied for No. 1 in the nation on beam, No. 3 on bars, tied for No. 5 on vault, tied for No. 28 on floor and No. 2 overall in the all-around. A Big Ten Champion on bars, beam and in the all-around, Ramler was also awarded with her third-consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year title. Continuing her success, she was the Athens Regional All-Around Champion. At the NCAA National Championships, Ramler tied for 5th on beam and 11th in the all-around and was named an All-American on beam, while also recording second-team honors on bars, vault and in the all-around.
Freshman of the Year: Mya Hooten
In her breakout freshman season, Hooten took the college gymnastics scene by storm. She recorded the first perfect 10 of her career and the first on floor in Gophers program history in March and also led Minnesota to a 49.575 team score on the event, which ties the program record. The Woodbury, Minn. native also competed on vault and bars, where she has a high score of 9.950 and 9.875 respectively.
Hooten notched a 9.875 on vault, 9.738 on bars and 9.950 on floor at the NCAA National Championship Semifinal, earning a fifth place finish on floor. Her success allowed her to earn NCAA All-American honors on floor and second-team honors on vault.
Most Improved: Mallory LeNeave
After competing exhibition on floor during the 2020 season, LeNeave burst onto the scene in 2021 and competed in eleven meets. The sophomore made her career debut for the Gophers against Penn State and notched a 9.800 on floor. She recorded a career-high 9.925 at the Athens Regional Final and earned a 9.875 at the NCAA National Championship Semifinal.Â
LeNeave was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and WCGA Scholastic All-American.Â
Most Valuable Teammate: Abbie Nylin and Hannah Willmarth
Nylin earned a spot on both the beam and floor lineup during the season and posted a career-high 9.850 on both events. As a bars specialist, Willmarth earned a career-high 9.925 at the Big Five Meet. She was honored as Minnesota's selection for the Big Ten Sportsmanship award.Â
Both Gophers were constant sources of support and positive energy for their teammates.Â
Mariam Award: Mary Korlin-Downs and Ona Loper
This award is named after Mariam Pourshoushtari, a former Gopher gymnast who survived meningitis. Her perseverance is a testament to what it means to dedicate all of your personal resources and willpower to achieve something. This honor is given to the gymnast that the coaches believe has done everything they can to be their very best.
Super senior Korlin-Downs made the best of an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her four year with the Gophers and sixth season of college gymnastics, she claimed her first event title of the season after earning a 9.900 on beam at Iowa. Korlin-Downs set a career-high 9.975, earning a 10 from one judge, and won the beam title against Rutgers. At the Big Ten Championships, she scored a 9.950 and received second place. Her season ended with a fifth place finish at the NCAA National Championship with a 9.925 on beam.Â
Loper had a season of a lifetime in 2021, starting with an all-around title and Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors during the first week of the season. Loper went on to secure 12 event titles and two perfect 10s on vault, including one at the Athens Regional Semifinal. At the conclusion of the regular season, Loper was ranked tied for No. 3 on vault, No. 10 on floor, No. 17 on bars and No. 13 in the all-around. Loper's influx of success heightened in the postseason, becoming the Big Ten Floor Champion and Athens Regional Vault and Floor Champion. She was the top finisher for the Maroon and Gold at the NCAA Championships after she set a career-high 39.6375 in the all-around with event scores of 9.9625 on vault, 9.9250 on floor and 9.8750 on both bars and beam. Loper finished third on vault and fourth in the all-around at the competition.
The season was highlighted by the program's first Big Ten Championship since 2006 and claiming a spot at the National Championship for the first time under the new eight-team format. The Gophers broke numerous team records including a new team score record of 197.750 set at the Big Ten Championship. Minnesota also set a new record on floor (49.575) and uneven bars (49.575) while notching the second-highest vault score in program history (49.525) at the NCAA Regional Semifinal and third-highest beam score (49.600).Â
The Gophers had multiple All-Big Ten Team representatives in 2021 including Ramler, Loper and Hooten leading the way with first team honors. Mary Korlin-Downs, Maddie Quarles, Tiarre Sales and Hannah Willmarth represented the Maroon and Gold on the Second Team All-Big Ten. The Gophers touted the highest number of gymnasts to be honored by the conference, with Michigan earning the next highest with five gymnasts recognized.
There was a record-breaking number of All-Americans from the 2021 season. Ramler earned WCGA All-American honors in the all-around, vault, bars and beam. Loper was named a WCGA All-American on vault and also Second Team All-America on floor and in the all-around. Freshman phenom Hooten was recognized as an WCGA All-American on floor. Korlin-Downs was awarded with Second Team WCGA All-American honors on beam and Quarles was Second Team WCGA All-American on vault.Â
At the conclusion of the 2021 NCAA Championship Semifinal, the University of Minnesota made program history with 11 total Championship All-American honors. Loper led the way for the Gophers with All-American honors on vault and in the all-around, along with Second Team All-American honors on floor. Ramler earned All-American recognition on beam, while also recording Second Team honors on bars, vault and in the all-around. Hooten continued to impress in her first collegiate season, with All-American honors on floor and Second Team honors on vault. Korlin-Downs was awarded the first All-American honor of her career on beam and Quarles rounded out the honors as a Second Team All-American on vault.
In the classroom, all 13 age-eligible student-athletes in Maya Albertin, Kate Grotenhuis, Korlin-Downs, Mallory LeNeave, Loper, Lexi Montgomery, Abbie Nhylin, Quarles, Ramler, Halle Remlinger, Tiarre Sales, Ali Sonier and Hannah Willmarth earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Eight representatives of women's gymnastics also earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors including Albertin, LeNeave, Loper, Nylin, Ramler, Remlinger, Sales and Willmarth.
The coaching staff handed out four awards at the banquet:
Most Valuable Performer: Lexy Ramler
Ramler is one of the most decorated student-athletes in University of Minnesota history and her 2021 campaign accumulated a multitude of accolades, including being named the winner of the prestigious AAI Award. Ramler scored a perfect 10 on both vault and beam, and also set a new program record in the all-around with a 39.850. She won 31 event titles during the season and was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week six times.Â
Ramler ended the regular season tied for No. 1 in the nation on beam, No. 3 on bars, tied for No. 5 on vault, tied for No. 28 on floor and No. 2 overall in the all-around. A Big Ten Champion on bars, beam and in the all-around, Ramler was also awarded with her third-consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year title. Continuing her success, she was the Athens Regional All-Around Champion. At the NCAA National Championships, Ramler tied for 5th on beam and 11th in the all-around and was named an All-American on beam, while also recording second-team honors on bars, vault and in the all-around.
Freshman of the Year: Mya Hooten
In her breakout freshman season, Hooten took the college gymnastics scene by storm. She recorded the first perfect 10 of her career and the first on floor in Gophers program history in March and also led Minnesota to a 49.575 team score on the event, which ties the program record. The Woodbury, Minn. native also competed on vault and bars, where she has a high score of 9.950 and 9.875 respectively.
Hooten notched a 9.875 on vault, 9.738 on bars and 9.950 on floor at the NCAA National Championship Semifinal, earning a fifth place finish on floor. Her success allowed her to earn NCAA All-American honors on floor and second-team honors on vault.
Most Improved: Mallory LeNeave
After competing exhibition on floor during the 2020 season, LeNeave burst onto the scene in 2021 and competed in eleven meets. The sophomore made her career debut for the Gophers against Penn State and notched a 9.800 on floor. She recorded a career-high 9.925 at the Athens Regional Final and earned a 9.875 at the NCAA National Championship Semifinal.Â
LeNeave was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and WCGA Scholastic All-American.Â
Most Valuable Teammate: Abbie Nylin and Hannah Willmarth
Nylin earned a spot on both the beam and floor lineup during the season and posted a career-high 9.850 on both events. As a bars specialist, Willmarth earned a career-high 9.925 at the Big Five Meet. She was honored as Minnesota's selection for the Big Ten Sportsmanship award.Â
Both Gophers were constant sources of support and positive energy for their teammates.Â
Mariam Award: Mary Korlin-Downs and Ona Loper
This award is named after Mariam Pourshoushtari, a former Gopher gymnast who survived meningitis. Her perseverance is a testament to what it means to dedicate all of your personal resources and willpower to achieve something. This honor is given to the gymnast that the coaches believe has done everything they can to be their very best.
Super senior Korlin-Downs made the best of an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her four year with the Gophers and sixth season of college gymnastics, she claimed her first event title of the season after earning a 9.900 on beam at Iowa. Korlin-Downs set a career-high 9.975, earning a 10 from one judge, and won the beam title against Rutgers. At the Big Ten Championships, she scored a 9.950 and received second place. Her season ended with a fifth place finish at the NCAA National Championship with a 9.925 on beam.Â
Loper had a season of a lifetime in 2021, starting with an all-around title and Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors during the first week of the season. Loper went on to secure 12 event titles and two perfect 10s on vault, including one at the Athens Regional Semifinal. At the conclusion of the regular season, Loper was ranked tied for No. 3 on vault, No. 10 on floor, No. 17 on bars and No. 13 in the all-around. Loper's influx of success heightened in the postseason, becoming the Big Ten Floor Champion and Athens Regional Vault and Floor Champion. She was the top finisher for the Maroon and Gold at the NCAA Championships after she set a career-high 39.6375 in the all-around with event scores of 9.9625 on vault, 9.9250 on floor and 9.8750 on both bars and beam. Loper finished third on vault and fourth in the all-around at the competition.
Signing the Block M
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NCAA Qualifier Mya Hooten
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