University of Minnesota Athletics
Monday, January 17
12:00 PM
University of Minnesota
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Iowa
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Minnesota Hosts Iowa, UCLA to Officially Open 2022 Season
1/15/2022 3:00:00 PM | Gymnastics
The University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team officially starts the 2022 season on Monday, January 17, when they host Iowa and UCLA in a tri-meet. The three teams will face-off at 12:00 pm CT at Maturi Pavilion and the meet will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
"We have an incredible schedule, competing against the very best teams in the country, both at home and on the road," head coach Jenny Hansen said. "These are great tests for our team if we are to reach our ultimate goals this year and be back at the National Championships.
The Gophers return all but two student-athletes from the 2021 season, with Mary Korlin-Downs and Lexi Montgomery graduating from the program. Minnesota has seven seniors on the current squad including Ona Loper, Abbie Nylin, Maddie Quarles, Lexy Ramler, Tiarre Sales, Ali Sonier and Hannah Willmarth. The Maroon and Gold also welcomes five freshmen to the team who will make an immediate impact. Alissa Fuelling, Marissa Jencks, Lauren Pearl, Olivia Reed and Haley Tyson are the newcomers.
"We are returning an incredible group from last year, all very motivated to continue the success from last season," Hansen said. "In addition, we are adding in some talented freshmen that should really help us fill the holes in the line ups from the seniors we lost. We have very high expectations for this year as we believe this could be the best team we have ever had."
Head coach Jenny Hansen is in her eighth season at the helm of the program. Associate head coach Rich Stenger and assistant coach Geralen Stack-Eaton also enter their eight year with the team.Â
Under Hansen, Stenger and Stack-Eaton, the Gophers broke numerous team records including a new team score record of 197.750 set at the 2021 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).
Recapping 2021
In 2021, Lexy Ramler won her third consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honor and the prestigious AAI Award. Ramler won 31 event titles this season and was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week six times. She ended the year 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. Ramler was a Big Ten Champion on bars, beam and in the all-around. At the Big Five Meet, Ramler set the program record all-around score with a 39.850.
Senior Ona 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.
Freshman Mya Hooten had an incredible breakout year as she secured the first perfect 10 on floor in program history.
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. Â
Gophers in the Polls
Minnesota came in at No. 2 in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll and No. 9 in the WCGA Preseason Poll.
The Gophers finished the 2021 regular season being ranked No. 8 overall, with event rankings of No. 5 on beam, No. 6 on vault, No. 7 on bars and No. 10 on floor.Â
Scouting Iowa
Iowa started the season ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 13 in the WCGA Preseason Poll.Â
Two Hawkeyes — junior JerQuavia Henderson and sophomore Adeline Kenlin – were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch. Henderson was named the CGN Comeback Gymnast of the Year in 2021 following a breakout sophomore season. The Peoria, Illinois, native shared the Big Ten Championships floor title, becoming the fourth Big Ten champion in school history. She also earned second-team WCGA All-America and first-team All-Big Ten honors. Kenlin became the first Iowa freshman to earn All-American distinction in 2021. The Iowa City, Iowa, native was tabbed as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a second-team WCGA All- American. Kenlin tied a school record on beam at Nebraska scoring a 9.975.
The Hawkeyes return 15 letterwinners, including All-Big Ten selections Clair Kaji, Lauren Guerin, JerQuavia Henderson and Adeline Kenlin, from a team that claimed the Big Ten regular season title last season. Guerin, Henderson and Kenlin were also WCGA All-Americans. The team also added six newcomers, including Michigan State transfer Linda Zivat and Towson transfer Allison Zuhlke.
Last season, the Hawkeyes clinched their first Big Ten Conference championship, claiming the 2021 regular-season title, when they won the Big Five Meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Feb. 27.
Iowa finished the Big Ten regular season with an 8-0 record.
Scouting UCLA
UCLA heads to Minnesota for the first time in 18 years. The last matchup in Minnesota came on Jan. 25, 2004, a 197.550-196.325 dual meet victory for UCLA. The last meeting between the two teams took place on Feb. 27, 2011, when UCLA beat Minnesota and Denver in a tri-meet in Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA returns four Pac-12 champions in Chae Campbell (floor), Margzetta Frazier (bars), Pauline Tratz (floor) and Sekai Wright (vault). Campbell went on to earn All-America honors in the all-around, beam and floor, and Frazier picked up her third consecutive All-America honor on uneven bars.Â
The Bruins return 20 of 24 routines from their 2021 postseason squad. The freshman class, ranked No. 2 nationally by College Gym News, is led by Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles, Canadian Olympian Brooklyn Moors, Olympic alternate Emma Malabuyo and World beam medalist Ana Padurariu, all of whom deferred enrollment a year ago while training for the delayed Olympics.Â
The Bruins went 14-7 overall in 2021 and finished third at the NCAA Morgantown Regional. Although UCLA did not qualify as a team to the 2021 NCAA Championships after finishing third at the NCAA Morgantown Regional, three Bruins qualified as individuals - all-arounder Campbell and individual event competitors Nia Dennis (vault) and Frazier (bars).
"We have an incredible schedule, competing against the very best teams in the country, both at home and on the road," head coach Jenny Hansen said. "These are great tests for our team if we are to reach our ultimate goals this year and be back at the National Championships.
The Gophers return all but two student-athletes from the 2021 season, with Mary Korlin-Downs and Lexi Montgomery graduating from the program. Minnesota has seven seniors on the current squad including Ona Loper, Abbie Nylin, Maddie Quarles, Lexy Ramler, Tiarre Sales, Ali Sonier and Hannah Willmarth. The Maroon and Gold also welcomes five freshmen to the team who will make an immediate impact. Alissa Fuelling, Marissa Jencks, Lauren Pearl, Olivia Reed and Haley Tyson are the newcomers.
"We are returning an incredible group from last year, all very motivated to continue the success from last season," Hansen said. "In addition, we are adding in some talented freshmen that should really help us fill the holes in the line ups from the seniors we lost. We have very high expectations for this year as we believe this could be the best team we have ever had."
Head coach Jenny Hansen is in her eighth season at the helm of the program. Associate head coach Rich Stenger and assistant coach Geralen Stack-Eaton also enter their eight year with the team.Â
Under Hansen, Stenger and Stack-Eaton, the Gophers broke numerous team records including a new team score record of 197.750 set at the 2021 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).
Recapping 2021
In 2021, Lexy Ramler won her third consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honor and the prestigious AAI Award. Ramler won 31 event titles this season and was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week six times. She ended the year 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. Ramler was a Big Ten Champion on bars, beam and in the all-around. At the Big Five Meet, Ramler set the program record all-around score with a 39.850.
Senior Ona 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.
Freshman Mya Hooten had an incredible breakout year as she secured the first perfect 10 on floor in program history.
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. Â
Gophers in the Polls
Minnesota came in at No. 2 in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll and No. 9 in the WCGA Preseason Poll.
The Gophers finished the 2021 regular season being ranked No. 8 overall, with event rankings of No. 5 on beam, No. 6 on vault, No. 7 on bars and No. 10 on floor.Â
Scouting Iowa
Iowa started the season ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 13 in the WCGA Preseason Poll.Â
Two Hawkeyes — junior JerQuavia Henderson and sophomore Adeline Kenlin – were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch. Henderson was named the CGN Comeback Gymnast of the Year in 2021 following a breakout sophomore season. The Peoria, Illinois, native shared the Big Ten Championships floor title, becoming the fourth Big Ten champion in school history. She also earned second-team WCGA All-America and first-team All-Big Ten honors. Kenlin became the first Iowa freshman to earn All-American distinction in 2021. The Iowa City, Iowa, native was tabbed as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a second-team WCGA All- American. Kenlin tied a school record on beam at Nebraska scoring a 9.975.
The Hawkeyes return 15 letterwinners, including All-Big Ten selections Clair Kaji, Lauren Guerin, JerQuavia Henderson and Adeline Kenlin, from a team that claimed the Big Ten regular season title last season. Guerin, Henderson and Kenlin were also WCGA All-Americans. The team also added six newcomers, including Michigan State transfer Linda Zivat and Towson transfer Allison Zuhlke.
Last season, the Hawkeyes clinched their first Big Ten Conference championship, claiming the 2021 regular-season title, when they won the Big Five Meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Feb. 27.
Iowa finished the Big Ten regular season with an 8-0 record.
Scouting UCLA
UCLA heads to Minnesota for the first time in 18 years. The last matchup in Minnesota came on Jan. 25, 2004, a 197.550-196.325 dual meet victory for UCLA. The last meeting between the two teams took place on Feb. 27, 2011, when UCLA beat Minnesota and Denver in a tri-meet in Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA returns four Pac-12 champions in Chae Campbell (floor), Margzetta Frazier (bars), Pauline Tratz (floor) and Sekai Wright (vault). Campbell went on to earn All-America honors in the all-around, beam and floor, and Frazier picked up her third consecutive All-America honor on uneven bars.Â
The Bruins return 20 of 24 routines from their 2021 postseason squad. The freshman class, ranked No. 2 nationally by College Gym News, is led by Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles, Canadian Olympian Brooklyn Moors, Olympic alternate Emma Malabuyo and World beam medalist Ana Padurariu, all of whom deferred enrollment a year ago while training for the delayed Olympics.Â
The Bruins went 14-7 overall in 2021 and finished third at the NCAA Morgantown Regional. Although UCLA did not qualify as a team to the 2021 NCAA Championships after finishing third at the NCAA Morgantown Regional, three Bruins qualified as individuals - all-arounder Campbell and individual event competitors Nia Dennis (vault) and Frazier (bars).
Level Up - Team Bonding
Thursday, November 06
Signing the Block M
Tuesday, May 20
Mya Hooten: NCAA Floor Final
Friday, April 18
Mya Hooten Previews NCAA Championships
Monday, April 14