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Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
Gopher Gym Opens Up 2024 Season at Super 16
1/4/2024 12:49:00 PM | Gymnastics
Minnesota competes against BYU, Oregon State, Southern Utah
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The No. 18 University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team officially starts the 2024 season on Saturday, January 6 at the 'Mean Girls' Super 16 Gymnastics Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. (Orleans Arena). The Gophers will take on BYU, Oregon State and Southern Utah in a four-tesam quad meet. It's set to begin at 2 p.m. CT/Noon PST.
For the second annual event, 16 NCAA teams and over 300 gymnasts, including Olympic, World and National Champions, are scheduled to compete. This year's event is a strategic partnership with Paramount Pictures and their upcoming release of the iconic Mean Girls franchise. This exciting and innovative collaboration resonates with the athletes and the Gen Z audience alike.
"We are thrilled to be part of this tremendous weekend," said head coach Jenny Hansen. "Pairing the excitement of College Women's Gymnastics with a movie that our young women identify with as they balance the challenges of being student athletes at the highest level."
The two-day competition has four sessions with team, all-around and event champions for each session. The Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships is the official opening day of collegiate competition. The athletes will be treated to a special advance screening of Mean Girls before the competitions begin, preceding the film's opening nationwide on January 12. The entire Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships will be imbued with the film's spirited essence, ensuring that every aspect of the competition echoes its iconic vibe.
MEET INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota vs. No. 31 BYU, No. 13 Oregon State, No. 24 Southern Utah
Saturday, Jan. 6
2 p.m. CT/ Noon PST
Orleans Arena
Las Vegas, Nev.
TV/Stream: YouTube
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota opens its home slate next Saturday, Jan. 13 at 4 p.m. against Eastern Michigan. B1G+ will provide streaming coverage.
For the second annual event, 16 NCAA teams and over 300 gymnasts, including Olympic, World and National Champions, are scheduled to compete. This year's event is a strategic partnership with Paramount Pictures and their upcoming release of the iconic Mean Girls franchise. This exciting and innovative collaboration resonates with the athletes and the Gen Z audience alike.
"We are thrilled to be part of this tremendous weekend," said head coach Jenny Hansen. "Pairing the excitement of College Women's Gymnastics with a movie that our young women identify with as they balance the challenges of being student athletes at the highest level."
The two-day competition has four sessions with team, all-around and event champions for each session. The Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships is the official opening day of collegiate competition. The athletes will be treated to a special advance screening of Mean Girls before the competitions begin, preceding the film's opening nationwide on January 12. The entire Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships will be imbued with the film's spirited essence, ensuring that every aspect of the competition echoes its iconic vibe.
MEET INFORMATION
No. 18 Minnesota vs. No. 31 BYU, No. 13 Oregon State, No. 24 Southern Utah
Saturday, Jan. 6
2 p.m. CT/ Noon PST
Orleans Arena
Las Vegas, Nev.
TV/Stream: YouTube
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
- The Gophers roster 19 student-athletes in the 2024 season, led by three-time All-American and 2023 Big Ten Champion Mya Hooten and First Team All-Big Ten selection Gianna Gerdes. The Gophers added eight newcomers to the fray this season, including seven freshmen and a transfer from Pittsburgh University (Anahit Assadourian). Notable departures from 2023 include two-time All-American and three-time Second Team All-Big Ten selection Maddie Quarles. Two-time All-Big Ten honoree Halle Remlinger also departed after earning second team honors last season as a senior.
- Minnesota begins the 2024 season ranked No. 18 in the WCGA Preseason poll, one of five Big Ten teams in the top 25.
- Both Gerdes and Hooten were named 2024 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch. The Gophers were picked to finish fifth in the league, behind No. 6 Michigan, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 14 Ohio State and No. 24 Iowa.
- A senior from Woodbury, Minn., Hooten was a 2022 NCAA All-American in floor (first team, 9.500) and vault (second team, 9.9000) and 2023 WCGA Regular Season All-American in floor (first team) and vault (second team). She earned her first NCAA All-America honors in 2021 in floor (first team, 9.950) and vault (second team, 9.8750).
- Ranked No. 31 nationally as voted on by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association, the BYU Cougars begin their first season as members of the Big 12 Conference on Saturday. They formerly competed in the Mountain Rim conference.
- BYU finished 2023 season ranked No. 33 in the nation. The Cougars finished ranked No. 29 on beam, No. 36 on floor, No. 29 on bars and No. 32 on vault.
- The 2023 team finished the season with a 195.802 average and a 392.525 National Qualifying Score (NQS) to put them among the top teams in the nation.
- Senior beam queen Elease Rollins earned MRGC Beam Specialist of the Year and freshman Kylie Eaquinto earned MRGC Freshman of the Year honors. Sydney Benson was the league's Co-Vault Specialist of the Year.
- The Oregon State women's gymnastics team enters the 2024 season ranked No. 13 in the WCGA Preseason poll. The Beavers are coming off a 2023 season that saw them finish with a 17-10-3 record and a fourth place finish at the Pac-12 Championships. OSU also finished fourth at the 2023 NCAA Regionals in Denver, one spot ahead of Minnesota.
- OSU finished last season ranked 12th in the nation, including 4th on vault, eighth on floor, 16th on vault and 21st on bars.
- Jade Carey earned her second-straight all-around title in 2023 and is a two-time Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year. She earned at least one Perfect 10 on all four events last season, just the 13th NCAA Gymnast ever to accomplish that feat. She finished as the NCAA Runner-Up on beam in 2023.
- Carey made the Pac-12 Preseason Watch List while freshman Sophia Eposito made the Newcomer Watch List.
- Out of the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference, SUU enters the 2024 season ranked No. 24 in the WCGA poll. The T-Birds finished the 2023 season ranked No. 22 in the country. They ranked 18th on beam, 22nd on vault and floor and 25th on bars.
- The Thunderbirds are coached by Scott Bauman, who was named the MRGC Coach of the Year in 2023. Associate Head Coach Jamie Wysong was also named the Assistant Coach of the Year for the conference. Southern Utah has three returning gymnasts who finished the season ranked in the top 100 nationally, including Kayla Pardue (#83 Vault), Aubri Schwartze (#96 Floor), and Ellie Cacciola (#51 Beam).
- Last season, the Thunderbirds battled to their first-ever MRGC Championship in program history (196.875), defeating BYU (195.575), Boise State (196.000) and Utah State (195.825).
- Now sophomore Kayla Pardue earned a First-Team All-MRGC nod for the vault and junior Ellie Cacciola was named First-Team All-MRGC on the beam. Senior Aubri Schwartze made the First-Team All-MRGC floor team.
- The 'U' is coming off a 2023 season that saw it post a 10-6-1 (4-4-1 Big Ten) meet record, finishing fifth in the regular season standings. The Gophers went on to finish third at the Big Ten Championships (197.250) and fifth at the NCAA Regionals (197.200). They will be looking to qualify for nationals for the third time in the last four seasons in 2024.
- Head coach Jenny Hansen is in her 10th season at the helm of the program. Associate head coach Rich Stenger and assistant coach Geralen Stack-Eaton also enter their 10th years with the team. Fellow assistant Kiki Parenteau was promoted to assistant coach this summer after serving as a volunteer assistant for the past two years. She will be entering year three in 2024.
- In the 10 years since Hansen has been in charge, the team has posted a 114-48-1 meet record (55-26-1 Big Ten).
- They've made eight regional appearances and three nationals trips, including a program-record sixth place finish (197.1125) in 2022. Hansen and the Gophers took home the 2021 Big Ten title, the program's sixth all-time.
- Minnesota had four gymnasts named to All-Big Ten teams in 2023, with then-juniors Gianna Gerdes and Mya Hooten being named to First Team and seniors Halle Remlinger and Maddie Quarles being named to Second Team.
- It's the first time Gerdes and Remlinger had been named to an All-Big Ten team, while Hooten has now been named to an all-conference team three times and Quarles twice.
- The Gophers recorded four perfect 10s in 2023 - two coming from Hooten on floor, one from Halle Remlinger on floor, and one from Maddie Quarles on vault. Remlinger and Quarles both expired their eligibility.
- Minnesota has had a gymnast recognized by the Big Ten eight different times in 2023. Mya Hooten earned weekly awards three times, including Gymnast of the Week and Event Specialist twice.
- Gianna Gerdes was named Gymnast of the Week once, also the first of her career. Then-freshman Seria Johnson was named Freshman of the Week after her performance at the Wasatch Classic.
Minnesota opens its home slate next Saturday, Jan. 13 at 4 p.m. against Eastern Michigan. B1G+ will provide streaming coverage.
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