No. 16 Gophers Host Senior Day Quad Against Air Force, NIU, West Virginia

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 16 Minnesota women's gymnastics team capped off their Big Ten slate with a 13-6 (6-3 B1G) record. The 'U' is set to finish its 2024 regular season this weekend against Air Force, Northern Illinois and West Virginia. Minnesota is coming off a 2-1 showing at Alabama on Friday, March 8 after posting its second-best score of the season, a 197.400. Minnesota will honor its five seniors at a post-meet ceremony starting at approximately 4:05 p.m.

MEET INFORMATION
No. 17 Minnesota vs. Air Force, Northern Illinois, West Virginia
Sunday, March 17, 2024
2 p.m. CT
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
TV/Stream: B1G+
Stats: GopherSports.com.

EVENT ROTATION ORDER
Minnesota: Vault-Uneven Bars-Balance Beam-Floor
Air Force: Balance Beam-Floor-Vault-Uneven Bars
N. Illinois: Uneven Bars-Balance Beam-Floor-Vault
West Virginia: Floor-Vault-Uneven Bars-Balance Beam

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

The Gophers finished fourth in the B1G regular season standings with a 6-3 league record. Minnesota will compete in the night session (5:30 p.m. ET) next weekend at the Big Ten Championships in East Lansing, Mich. They'll look to win their seventh Big Ten title all time and first since 2021.
Nine different Gophers have won event titles at some point this season. Hooten (14) and Gerdes (12) lead the way.
A senior from Woodbury, Minn., Hooten was a 2021/2022 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).
In 2024, Hooten has posted two perfect 10's on floor (vs. EMU, Jan. 13; vs. Michigan, Feb. 10). She's done so eight times in her career. Also this season, she's earned Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week four times (10 times in her career), and has won 14 event titles (seven floor, five vault, two uneven bars). She made SportCenter's top-10 plays for her floor performance on Jan. 13 vs. Eastern Michigan. She ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the country on floor this season.
The Gophers best performance of the season came on Feb. 3 at Penn State, with a dazzling score of 197.525. They also went over 197 at Alabama (197.400) and against Michigan (197.175).
The 'U' started their season 3-0 with wins in the Super 16 against Oregon State, BYU and Southern Utah. They also hold wins vs. Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Illinois (2x), Nebraska, Rutgers, Talladega College and UC Davis.

SCOUTING AIR FORCE

The Air Force Falcons (4-11) are led by fourth-year head coach Jennifer Green. In her inaugural year at Air Force, eight of her gymnasts made USAG All-American status. As a whole, Air Force placed third at the 2021 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships team finals.
So far in 2024, AF holds a season-high score of 195.650, which it achieved on March 1 against San Jose State and Utah State. Most recently, the Falcons competed at Clemson, earning 194.650 points as a team.
Oconomowoc, Wis., native Maggie Slife paces Air Force this season. The freshman has been named Mountain West Gymnast of the Week four times this season and freshman of the week seven times, including five straight weeks.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Northern Illinois (8-11-1, 1-5 MAC) is led by 13th-year head coach Sam Morreale. NIU has not finished lower than second at the MAC Championships since 2018 and reached the top of the podium in 2019 to claim the first MAC Women's Gymnastics Championship in school history. Over the last five years, the Huskies also have three runner-up finishes – in 2018, 2021 and 2022.
In 2024, they hold meet wins over Bowling Green, Fisk, UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater, Illinois State, UW-Eau Claire, Alaska Anchorage and Temple. Their season-best score was 195.800 on Feb. 25 at the NIU quad meet.
The Huskies have been led this season by junior all-arounder Isabella Sissi, sophomore Kiera O'Shea and freshman Dawsyn Sallee. O'Shea is the 39th highest scoring vaulter in the country this season, with a National Qualifying Score of 9.875. O'Shea took home the vault title in last weekend's quad-meet hosted by nationally ranked NC State. Sallee has competed in every NIU meet on vault and floor and her 9.925 on floor in the Huskies last home meet on Feb. 25 paced a record setting floor score by NIU.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia (6-14, 0-4 Big 12) is paced by 13th-year head coach Jason Butts. Since his appointment, Butts has compiled a 154-120-1 career record with the Mountaineers. He has led WVU to 10 appearances at the NCAA Regional Championships and a program-best, second-place showing at the 2015 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship.
This season, WVU holds wins over Temple, UW-Oshkosh, Kent State, Fisk, Western Michigan and Rutgers. The Mountaineers recorded a season-best score of 195.550 in a dual meet against No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday, Feb. 23.
The Mountaineers are led by three seniors this year, including Ellen Collins, Kiana Lewis and Abbie Pierson. Pierson is the most experienced gymnast on the roster, having competed in 58 meets entering her fifth season at WVU and amassing 1,803.875 points.

WEEK 10 STANDOUTS; LAST TIME OUT

The No. 17 University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team (13-6, 6-3 B1G) finished second with a score of 197.400 at the Alabama quad on Friday night at Coleman Coliseum. No. 9 Alabama won the quad meet with a 198.00 score while No. 24 Illinois (196.075) took third and Talladga College (191.000) rounded out the group.
The Gophers score of 197.400 was their second-highest of the season and pest since scoring 197.525 at Penn St. on Feb. 3. The 'U' also tallied over 197 against Michigan (197.375) on Feb. 10. Minnesota tied its season-high on bars with a 49.375, just one week after posting a season-low.
The Gophers tallied a 49.475 on beam, their second-best score of the season on the event (49.575 at Penn State). Sarah Moraw had the performance of her career, leading the way with a 9.950. Ella Sirjord totaled a 9.900, her third time this season going 9.900-or-better.
The 'U' earned a season-high 49.275 on vault to end the night. Mya Hooten's 9.900 was the top score while Sarah Moraw and Lauren Pearl (9.875) were right on her heels.
Minnesota was extremely strong on floor once again, going for a 49.325 Lauren Pearl led the way once again, tying her career-high with her second consecutive 9.950. Gianna Gerdes tallied a 9.900, her sixth 9.900-or-better on the event this season.

LAST SEASON

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.

GOPHERS TO HONOR FIVE ON SENIOR NIGHT

Minnesota will honor five seniors on Sunday afternoon. Gianna Gerdes (Delaware, Ohio), Mya Hooten (Woodbury, Minn.), Katie Horak (Buffalo, Minn.), Emily Koch (Bloomington, Minn.) and Ella Sirjord (Andover, Minn.) will be memorated with their friends and families.
All five have been mainstays in the lineup this season. Katie Horak and Ella Sirjord have been key contributors to the beam team especially, where they anchor the No. 12 ranked group in the country. Each has tallied career-best scores of 9.950 on the event this year.
Emily Koch has been a key part of both the beam team and floor exercise while Gianna Gerdes is the No. 3 ranked all-arounder in the Big Ten and No. 17 in the nation. Her career-best came this year, a 39.575 at Boise State.
One of the most legendary gymnasts to ever put on the Minnesota leo, Mya Hooten has earned nine All-America honors in her four years, including five first team selections. She ranks No. 2 on floor in the entire country and hopes to be the second Gopher ever to win a national title.

PEARL WINS BIG TEN EVENT SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK

Minnesota junior Lauren Pearl was named Co-Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week on Tuesday, the Big Ten announced. It's the first time in her career she's taken home the award.
Minnesota was extremely strong on the floor once again, going for a 49.325. Lauren Pearl led the way, tying her career-high with her second consecutive 9.950. She also posted a career-high with a 9.875 on vault and helped the team tie a season-best on beam with a 49.475. Pearl contributed a 9.850 to the team beam effort.
In her last two meets, Pearl has notched consecutive career-bests (9.950) on the floor and tied had two straight 9.875s on vault. She joins Mya Hooten and Jordyn Lyden as Gophers to take home Big Ten weekly awards in 2024.

WCGA AND ROAD TO NATIONALS RANKINGS

Entering this weekend's quad meet, the Golden Gophers went up one spot to No. 16 in the Road to Nationals rankings. The 'U' ranks 10th in the nation in floor, 12th in beam, 17th in vault and 21st in bars.
Minnesota's Gianna Gerdes ranks 17th in the nation in all-around. Mya Hooten ranks 2nd in floor and 18th in vault. Brooklyn Rowray was ranked No. 1 in the country on beam after posting a 9.975 on Jan. 6. She hasn't competed since then after suffering an achilles injury on Jan. 13.
Minnesota began the 2024 season ranked No. 18 in the WCGA Preseason poll. The 'U' is coming off a 2023 season that saw it go 10-6-1 (4-4-1 Big Ten), finishing fifth in the conference standings. The 'U' finished 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.
The Gophers ended 2023 ranked No. 18 in the nation, including a No. 12 rank in floor, 14th in vault, 19th in bars and 40th on beam.

LYDEN LOOKING LIKE A FUTURE STAR

True freshman Jordyn Lyden has been outstanding in her rookie year in the Maroon and Gold. The Stillwater, Minn., native competes on both bars and beam. Her 9.863 bars average ranks second on the team.
Lyden has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this season, including on Feb. 6 after tallying a career-best 9.975 on bars at Penn State. Her score tied a program-record. No Minnesota Golden Gopher has ever earned a perfect 10 on bars.
She has not been a mainstay on beam for the team, but stepped in last week and delivered a career-best 9.875 outing Feb. 18 at Illinois.

UP NEXT
Minnesota will head to the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23 in East Lansing, Mich. NCAA Regionals are to follow. The 'U' took fourth place in the regular season conference standings, meaning it will compete at the night session of the Big Ten Champinships at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT. The NCAA Regionals Selection Show is set for Monday, March 25.

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Players Mentioned

Gianna Gerdes

Mya Hooten

Katie Horak

Emily Koch

Jordyn Lyden

Sarah Moraw

Lauren Pearl

Brooklyn Rowray

Ella Sirjord