No. 17 Gophers Head to No. 9 Alabama for Quad Meet

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 17 Minnesota women's gymnastics team (11-5, 6-3 B1G) finishes its non-conference road slate this weekend with a quad meet at No. 9 Alabama. Illinois and Talladega College will also compete in the meet. Minnesota looks to compete against a high level of competition before the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23. The Gophers are 5-2 against non-B1G competitors in 2024.

MEET INFORMATION
No. 17 Minnesota at No. 9 Alabama, vs. No. 24 Illinois, Talladega College
Friday, March 8
7 p.m. CT
Coleman Coliseum
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TV/Stream: SEC Network +
Stats: GopherSports.com.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

The No. 17 Minnesota women's gymnastics team capped off their Big Ten regular season slate with a 11-5 (6-3 B1G) record after the Big Five meet. The 'U' finished fourth in the regular season standings and will compete at the night session of the B1G Championships. Minnesota is coming off a 1-2 showing at Boise State on Friday, March with a score of 196.900.
The Gophers roster 19 student-athletes in the 2024 season, led by five-time WCGA All-American and 2023 Big Ten Champion Mya Hooten and First Team All-Big Ten selection Gianna Gerdes. Of those 19, 13 have competed in at least one event this season.
The Gophers added eight newcomers to the fray this season, including seven freshmen and a transfer.
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 (six floor, four 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.
Minnesota earned its road-opening season-best score in program history when it tallied a 196.850 on Jan. 6 at the Mean Girls Super 16 in Las Vegas, Nev. Its best performance of the season came on Feb. 3 at Penn State, with a dazzling score of 197.525.
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, Nebraska, Rutgers and UC Davis.

SCOUTING ALABAMA

The No. 9 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3-1, 3-3-1 SEC) are led by second-year head coach Ashley Johnston, a 10-time Crimson Tide All-American and member of back-to-back NCAA Championship teams in 2011 and 2012. In her first year in 2023, the Tide went 7-5, 4-4 SEC and took second at the conference championships.
Their season ended with a fourth place finish at the Norman, Okla., regionals. So far in 2024, Alabama bested UCLA, Cal and Auburn with a score of 197.125 at the Las Vegas Super 16. In conference competition, they hold wins over Missouri, Florida, and Georgia with a tie versus Arkansas. LSU, Auburn and Kentucky are their defeats.
Alabama ranks No. 9 nationally, including a No. 8 vault ranking, No. 3 in bars, No. 11 in beam and No. 15 on the floor. Luisa Blanco is the No. 13 all-arounder in the country, ranking No. 11 in vault, No. 17 on bars and No. 20 on beam and floor.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS

No. 24 Illinois (11-9, 4-5 B1G) is led by seventh-year head coach Nadalie Walsh, who has led the Illini to NCAA appearances five times. She was named CGA Regional Coach of the Year in 2022 and helped Illinois finish second at the Big Ten Championships in 2019.
So far in 2024, the Illini went 2-1 at the Las Vegas Super 16, defeated WVU, WMU and UW-Oshkosh in a quad and took down Rutgers for their lone Big Ten meet victory. A challenging league schedule has resulted in losses to Nebraska, No. 12 Ohio State and No. 10 Michigan State. At Big Fives, Illinois placed second on day two with a 3-1 record. They tied for fifth in the conference standings with Nebraska.
Graduate student Mia Takekawa and senior Amelia Knight were named B1G Gymnasts to Watch by the Big Ten Conference prior to the season.
Illinois was picked to finish sixth, one spot behind Minnesota. In 2023, Illinois finished 10-10 (4-5 B1G) and took fourth at the NCAA Regionals in Norman, Okla. They also finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships in Iowa City, Iowa

SCOUTING TALLADEGA COLLEGE

Talladega College is 5-8 (0-0) heading in Friday's meet in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Talladega is an HBCU located in Talladega, Ala.
They're led by head coach Aja Sims-Fletcher. Talladega College partnered with Brown Girls Do Gymnastics to launch the nation's second HBCU women's gymnastics team. The college made history by hiring Aja Sims-Fletcher as its inaugural gymnastics coach, making her the second HBCU gymnastics coach ever. Fletcher-Sims formerly competed as a gymnast at Alabama.
In 2024, Talladega has competed against Florida, George Washington, Southeast Missouri State, Auburn, Temple and Alaska Anchorage in Division I competition. TC's best score of the season was 192.200 on Feb. 9 against Centenary College.

WEEK NINE STANDOUTS; LAST TIME OUT

The No. 17 University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team (11-5, 6-3 B1G) placed third at the Boise State quad on March 1 at ExtraMile Arena with a score of 196.425. Washington took first with 197.200 while Boise State took second (196.825) and UC Davis placed fourth (195.425).
Mya Hooten took home event titles on floor (9.950) and vault (9.925), her 13th and 14th event titles in 2024. Lauren Pearl tied her with a floor event title at 9.950. This was Pearl's first event title of the year. Pearl tallied career-highs on both floor and vault (9.875) last weekend.
Gophers senior Gianna Gerdes posted a career-high 39.575 in the all-around to finish first. Her former career-high was 39.525 against Michigan on Feb. 10. Her best events were 9.925 scores on floor and bars (won event title). She earned a 9.875 on vault and a 9.850 on beam.
Minnesota scored a season-low 48.225 on bars. The 'U' lost points as both Ella Sirjord (8.900) and Mya Hooten (8.925) fell in their routines.
Minnesota was strong on floor, going for a 49.600. Lauren Pearl led the way with a career-high 9.950 while Hooten also went 9.950.
The 'U' earned a season-high 49.325 on vault to end the night. Marissa Jencks and Sophia Nguyen totaled 9.825s to start off the event. Lauren Pearl's career night continued with a 9.875 on vault, besting her former top score of 9.825. Gianna Gerdes also went 9.875 before Hooten finished off the night with a 9.925, her fourth score of 9.900-or-better on vault 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.

SENIOR STARS LEADING MAROON AND GOLD

Minnesota's class of five seniors has been leading the way for the team's success so far this season. The Gophers group of Gianna Gerdes (all-around), Mya Hooten (vault, beam, floor), Katie Horak (beam), Emily Koch (beam, floor) and Ella Sirjord (bars, beam) have combined for 28 event titles in 2024. Hooten leads the way with 14 while Gerdes has tallied 11 (six all-around titles).
Gerdes had the best meet of her career on March 1 at Boise State, going 39.575 in the all-around, topping her previous best of 39.525. She hit 9.925 on both bars and floor to spearhead her performance. The No. 3 ranked all-arounder in the Big Ten ranks No. 17 in vault and No. 8 in both bars and floor in the conference. Nationally, she ranks as the No. 17 all-around gymnast in the country.
Seniors Katie Horak and Ella Sirjord, who have both battled through injuries in their careers, have been healthy and extremely effective in their fourth seasons as Gophers. Horak and Sirjord both tallied career-best 9.950 scores on beam at Penn State in the Gophers meet win. Sirjord is ranked as the No. 7 beam gymnast in the Big Ten according to Road to Nationals' rankings.
Emily Koch earned an event title on floor Jan. 27 against Maryland. She's gone 9.900-or-better on floor in three of the past five meets.

WCGA AND ROAD TO NATIONALS RANKINGS

Entering the Alabama quad meet, the Golden Gophers fell one spot to No. 17 in the Road to Nationals rankings. The 'U' ranks 9th in the nation in floor, 12th in beam, 19th in vault and 26th on bars.
Minnesota's Gianna Gerdes ranks 17th in the nation in all-around. Mya Hooten ranks 2nd in floor and 14th 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 9.858 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 and delivered a career-best 9.875 outing Feb. 18 at Illinois.

UP NEXT
The Gophers will celebrate Senior Night on Sunday, March 17 when Air Force, Northern Illinois and West Virginia come to town for a quad meet. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. and B1G+ will stream. Seniors honored will be Gianna Gerdes, Katie Horak, Mya Hooten, Emily Koch and Ella Sirjord. Minnesota will then 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 Championships.

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Players Mentioned

Gianna Gerdes

Mya Hooten

Katie Horak

Marissa Jencks

Emily Koch

Jordyn Lyden

Sophia Nguyen

Lauren Pearl

Brooklyn Rowray

Ella Sirjord