'U' to Host No. 10 Arkansas in Home Opener

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 15 Minnesota women's gymnastics team is getting set for its home opener on Saturday, Jan. 10 against the No. 10 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas is coming off another top-15 final ranking in 2025, and like Minnesota, made the NCAA Regional Finals.

The meet is set for 4 p.m. CT and B1G+ will stream. Gophers alumnae Lexy (Ramler) Bergeland and Halle Remlinger will be the commentators for the meet.

The Gophers are coming off a 1-1 weekend against No. 5 Utah and No. 22 Iowa in Salt Lake City, Utah. Minnesota totaled a 195.475 score, taking second behind Utah (196.625). This will be the Gymbacks first meet of the season.

MEET INFORMATION
No. 15 Minnesota vs. No. 10 Arkansas
Saturday, Jan. 10
4 p.m. CT
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
TV/Stream: B1G+
Commentators: Lexy (Ramler) Bergeland and Halle Remlinger
Live Stats: GopherSports.com

2025 YEAR IN REVIEW

The No. 15 Minnesota gymnastics team heads into the 2026 season after posting a 25-7 (8-1 B1G) record last season. The Gophers held a season-high score of 197.425, an NQS of 197.210 and an average of 196.825. Of Minnesota's 25 wins, nine came against teams that were ranked in the Road to Nationals top-25.
Minnesota finished in second place in the Big Ten conference, which is tied for the second-best ever in the 12-year Jenny Hansen era. The Gophers took third place at the Big Ten Championships with a 197.425 score, behind only UCLA and Michigan State. Their score was the third highest ever for the Gophers in their Big Ten Championships history.
They tallied their best beam performance of the season there at 49.525, a figure that ties for the eighth-best beam score in progam history.
The Gophers ranked 12th on vault, 16th on bars, 16th on beam and 11th on floor in 2025. Their vault high score was 49.400, bars 49.425, beam 49.525 and floor 49.550 in 2025.
The 'U' held wins over CMU, UNH, Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, Washington, Nebraska, Illinois, ISU, Maryland, Michigan (2x), LIU, Centenary, Southern Utah and Boise State. Its only losses came to Michigan St. (2x), UCLA (3x), Utah and Denver. Michigan State, UCLA and Utah all made nationals, with UCLA and Utah making the NCAA Championship Finals.
With its second place finish at the NCAA Regional Semifinals last year in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Gophers advanced to their fourth NCAA Regional Finals in the last five seasons. They were one of three Big Ten teams to do so last year, joining MSU and UCLA.
The 'U' made nationals three times (2016, 2021, 2022) the past 10 years, finishing second each time in their regional. Their two regional titles in program laurels came in 1980 and 1982. Minnesota is seeking its 7th-ever nationals appearance in 2025.

WEEK ONE RECAP VS. UTAH AND IOWA

The No. 15 Minnesota gymnastics team took second at the Utah tri-meet to open the 2026 season on Friday night. The No. 5-ranked Utes won the night with a 196.625 while Minnesota went 195.475. No. 22 Iowa placed third with a score of 194.825.
The Gophers posted scores of 48.825 on vault, 48.000 on bars, 48.775 on beam and 49.075 on the floor. Utah won on vault (49.200), bars (49.150) and beam (49.250) while the Gophers were victorious on the floor with their 49.075.
Individually, Sarah Moraw (9.850) led the Gophers on vault, Jordyn Lyden (9.850) led on bars, Lauren Pearl (9.825) was the top beam score and
Sophie Swartzmiller paced the 'U' on the floor (9.850). Gianna Gerdes went 39.075 on the all-around.
Rookie Arianna Ostrum made her Minnesota debut, going 9.825 on floor and 9.750 on vault. Lacie Saltzmann scored 9.775 on bars in her debut.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

Arkansas is led by seventh-year head coach Jordyn Wieber. In 2024, she led the Gymbacks to their first NCAA Championships team appearance in eight years. Arkansas finished seventh of eighth to conclude the season ranked No. 7, the highest final rank for the team since 2012.
UA is coming off another impressive season in 2025, in which they finished No. 12 in the country. Arkansas posted four top 10 victories, beating No. 2 LSU twice.
Heading into 2026, the Gymbacks start the season ranked as a top 10 team for the second consecutive year. Arkansas returned several standouts, including sophomore Joscelyn Roberson. Roberson ended the season at NCAA Championships, where she competed as an all-around individual and scored a 39.425, the best-ever mark by an Arkansas freshman at nationals.
The Gymbacks also see redshirt junior Lauren Williams and fifth-year trio Frankie Price, Leah Smith and Cami Weaver back in action for 2026.

COACH HANSEN BACK FOR 12TH SEASON

Head coach Jenny Hansen is in her 12th season at the helm of the program. Overall, she holds a 235-132-1 record and a 73-31 mark in the Big Ten. Fellow assistant Kiki Parenteau is in her fifth year as an assistant coach at Minnesota in 2026.
Five-year Gophers star Mya Hooten (2020-25) was added to the staff as an assistant coach, as was Sam Scherwinski, in the off-season. Scherwinski spent last season as an assistant at Nebraska and will specialize in coaching bars. Hooten will coach the beam team in addition to helping out on floor choreography.
Under the watch of coach Hansen, the Gophers took home the 2021 Big Ten title, their first conference championships crown since 2006 and the program's sixth ever. They also won the 2016 Big Ten regular season title, the programs third (2013/2014). In 2022, Minnesota set a program-record by finishing sixth (197.1125) at the NCAA Championships. They've made 10 NCAA Regionals appearances, including four of the last five regional finals, under her leadership.

EARLY 2026 ROAD TO NATIONALS INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Gianna Gerdes ranks 15th nationally on vault (9.825) and 28th (9.800) on the floor. Arianna Ostrum (9.825) is 18th on the floor while Sophie Swartzmiller (9.850) comes in at No. 12 in the country after week one.
Jordyn Lyden ranks 11th nationally on bars (9.850) and tied for 18th with Ostrum (9.825) on the floor.
Sarah Moraw (9.850) is the seventh best on vault in America after meet one.

WCGA AND ROAD TO NATIONALS RANKINGS

To finish 2025, the Gophers ranked 12th on vault, 16th on bars, 16th on beam and 11th on floor in 2025. Their vault high score was 49.400, bars 49.425, beam 49.525 and floor 49.550 in 2025.
Minnesota begins 2026 ranked No. 15 in the WCGA Preseason poll. They ranked behind only No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 Michigan St. and No. 14 Michigan in the Big Ten.

KEY RETURNEES FOR THE MAROON AND GOLD

The 2026 Golden Gophers will be led by several key returners, including two-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree Gianna Gerdes. Gerdes comes back to Minnesota for her fifth year after taking last season off. The all-arounder was an AAI Award Nominee in 2024 and earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor. She also made two Big Ten All-Championships Teams. She'll be a crucial contributor once again this year.
Fifth-year vault, beam and floor specialist Lauren Pearl is back once again as well. She was a 2024 All-Big Ten Second Team and a Big Ten All-Championships Team selection who holds career-highs of 9.950 on beam and floor.
Junior Jordyn Lyden is coming off her best season as a Gopher, earning 2025 All-Big Ten Second Team honors and Big Ten All-Championships Team accolades. Named a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch this year, she holds the school record in the uneven bars (9.975) and is a nationals contender there this season. Lyden has gone 9.900 on beam and 9.850 on the floor in her career.
Senior Sarah Moraw is back for year four in Minnesota. She was the 2024 Big Ten Balance Beam champion and a Big Ten All-Championships Team honoree. Last year, she made the All-Big Ten Second Team. Moraw competes mainly on vault and beam for the Gophers.

MINNESOTA PICKED FOURTH IN THE B1G, GERDES AND LYDEN HONORED

The Minnesota women's gymnastics program will begin their 2026 campaign ranked fourth in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll.
UCLA was selected to win the 2026 Big Ten Conference women's gymnastics championships, followed by Michigan State and Michigan. Following Minnesota at four, 5-12 reads Ohio State, Iowa, Nebraska, Penn State, Maryland, Illinois, Washington and Rutgers.
Two student-athletes from each team were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch. Gianna Gerdes (2024), earned her second preseason all-league nod while Jordyn Lyden was named a Gymnast to Watch for her first time.

EMMA SLEVIN COMES IN AS HERALDED NEWCOMER

Emma Slevin (Galway, Ireland) is listed as a junior on Minnesota's roster this season, despite it being her first season in college. The Gymnastics Ireland Gymnast of the Year in 2025, Slevin was the first Irish female gymnast to qualify for a senior all-around final at the European Championships and at the World Championships, doing both in 2021.
She was also the 2022 and 2024 Northern European all-around champion and a medalist on bars, beam and floor in 2024. She also earned the bars title at the Irish National Championships in 2025.
She will have two years of eligibility in college after competing overseas. She committed to Minnesota in July and signed in August.
In her first meet at Utah, Slevin went 9.650 on vault, 9.775 on bars and exhibitioned on beam, going 9.725.

UP NEXT
The 'U' stays home to host No. 14 Michigan for a meet on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Maturi Pavilion. The meet will be at 4 p.m. CT on B1G+.

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Players Mentioned

Gianna Gerdes

Mya Hooten

Jordyn Lyden

Sarah Moraw

Arianna Ostrum

Lauren Pearl

Lacie Saltzmann

Emma Slevin

Sophie Swartzmiller