The No. 15 University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics team will compete this week at the Fayetteville Regional, which will take place April 3-6.

The Fayetteville Regional will be hosted by the University of Arkansas and is one of four regional meets held nationally. Competition will take place at Bud Walton Arena.

***Click the video box above to hear comments from Jenny Hansen, Mya Hooten, and Emily Koch***

The Gophers received the No. 15 overall seed and will compete on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. in the second round against No. 2 LSU, No. 18 Oregon State and the winner of the play-in matchup between Boise State and BYU.

On the other side of the regional bracket is No. 7 Arkansas, No. 10 Kentucky, No. 24 Arizona and Nebraska. The top two scores from each session will advance to the Regional Finals, which will take place on Saturday, April 6 at 5 p.m. CT.

The top two teams from the Regional Final will advance to the NCAA Championships April 18-20 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

(University of Minnesota athletics contributed information to this article.)

Further information below, courtesy of Gopher Athletics

The No. 15 University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics team is set to compete in the Fayetteville Regional Final, hosted by the University of Arkansas, on Saturday night at 5 p.m. on ESPN+. No. 2 LSU, No. 7 Kentucky and No. 10 Arkansas are the three teams competing against the Gophers. The top two highest scoring teams from the Regional Final will advance to the NCAA Championships April 18-20 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

MEET INFORMATION
No. 15 Minnesota vs. No. 2 LSU, No. 7 Arkansas, No. 10 Kentucky
2024 NCAA Regional Finals
Saturday, April 6, 2024
5 p.m. CT
Bud Walton Arena
Fayetteville, Ark.
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Stats: Virtius

EVENT ROTATION ORDER:
Minnesota: Floor-Vault-Bars-Beam
LSU: Beam-Floor-Vault-Bars-
Kentucky: Bars-Beam-Floor-Vault
Arkansas: Vault-Bars-Beam-Floor

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

• The No. 15 Minnesota women’s gymnastics team capped off their regular season with a 20-8 (6-3 B1G) record, their most all-time in the 10 years of Jenny Hansen’s tenure (18-4 in 2019).
• The Gophers finished fourth in the B1G regular season standings with a 6-3 league record. Minnesota then finished second at the Big Ten Championships on March 23 with a score of 197.500, missing winning the conference crown by .100 to Michigan State (197.600). It was the second-best finish at Big Ten’s since 2006 (won Big Ten title in 2021).
• Minnesota is making its 43rd NCAA Regionals appearance all-time in 2024 in year 50 of program history. The Gophers have made regionals for the past 28 seasons (not including 2020 COVID year). 
• The ‘U’ has made nationals three times (2016, 2021, 2022) in the past nine seasons, finishing second each time in their regional. Their two regional titles in program laurels came in 1980 and 1982.
• Four Gophers (Gianna Gerdes, Mya Hooten, Lauren Pearl, Ella Sirjord) were named All-Big Ten. Hooten (bars, floor, vault) won three Big Ten individual titles while Sarah Moraw (beam) won a B1G championship as well.
• Mya Hooten was named a WCGA regular season First Team All-American on both floor and vault. It was her fourth straight first team honor on floor and third straight on vault (two-time second team honoree).
• Nine different Gophers have won event titles at some point this season. Hooten (19) and Gerdes (11) lead the way.
• The Gophers best performance of the season came two weeks ago in their senior day quad with a dazzling 197.725. They’ve gone over 197 four times in 2024, including Feb. 3 at Penn State (197.525), March 8 at Alabama (197.400) and Feb. 10 against Michigan (197.175).
• The ‘U’ holds wins over Oregon State, BYU, Southern Utah, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Illinois (2x), Nebraska, Rutgers, Talladega College, UC Davis, Air Force, Northern Illinois and West Va. this year.

SCOUTING LSU

• The No. 2 ranked LSU Tigers (22-3, 5-2 SEC) took home the SEC Championship last weekend, their fifth as a program, with a 198.075 score. The score matched the programs highest at the championships to place them in first overall across all eight teams in both sessions of the competition. Milestones this year include an undefeated home season, nine ranked victories over top-20 opponents and two program high scores this year, with the highest score in LSU history coming in a 198.475 victory over No. 7 Arkansas.
• LSU is led by fourth-year head coach Jay Clark, who’s in his 13th season there overall after serving as an associate head coach for nine years prior. He led the Tigers to a fourth place finish overall at the NCAA Championships. Haleigh Bryant finished as the All-Around Champion at the NCAA Championships. The Tigers finished the year in the top 10 for all four events (No. 3 on vault, No. 3 on floor, No. 9 on bars and No. 10 on beam).
• Five Tigers were named to the All-SEC teams, led by WCGA Regular Season All-Americans Haleigh Bryant (1st Team AA, Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor) and Kiya Johnson (2nd Team AA, 1st Team Floor). Konnor McClain was named WCGA First Team All-America on beam. LSU posted a 197.800 in Thursday’s Regional Semifinal to advance to Saturday.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

• The No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats (18-7, 4-3 SEC) are led by 13th-year head coach Tim Garrison, who was named Co-SEC Coach of the Year this season. He has had one of his most successful seasons to date as head coach, seeing their highest ranking so far this season at No. 3. The Wildcats finished third at the SEC Championships, setting a new program-best finish. Garrison has led the Cats to the Regionals every year since 2011.
• Kentucky ranks fifth in vault, ninth in bars, seventh on beam and sixth on floor according to Road to Nationals.
• Five Wildcats, Raena Worley, Makenzie Wilson, Arianna Patterson, Isabella Magnelli and Creslyn Brose, were named WCGA Regular Season All-Americans. The group helped Kentucky win SEC matchups against Auburn, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri. Kentucky’s top score of the season was 198.100, which it accomplished in a loss at Florida on March 3. UK’s average this season was 197.592.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

• The No. 10-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks (13-11-1, 4-2-1 SEC) are led by fifth-year head coach Jordyn Wieber, who guided the Gymbacks to their 20th consecutive regional appearance in 2024. Their four SEC wins this season are the most since 2016 and Wieber’s highest total at UA.
• On March 3, Arkansas defeated the No. 13 Missouri Tigers in record-breaking fashion with a new program high score of 197.650. The Gymbacks finished sixth at the SEC Championships with a score of 197.050, their first time going over 197 at the conference championships.
• Maddie Jones, Hailey Klein, Frankie Price, Leah Smith, Cami Weaver and Lauren Williams all received all-conference nods, tying a program-record for most ever All-SEC honorees. Price was named a WCGA Second Team All-American on the floor, her first All-America honor.

REGIONALS DAY ONE

• The No. 15 University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics team posted a score of 196.950 in the second round of the NCAA Regionals on Thursday night. Their score put them in second place, meaning they clinched a spot in Saturday night’s Regional Finals.
• The Gophers started the evening by posting a 49.500 on the floor, their sixth time this season going 49.500-or-better. They followed that up with a 49.225 on vault, 49.025 on bars and 49.200 on beam.
• Mya Hooten took home a title on vault with a 9.975, her seventh of the year on the event. The score also tied her career-high, which she last hit on March 23 at the Big Ten Championships. Hooten’s vault score qualified her as an individual at nationals.

WEEK 12 STANDOUTS; LAST TIME OUT

• The Gophers took second at the 2024 Big Ten Championships with a score of 197.500. No. 9 Michigan State took home the Big Ten title with a score of 197.600 followed by No. 10 Michigan (197.225) and Ohio State (197.050).
• Mya Hooten tied for Big Ten titles on vault (9.975, second of her career), floor (9.950, third of her career) and uneven bars (9.925, first of her career) In total, Hooten is a three-time Big Ten floor champion (2022-24), two-time vault champion (2023-24) and now an uneven bars champion.
• Sophomore Sarah Moraw won her first B1G title with a 9.925 on balance beam in front of her friends and family in her home state of Michigan.
• The Gophers started the evening by posting their best bars score (49.375) of the season, topping the 49.325 it posted at Alabama and Penn State. They continued their day with a 49.475 on beam and floor before finishing with a 49.225 on vault.
• A record six Gophers made the B1G All-Championships team: Gianna Gerdes, Mya Hooten, Katie Horak, Sarah Moraw, Lauren Pearl, Ella Sirjord.

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 HISTORY AT NCAA REGIONALS

• Minnesota will be partaking in the NCAA Regionals for the 43rd time in program history this week in Fayetteville, Ark. The Gophers hold two regional titles, which came in 1980 and 1982.
• Under Jenny Hansen, the Gophers have advanced out of regionals three times, making nationals in 2016, 2021 and 2022 with second place finishes. The Gophers went on to finish sixth at nationals in 2022, their best finish in program history.
• In 2022, The No. 8 University of Minnesota gymnastics team competed in the Norman Regional and earned a score of 197.725 to advance to the NCAA National Championships. Minnesota entered the final rotation trailing Cal for the second position to qualify for nationals. The Gophers recorded a meet-best 49.650 to send them to Texas. Mya Hooten led the Gophers with a nearly flawless 9.975.
• Also in 2022, Minnesota qualified for the NCAA National Championships as a team for the sixth time ever. The Gophers also earned a spot in the championship meet in 1997 (10th-place finish), 2002 (ninth), 2013 (eighth), 2016 (12th) and 2021 (eighth). 2022 marked the first time in school history that the Gophers qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team in consecutive years.
• In 2021, the No. 8 Gophers punched their ticket to NCAA Nationals after placing second in the Athens Regional Championship. The Gophers posted a 197.425 and were second only to Florida who had a team score of 197.700. Then freshman Mya Hooten had a huge performance for the Maroon and Gold, posting a 9.950 on floor and vault. All four of four-year All-American Lexy Ramler’s routines earned a 9.900 or above from the judges.  Ramler had a 9.950 on beam, 9.925 on bars and a 9.900 on both vault and floor.

HOOTEN EARNS FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA ON FLOOR AND VAULT

• For the fourth straight season, University of Minnesota senior gymnast Mya Hooten has been named an All-American by the WCGA. Hooten was named a First Team All-American on both floor and vault. She’s now a four-time WCGA First Team All-American on floor and a three-time WCGA All-American on vault (two-time second team).
• Now a seven-time WCGA All-America honoree, Hooten joins Lexy Ramler (2018-22) as the only Gophers to earn All-America honors in four consecutive seasons.
  Student-athletes with the top eight National Qualifying Scores (NQS) for the regular season (with ties), for each event plus the all-around earned All America honors. Second team All-America honors are earned by student-athletes ranked Nos. 9-16 (with ties) in the NQS.
• Hooten, has earned three perfect 10s on floor this season, bringing her career total to nine ahead of regional competition. Her season average on floor sits at a spectacular 9.945 before regionals, with an NQS of 9.980. On vault, Hooten holds a 9.885 average with a season-high of 9.975, which she earned at the Big Ten Championships last weekend. Hooten’s NQS is 9.925 heading into regionals.

FOUR GOPHERS EARN ALL-BIG TEN ACCOLADES

• Gopher gymnasts Gianna Gerdes, Mya Hooten, Lauren Pearl and Ella Sirjord were named to the All-Big Ten teams, the conference announced. Hooten and Gerdes made the first team while Pearl and Sirjord were named to the second team.
• Gerdes, a Delaware, Ohio native, takes home her second consecutive First Team All-Big Ten honor. Gerdes holds 11 event titles this season, including six in the all-around. Her 39.452 all-around average puts her at No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 23 nationally. She earned a career-high 39.575 in the all-around on March 1 at Boise State, topping her previous career-best of 39.525.
• Mya Hooten has earned her fourth consecutive All-Big Ten honor, including her third first team accolade. Hooten currently ranks as the No. 2 floor gymnast in the country with a 9.945 average. She’s tallied three perfect 10’s this season and has gone 9.95-or-better on the event seven times in 11 meets. Hooten has collected 15 event titles in 2024, including eight on floor, five on vault and two on the uneven bars.
• Milford, Mass., native Lauren Pearl took home Second Team All-Big Ten honors after a banner junior season that saw her post averages of 9.889 on floor, 9.823 on beam and 9.793 on vault. She has earned career-highs in each event this year, including two 9.950s on floor, a 9.950 on beam (March 17) and two 9.875s on vault. Pearl was named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week on March 12.
• A senior out of Andover, Minn., Ella Sirjord has had a wonderful final season in the Maroon and Gold, capped with Second Team All-Big Ten honors. Sirjord had battled through injury throughout her career and had not competed in non-exhibitions before 2024. She has been a mainstay on both the uneven bars and balance beam for Minnesota, winning three beam event titles and has gone 9.900-or-better five different times.

WCGA AND ROAD TO NATIONALS RANKINGS

• Entering the NCAA Regionals the Golden Gophers stayed  at No. 15 in the Road to Nationals rankings. The ‘U’ ranks 8th in the nation on beam, 11th on the floor, 19th in vault and 21st on bars.
• Minnesota’s Gianna Gerdes ranks 24th in the nation in all-around. Mya Hooten ranks 2nd in floor and 8th 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.

HORAK HAS HUGE SENIOR SEASON

• Senior Katie Horak has battled through injury in her career (dislocated knee in 2022) and hadn’t competed in non-exhibitions before this season. She has stepped up to become one of Minnesota’s most consistent beam performers, totaling a 9.864 average, which ranks second on the team. She’s gone 9.850-or-better 10 times in 13 meets in 2024.
• Horak made the Big Ten All-Championships Team after reeling off a 9.900 on beam on March 23 at Michigan State. The Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner tallied a career-best 9.950 performance on beam at Penn State on Feb. 3, helping the Gophers post the fifth-best beam score in program history that day (49.575).

HOME KOCHING

• Senior Bloomington, Minn., native Emily Koch has had a great fourth season for the Gophers, placing as one of Minnesota’s most consistent athletes on beam and floor. She holds a 9.879 average on the floor, which ranks third behind Mya Hooten and Lauren Pearl.
• Koch had a career meet on March 17, going for career-highs (9.950) on both beam and floor to help the Gophers hit a season-best 197.725 score. Koch has gone 9.850-or-better 12 times in 13 meets on floor this year, including four 9.900s.