Minnesota’s gymnastics team finished third overall at the Big Ten Championship this past weekend, but former individual champion Mya Hooten did not reclaim a title. 

After a second-place finish the previous year, the Gophers had a chance to win a team title against No. 5 UCLA, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 17 Michigan. 

The Gophers started the meet fiercely, led by Emily Koch, Leah Gonsiorowski and Lauren Pearl, who all scored 9.900 on the floor. Their routines placed Minnesota in second place behind the No. 9 Spartans. 

Hooten made a rare mistake on her last pass, finishing with a 9.875.

Ava Stewart shared the lead on vault with a 9.875, tying with her teammate Hooten. Despite standout performances, the Gophers sat in fourth place after the vault.

Fortunately for the Gophers, Jordyn Lyden rallied for the team, taking her first Big Ten event title on bars. Posting a 9.950, her sixth time going 9.000 or better in the last seven meets. 

Graciously thanking her faith for her success, Lyden spoke on her goal for the end of the season.

“First of all, I want to thank my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, I just went out there and executed to the best of my ability,” Lyden said. “My goal is to get a perfect 10 on bars this year.” 

Lyden appreciates her teammates, who she said were a big reason for why she decided to commit to the Gophers in the first place.

“I’m glad my teammates have my back and trust me to go last,” Lyden said. “I absolutely love the team culture. It is so family-like, they made it feel like home.” 

Saving their best performance for last, the Gophers earned a season-high team score of 49.525 on the balance beam. This jumped them up to third right at the last second.

Hooten, happy for her teammates, spoke on working together.

“To be a successful team, you have to be able to work together,” Hooten said. 

Hooten added that the team’s success is not just based on wins and losses, but on becoming strong women. 

Head coach Jenny Hansen was grateful for the happy ending to a nail-biting meet.

“I was especially proud of how we finished the meet on beam, we just attacked it,” Hansen said. “We wanted to leave here as a better team than we walked in as, and I definitely think we accomplished that.” 

Minnesota will compete next April 2 in Salt Lake City for their regional meet, which will determine if their season ends or if they advance to the regional semifinals.

At age three, just a stray cord and a big imagination was the beginning of future Big Ten gymnastics champion Mya Hooten’s heavily decorated career. 

Hooten took a cable cord from a box and started jump roping. Having so much energy as a young girl and nowhere to release it, Hooten’s parents decided to put her in gymnastics when she started doing cartwheels. 

Hooten’s mother Kari Conroy knew from the beginning her daughter was a go-getter.

“She was always so spunky, jumping around on couches, doing flips and always moving around,” Conroy said.

While most things could not get Hooten to sit still at a young age, one Olympic performance in particular finally stole the attention of the young Hooten, changing her life from then on.

“I had an obsession with Shawn Johnson,” Hooten said. “I would make my dad pause the TV and we would rewatch her Olympic routine over and over.”

Hooten started gymnastics young, bouncing around from multiple organizations including Rising Stars, St. Paul Park and Classic Gym. 

From an outside perspective, you could see Hooten’s talent as a gymnast bringing her many accolades in the future, but behind the scenes, she was dealing with a heavy load of affliction.

Going into high school, Hooten’s parents divorced, forcing her to help out with her siblings while her mom worked late nights. 

During this time she switched high schools three times, having to balance school, her family and the gym.

Considering she wanted to compete at the collegiate level, Hooten had a lot on her plate, on the mat and at home. Even with everything going on, she never let anything stop her from doing whatever she could to keep her dream afloat.

Conroy spoke highly of her dedication to gymnastics.

“She was crazy in the gym, tough on herself, but was a competitor and always wanted to win,” Conroy said. “She would miss going to proms, football games and social events because she was always practicing.”

While fitting in the time to study along with the rest of her responsibilities, Hooten would repeat four words to herself, “I can be smart.”

19 years after Hooten grabbed that stray cord, she is known as one of the best Gophers gymnasts. However, she also performs well in the classroom, earning the WCGA scholastic all-American, the CSC First Team Academic All-America, CSC Academic All-District, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten throughout her collegiate career.

As a Big Ten champion on floor, uneven bars and vault, Hooten believes in growth over time and hard work.

“I’ve grown a lot since I was in middle school, I feel like in my previous years, I didn’t really know how important it was to be such a hard worker,” Hooten said.”

Some may wonder how Hooten can do it all, but Conroy attests gymnastics has played a huge role in her success in all areas of her life. 

“As a gymnast, you’re so focused, it makes you become organized in life, I think it stemmed from gymnastics and makes the pieces of your life fall together,” Conroy said. 

On top of being a student athlete, Hooten earned a degree in business and marketing and is getting her master’s in human resources and industrial relations. 

Hooten’s success did not just happen overnight, and no one may have a better understanding than Conroy, saying she was motivated and dedicated from early in her life. 

Gophers baseball worked hard over spring break, playing eight games over the course of the week.  

Minnesota’s baseball season started just over a month ago, and they now sit at 8-10. After playing 18 games in four weeks, the Gophers’ schedule will not slow down anytime soon. 

Head coach Ty McDevitt voiced his fatigue during a Feb. 24 press conference. 

“It’s been an exhausting last couple of weeks playing some good competition,” McDevitt said.  

Minnesota kicked off spring break facing the Purdue Boilermakers on March 7, losing 6-3. Pitchers Cole Selvig and Caden Capomaccio threw for the Gophers on Friday night.

Selvig finished the game with four strikeouts and Capomaccio with two.

Despite the loss, outfielder Brayden Hellum had a breakout game leading the Gophers’ offense with two hits, two RBI and two walks.

Saturday night looked promising as Minnesota held a 6-5 lead over Purdue heading into the seventh inning. 

The highlight of the game came from pitcher Noah Rooney, who threw a shutout inning while allowing only one hit. 

The duo of catcher Weber Neels and Hellum led the offense, each hitting .500. Neels went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI, and Hellum went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Purdue scored six times after the sixth inning, capturing the win for the night 11-6.

The Gophers finally secured a win during the last game of the series. Minnesota out-hit the Boilermakers 15-11, along with drawing six walks. 

Outfielder Kris Hokenson and infielder Easton Richter each contributed three hits to clinch the victory for the Gophers. 

A few days later, the Gophers split a doubleheader against Kansas. 

In game one, Minnesota’s entire starting lineup reached home plate to score. With all nine starters securing the base, it put them over the top at 10-6 for the win. 

Outfielder Drew Berkland started the night with an RBI double in the first inning. Berkland ultimately played a crucial role in the victory at the end of the night going 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. 

To finish the week, Minnesota played against No. 9 Oregon. Ultimately taking the overall loss, but sneaking in a victory in the last game. 

After going 3-5 in their eight games, a McDevitt quote from a Feb. 24 press conference still rings true. 

“We just had to learn how to win,” McDevitt said. “Today we got over that hump.” 

Minnesota picked up a singular win Sunday night by starting hot and beating Oregon to the board first. 

Infielder Jake Perry started the scoring for the Gophers in the third inning. He walked with the bases loaded and it began a flood of runs for the Gophers, scoring seven in the inning.

The Gophers will have two days off before they turn around again to face the Tommies from St. Thomas on March 19 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Gophers baseball worked hard over spring break, playing eight games over the course of the week.  

Minnesota’s baseball season started just over a month ago, and they now sit at 8-10. After playing 18 games in four weeks, the Gophers’ schedule will not slow down anytime soon. 

Head coach Ty McDevitt voiced his fatigue during a Feb. 24 press conference. 

“It’s been an exhausting last couple of weeks playing some good competition,” McDevitt said.  

Minnesota kicked off spring break facing the Purdue Boilermakers on March 7, losing 6-3. Pitchers Cole Selvig and Caden Capomaccio threw for the Gophers on Friday night.

Selvig finished the game with four strikeouts and Capomaccio with two.

Despite the loss, outfielder Brayden Hellum had a breakout game leading the Gophers’ offense with two hits, two RBI and two walks.

Saturday night looked promising as Minnesota held a 6-5 lead over Purdue heading into the seventh inning. 

The highlight of the game came from pitcher Noah Rooney, who threw a shutout inning while allowing only one hit. 

The duo of catcher Weber Neels and Hellum led the offense, each hitting .500. Neels went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI, and Hellum went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Purdue scored six times after the sixth inning, capturing the win for the night 11-6.

The Gophers finally secured a win during the last game of the series. Minnesota out-hit the Boilermakers 15-11, along with drawing six walks. 

Outfielder Kris Hokenson and infielder Easton Richter each contributed three hits to clinch the victory for the Gophers. 

A few days later, the Gophers split a doubleheader against Kansas. 

In game one, Minnesota’s entire starting lineup reached home plate to score. With all nine starters securing the base, it put them over the top at 10-6 for the win. 

Outfielder Drew Berkland started the night with an RBI double in the first inning. Berkland ultimately played a crucial role in the victory at the end of the night going 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. 

To finish the week, Minnesota played against No. 9 Oregon. Ultimately taking the overall loss, but sneaking in a victory in the last game. 

After going 3-5 in their eight games, a McDevitt quote from a Feb. 24 press conference still rings true. 

“We just had to learn how to win,” McDevitt said. “Today we got over that hump.” 

Minnesota picked up a singular win Sunday night by starting hot and beating Oregon to the board first. 

Infielder Jake Perry started the scoring for the Gophers in the third inning. He walked with the bases loaded and it began a flood of runs for the Gophers, scoring seven in the inning.

The Gophers will have two days off before they turn around again to face the Tommies from St. Thomas on March 19 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Gophers gymnastics won their fifth meet in a row, this time in front of a season-high attendance. 

3,826 people filled Maturi Pavillion on Feb. 22 as No. 13 Minnesota defeated No. 20 Nebraska. The fans could be heard erupting after the Gophers scored a season-best 49.425 on the bars, their best bar score since the NCAA Regional Finals last season.

Minnesota head coach Jenny Hansen said the team could feel the energy on the mats.  

“We really felt the energy and passion from our fans,” Hansen said. “Our team keeps getting better and more confident of achieving what they’re capable of.”

Both Mya Hooten and Ava Stewart hit career highs on bars in the electric environment, along with a tied season best for Emily Koch on floor. 

The Gophers went into the Big 4 meet with their heads held high from their recent winning streak. Minnesota showed their streak is no fluke and placed first in front of No. 15 Michigan, Maryland and No. 24 Illinois on March 1. 

Uneven bars school record holder Jordyn Lyden won the uneven bars title with a season-best 9.950. Lyden has been a key component to Minnesota’s success both this season and last. 

The sophomore knew early on that Minnesota was the right place for her to excel, committing when she was in eighth grade.

“I absolutely love the team culture and coaches,” Lyden said. “The coaches are amazing, very family-like and really value who you are as a person, not just strictly gymnastics.”

Hooten stood out during the Big 4 meet, going eight for eight in her floor wins this season. Both Hooten and Sarah Moraw tied for first in their events. 

Shortly after the Big 4 meet, Hooten was nominated for the AAI Award this year, which is presented to the nation’s most outstanding senior. This is her second year in a row being nominated for this honor. 

“When you get a chance to watch Mya, you can’t help but take notice,” Hansen said. “She just has so much fun and has great energy, she’s electric when you see her. She draws in everyone as soon as she goes.”

Former Gopher Lexy Ramler was the last Minnesota gymnast to win the award in 2021.

Gophers Jordan Lyden, Drew Berkland and Isabella McCauley don’t have fans cheering their names every moment of every day.

Their list of favorites, routines, and go-tos they enjoy regularly as they prepare for games, competitions and tournaments, while often regular, are the foundations for their irregular abilities. 

Jordyn Lyden

Sophomore gymnast Jordyn Lyden is a three-time Big Ten freshman of the week, WCGA Scholastic All-American and holds career highs of 9.975 on bars, 9.900 on beam and 9.850 on floor. 

Lyden starts her day by waking up at 6:45 a.m. Before she sits down for breakfast, she reads a devotional and a few passages from the Bible. 

“I then normally read a devotional to start and then some of the Bible, I have this Bible app that I read every day,” Lyden said. 

When Lyden is done with her morning routine, she heads to practice from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Just like every other Minnesota student, Lyden has classes to attend. Depending on the day, she said she will have either one or two classes. 

Lyden gets home around 4 p.m. on some nights, does her homework, eats dinner and starts all over again tomorrow. However, competition days look much different for Lyden. 

Competition day starts the night before for Lyden.

“Normally the night before I have pasta from Olive Garden, or just any pasta,” Lyden said. 

Since their meets are usually later in the evening, Lyden gets to relax for some time before competing. 

When it comes to rituals, Lyden keeps it pretty simple.

“I like to write on my hands little quotes and normally do a devotional and stay off my phone to get focused,” Lyden said. 

Favorites and Go-tos: 

Snack: ZBar Oatmeal 

Meal: Steak, chicken rice, yum yum sauce

Drink: Core Power, chocolate Fairlife, blue Powerade Zero

Starbucks order: Venti strawberry acai light ice

Desert: Cookies and ice cream 

Hype song: “All of The Lights,” “Firm Foundation,” “Hall of Fame,” country

Lyden understands the pressures of being a student-athlete at a Division I university and how to handle them. 

“I would say making a schedule for yourself, setting aside time for school and making it a priority,” Lyden said. “I really care about my grades so I make sure. Obviously practice is a lot but it’s only four hours in a day so after it’s done it’s time for school.”

Drew Berkland

Junior baseball player Drew Berkland is a recipient of Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar awards. Drew has a career-high of .325/.434/.550 with 15 RBI, 19 runs and four home runs that he set in 2024. 

Berkland was named most improved at the team banquet in 2024. 

Berkland starts an away game day waking up around 8:00 a.m. to get to breakfast.

Afterwards, there is typically some downtime for him and the rest of the team where they explore the area before lunch. 

“When we first get there, we like to walk around campus, see what they have and check out their football field and some of the student buildings,” Berkland said.

After exploring, they head back to the hotel to watch game film and prepare for a team meeting before lunch. 

Berkland talked about the privileges they get as players during away games.

“We have some meal catered to us, we get treated pretty nicely on the road,” Berkland said.

Around 2 p.m. Berkland heads to the bus and field and has batting practice before a 6 p.m. game. 

When it comes down to moments before a game, Berkland stresses the importance of getting focused. To prepare, he likes to dial in by keeping to himself for a few hours and having a smoothie for a light snack.

Favorites and Go-tos:

Snack: Trail mix

Meal: Steak and some sort of vegetable 

Drink: Powerade and Sprite combo

Fast food: Chick-Fil-A

Dessert: Brownies and Ice cream

Song/Music: EDM

Drew believes in prioritizing school above sports for a successful outcome as a student athlete.

“I need to make sure I get to class in the morning, do all the things that set me up for success in the week,” Berkland said. “School comes first, before any lift or sports that we have to do, so you need to make sure priorities are straight. I mean, we’re obviously here to be students too.”

Isabella McCauley

Junior golfer Isabella McCauley currently holds Minnesota’s career scoring record with 72.44. 

She is a Big Ten Tri-Champion, NCAA Regionals Individual Qualifier, WGCA All-America Honorable Mention, Second Team All-Big Ten and was awarded Academic All-Big Ten. 

McCauley starts her morning off with her usual classes, whether it is online or in-person.

She then heads to practice for about three hours, designating one to chipping, one to hitting and one to putting. Being the elite athlete she is, she usually stays longer than the mandatory amount.

McCauley and her teammates head to another workout after practice, followed by dinner at Bierman Athletic Building and a late-night study session. 

“That is kind of a typical day I would say, but I get a lot of flexibility with online classes,” McCauley said.

When it comes to a travel tournament, things look a little differently, starting the day hours earlier at about 5:30 a.m.

McCauley says she is not a superstitious person, but the one thing she cannot have on a tournament day is caffeine. She likes to eat oatmeal or a breakfast sandwich for breakfast instead.

By mid-afternoon, she heads to the course where she has about 15 minutes to stretch and an hour for hitting and putting. McCauley says she prefers tournament days since she gets to warm up with her team.

“We all get to warm up together, which is really nice to have that team camaraderie in that sense since golf is just so individual,” McCauley said.

Throughout a tournament, it can become hectic being out on the course from 9-12 hours, so McCauley does her best to stay fueled in between rounds. 

After a hard day’s work, she and the rest of the team grab dinner and head to bed before another tournament the next day.

Favorites and Go-tos:

Snack: Protein bar, cashews

Meal: Salmon and rice, acai bowl

Drink: Starbucks acai refresher light ice

Dessert: Sour Patch Kids

Hype song: Worship music, country

McCauley was homeschooled in high school and believes it is a big reason for her time-management skills.

“My time management with being homeschooled helped, be very intentional with what you want to do, be intentional about the time you are spending, things you will have to say no to,” McCauley said.

Gophers baseball and newly appointed head coach Ty McDevitt started the season with some emphatic wins. 

After their first six games, Gophers baseball sits 2-4. In their two wins, they have outscored their opponents 24-7, while losing by a combined score of 19-13 in their four losses.  

Wasting no time, the Gophers scored four runs in the first inning against the University of Houston Feb. 14, not giving up their lead the rest of the night. Leading the offense for Minnesota were juniors Drew Berkland, Kris Hokenson and Weber Neels.

Sophomore Cole Selvig started on the mound for the Gophers, earning six strikeouts in six innings. Picking up right where his teammate left off, junior Joe Sperry entered in the seventh inning and ended the night with four strikeouts. 

After the win, McDevitt said the pitching is what got them started against the Cougars. 

“Obviously there is a lot of emotion around opening day, and we got to a good pitcher early,” McDevitt said. “I think that set the tone for the rest of the night.” 

Ultimately, the Gophers walked away with a loss from their first series of the season, falling short Saturday and Sunday night to Houston. 

Sophomore Kyle Remington started slow on the mound Saturday night, and the Cougars struck first. 

Berkland led the offense Saturday and Sunday night with a two-run home run on Saturday and a three-run home run on Sunday. 

After back-to-back losses against Houston, the Gophers headed to Texas for the Karbach Round Rock Classic on Feb. 21. Their first matchup came against the University of Oklahoma, then they faced the University of Virginia and Oregon State University.  

Selvig started the Round Rock Classic for the Gophers, but it was Oklahoma’s Kyson Witherspoon who finished Friday night with a win. Minnesota got within one run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Sooners took the win 3-2. 

The pattern continued Saturday night against No. 2 ranked Virginia, ending in another loss, 4-2.

To turn the weekend around, the Gopher dominance returned on Sunday afternoon where they upset No. 7 Oregon State, 10-4. 

Freshman Jameson Martin and redshirt senior Josh Fitzgerald led the Gopher’s offense with three RBIs each.

Martin tallied his first career home run, playing a crucial role in the win over the Beavers.

McDevitt had high praise for the freshman in a Saturday press conference.  

“He’s just another guy that exemplifies what we are doing in our program, he can take bases, he’s a super cerebral baseball player, and he’s got a motor for days, so it was fun to see him get one,” McDevitt said. 

As the only freshman to start against Oregon State, Martin was excited and nervous. 

“Really fun, nerves are definitely there,” Martin said. “Such a great group of guys that help a ton — who have a lot of experience. Trusting what I’ve done and putting it out there.”

Minnesota picked up multiple season highs on offense, including 10 hits and three home runs in their win against Oregon State.  

“I think you’re just seeing that starting piece in motion right now with what this group is capable of,” McDevitt said. 

The Gophers will face Arizona State University next in a game series starting on Feb. 28.