The Gophers have spent the past two years absorbing the loss of program greats Lexy Ramler and Ona Loper. 2024 was a very strong season and proved this talented lineup’s fate doesn’t rest in the hands of any individual gymnasts, no matter how legendary. With newly minted Olympic all-around finalist Ava Stewart leading an incoming class that features two other former five-star recruits in McCauley Harrington and Teryn Crump, 2025 is projected to be another banner year in Minneapolis.
2024 Rewind
No. 12 overall | No. 2 at Big 10s | No. 11 in regular season | Regional Finals
The Gophers are still recovering from losing superstars Ona Loper and Lexy Ramler two seasons ago, and this finish was a huge step in that rebalancing. Minnesota sailed into the Fayetteville regional final, keeping things interesting with SEC powerhouses LSU, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Even a good day wasn’t enough to advance, but the Gophers should’ve been very pleased with this Sweet Sixteen finish. Likewise with their silver-medal effort at Big Tens, where they fell only to emerging conference powerhouse Michigan State.
Losses & Gains
| Returning | In |
| Fifth-Years Mya Hooten Emily Koch Seniors Marissa Jencks Lauren Pearl Juniors Anahit Assadourian Seria Johnson Sarah Moraw Megan Steensland Sophomores Leah Gonsiorowski Jordyn Lyden Sophia Nguyen Brooklyn Rowray Redshirt Freshmen Marisa Fisher Kendall Landry Jenna Olshefski Sophie Swartzmiller | Freshmen Teryn Crump McCauley Harrington Jayda Lewter Samantha Schneider Ava Stewart Morgan Walsh |
| Out | |
| Graduated Gianna Gerdes (AA) Katie Horak (BB) Ella Sirjord (UB, BB) | |
| Injury Update | |
| Both Mya Hooten and Lauren Pearl were in boots and on scooters early in the fall but were brace-free as of October. Brooklyn Rowray tore her Achilles on Jan. 13; she has been seen training beam, at least, in November. | |
Fresh Faces
Stewart headlines this large class, coming off of a very successful appearance for Team Canada in Paris over the summer. She landed as the No. 19 gymnast in the world in the Olympic all-around final and was called on to compete vault, bars, and beam in the team final. Fellow former five-star recruits McCauley Harrington and Teryn Crump bring a lot of strong gymnastics as well; Crump is particularly good on bars, and Harrington is a good four-piece option.
Apparatus Deep Dive
Vault
2024 Event Ranking: No. 19 | NQS: 49.235 | Average: 49.150
| Event Overview: Minnesota was good but not great on vault last year. Consistency was there, but the team lacked the scoring potential we saw from conference rivals to really break through here. With more 10.0 start value options this year, things could improve. | ||
| Locks: Mya Hooten, Sarah Moraw, Ava Stewart Stewart was called on to vault her Yurchenko one and a half in the Olympic qualifications and team final for Canada. The full status of Hooten’s lower leg injury is unknown; it’s possible we won’t see her here immediately. | ||
| Contenders: McCauley Harrington, Marissa Jencks, Lauren Pearl, Sophia Nguyen, Teryn Crump, Jayda Lewter Harrington was at least training a Yurchenko one and a half last year, and Crump has a huge full and has trained a Yurchenko double. | ||
| Wildcards: Marisa Fisher, Emily Koch, Jenna Olshefski, Morgan Walsh Koch’s tucked Yurchenko one and a half could replace her full this year, and Olshefski competed a one and a half in level 10. |
Bars
2024 Event Ranking: No. 21 | NQS: 49.285 | Average: 49.131
| Event Overview: Bars was far and away Minnesota’s weakness in 2024. The event only had one big off meet, but the Gophers couldn’t put together a big hit, either. That is, until it mattered most; this lineup found a huge 49.500 in the regional final on the heels of top numbers from Hooten, Sirjord, Gerdes, and Nguyen. Things should stabilize this year—it’s a highlight for all three formerly rated freshmen. | ||
| Locks: Teryn Crump, McCauley Harrington, Mya Hooten, Jordyn Lyden, Ava Stewart, Crump competes a clean full-twisting double layout dismount and has stellar patience and lines, including a low bar half pirouette that finishes in handstand nearly every time. Stewart was third on this event at Canadian nationals and has a big bag of tricks to pull from. | ||
| Contenders: Marissa Jencks, Seria Johnson, Megan Steensland This group is capable of solid gymnastics across the board but lacks some of the top-end potential of the locks. | ||
| Wildcards: Anahit Assadourian, Sophia Nguyen Nguyen was a big part of Minnesota’s great regional showing but was pretty inconsistent in 2024. We didn’t see Assadourian here after her transfer from Pittsburgh, but this is her premier event. |
Beam
2024 Event Ranking: No. 8 | NQS: 49.435 | Average: 49.288
| Event Overview: Minnesota was often good here in 2024 and sometimes great. The scoring potential up and down the lineup was massive (six Gophers had a 9.950 high or better), and the core six was an incredibly consistent group. Injecting Stewart into Sirjord’s spot should make for a smooth transition. | ||
| Locks: Emily Koch, Sarah Moraw, Brooklyn Rowray, Ava Stewart Stewart is the reigning Canadian beam champion and has competed in three international finals in the past two years. Rowray only competed beam once last year for a 9.975. If she’s fully healthy, she should step directly back into the lineup. | ||
| Contenders: McCauley Harrington, Jenna Olshefski, Megan Steensland, Jordyn Lyden Harrington has some acro form issues but is otherwise lineup-ready. Olshefski had very clean and unique gymnastics here in level 10. | ||
| Wildcards: Teryn Crump, Seria Johnson, Mya Hooten Crump can be stellar but has major consistency issues to resolve if she’s going to see lineup time. |
Floor
2024 Event Ranking: No. 11 | NQS: 49.560 | Average: 49.458
| Event Overview: Floor was the Gophers’ showpiece, led by Hooten’s must-watch routine that was thrice perfect. Losing Gerdes stings, but the freshmen are capable of stepping into the top six. | ||
| Locks: Teryn Crump, Mya Hooten, Emily Koch, Lauren Pearl, Ava Stewart Crump has a huge full-in and a big bag of training tricks to pull from. Stewart’s elite work was clean, and she’ll benefit from a less-packed college routine to really shine. If Hooten and Pearl are not at top health in January, this lineup might be down to start the year. | ||
| Contenders: Leah Gonsiorowski, McCauley Harrington, Marissa Jencks, Seria Johnson These gymnasts are strong and will challenge the top group for spots, but this lineup will be very competitive and previous lineup-regulars Gonsiorowski, Jencks, and Johnson will have to battle for spots in 2025. | ||
| Wildcards: Marisa Fisher, Jenna Olshefski, Brooklyn Rowray, Sarah Moraw Olshefski scored consistently well in her level 10 career, as did Fisher; both could break in this season. |
Records Watch
Team: 198.025 | AA: 39.850 | VT: 49.600/10.000 | UB: 49.575/9.975 | BB: 49.700/10.000 | FX: 49.750/10.000
It should go without saying that more vault and floor 10.0s seem likely with Hooten on board for one more year. Keep an eye on bars; with the incoming class superior there, the Gophers might nab their first 10.0 in addition to toppling the team total. The overall program record is a high number, but at full health, Minnesota should be able to target the low-198s.
The Big Picture
The Gophers are bringing in huge talent that will absorb their graduated routines. With Mya Hooten back and increased depth on every event, Minnesota should be targeting a return to the Sweet Sixteen and have Fort Worth on the vision board. The primary lingering question is Hooten’s health; how healed will her lower leg be by January?
READ THIS NEXT: 7 Teams That Could Surprise Everyone in 2025
Article by Emily Minehart
