MINNEAPOLIS β The University of Minnesota gymnastics team is currently ranked 15th in the nation after taking down their first four opponents of the season.
On Monday, the Golden Gophers will look to keep their undefeated season alive as they host Iowa to begin their conference matchups.
In their last meet versus Eastern Michigan, senior, Mya Hooten, scored her seventh career perfect 10 score, and was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 that night.
"I saw a tweet and I thought it was fake," said Hooten. "I was like, "'This is not real.' Then I got a text from E.J. and he said, 'You made Top 10 SportCenter.' That was a dream. That was crazy. I've never done that before, so that was awesome."
Her performance also earned her Big Ten Specialist of the Week.
Head coach Jenny Hansen said performances like Hooten's make a difference all around.
"I think it's just huge for our sport," she said. "Continuing to get that recognition that these young women deserve. Gymnastics is one of those sports where, once the fans start seeing it, they get excited and they follow along."
It's not just Hooten who helped build the team to where it is today. Senior Gianna Gerdes said this group in particular works well together.
"The chemistry is just so good," Gerdes said. "We just connect really well, and that really shows up in the gym and at the meets, too, I think."
Hansen said she hopes to carry their momentum and chemistry into their first Big Ten rivalry meet against the Hawkeyes, which is set for 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22 at Maturi Pavilion.
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