2025 Season Rank: 15th
Who they’re losing: Mya Hooten, Emily Koch, Marissa Jencks, Kendall Landry, Anahit Assadourian, Morgan Walsh, Samantha Schneider, Marisa Fisher, Jayda Lewter
Who they’re gaining: Gianna Gerdes, Emma Slevin, Arianna Ostrum, Lacie Saltzmann, Isabella Nguyen, Stella Kate Skenteris, Lillian Gullickson
The New Faces:
Last season was a success for the Gophers, and they only stand to improve in 2026. They retain the majority of their lineup from last season and also welcome many new faces who we believe are capable of making significant contributions right from the start of the season.
They add Emma Slevin, who brings experience competing on the world stage for Ireland. She made history in 2021 by becoming the first Irish female gymnast to qualify for a senior all-around final at both the European and World Championships. Slevin, having completed her undergraduate degree back home, is technically considered a junior in terms of eligibility, but her competitive experience and maturity will make her an instant leader on this team.
Among the true freshmen, the athlete expected to make the greatest impact is 2025 Level 10 National all-around, vault, and beam champion Arianna Ostrum. Ostrum enters the NCAA with the highest all-around score of any gymnast across all sessions of the 2025 National Championships. Lacie Saltzmann is also expected to make an immediate impact on bars, beam, and floor. Although Saltzmann graduated high school a year early, she has the confidence and enthusiasm of a seasoned veteran, and we expect her to have a major impact on this program throughout her tenure in terms of both scores and leadership. .
Isabella Nguyen is strong on vault and is capable of doing a Yurchenko 1.5, so look for her to contribute on that event. There is also Stella Kate Skenteris and Lillian Gullickson, whom we may not see much of this season, but both have tremendous potential, and we’re excited to see how they develop as Gophers.
Perhaps the most exciting addition to the 2026 Gopher squad is the return of Gianna Gerdes. Gerdes was previously an all-arounder and quite the star for Minnesota but elected not to return for her fifth year of eligibility following her senior season in 2024. After a year away from the sport, Gerdes realized she missed gymnastics and decided to return. Head coach Jenny Hansen shared that Gianna is back to full strength on every event and will be challenging for a spot in the all-around right away — an unexpected and exciting surprise for this Gopher team.
Vault Breakdown:
Losing from postseason lineup: Mya Hooten
New faces to watch for: Arianna Ostrum, Gianna Gerdes, Isabella Nguyen
Outlook: Despite losing Gopher great Mya Hooten on this event, Minnesota is actually in a strong position to improve on vault in 2026. They return five athletes from last season’s lineup: Ava Stewart (9.839), Teryn Crump (9.671), Megan Steensland (9.780), Lauren Pearl (9.737), and Sarah Moraw (9.768).
Moraw is training a Yurchenko 1.5, which looks great; however, her full is beautiful and consistent if the team needs to fall back on it. There’s also Sophia Nguyen, who competed vault just once last season but averaged a 9.769 in 2024. Her 1.5 has looked fantastic in the preseason and is absolutely lineup-worthy.
We expect Ava Stewart, Teryn Crump, and Sarah Moraw to be mainstays in the lineup. Add to that Gianna Gerdes, who returns with a huge 1.5 (9.839 in 2024), and freshman Arianna Ostrum, who has scored a perfect 10 on this event in club. We’d be shocked if both weren’t in the lineup.
That leaves the final spot between Isabella Nguyen who is capable of doing a Yurchenko 1.5, Emma Slevin — who has a strong full and has also competed a 1.5 as an elite — Megan Steensland, and Lauren Pearl. For the first time ever, the Gophers have the potential to field a full lineup of 10.0 start values. While we may not see it immediately, it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.
Uneven Bar Breakdown:
Losing from postseason lineup: Mya Hooten, Marissa Jencks
New faces to watch for: Gianna Gerdes, Emma Slevin, Arianna Ostrum, Lacie Saltzmann
Outlook: In terms of average score, bars tied with beam as the Gophers’ weakest event last year. The good news, however, is that they add several strong bar workers to the mix in 2026.
When it comes to lineup locks, junior Jordyn Lyden (9.892) has to be included. She is the epitome of consistency on this event and is capable of delivering big scores for her team. Gianna Gerdes also returns and has been extremely consistent in the past, with a natural swing on bars. She averaged a 9.869 during her senior season. Ava Stewart (9.822) should also be in the lineup thanks to her clean execution and beautiful lines, along with Teryn Crump (9.814), whose double layout is gorgeous — though this is our official petition for her to bring back the full-twisting double layout!
That leaves two spots open, and we’d be shocked if the freshman duo of Lacie Saltzmann and Arianna Ostrum aren’t in the lineup. Both have high scoring potential and have proven to be consistent at the club level.
Others in the mix include McCauley Harrington, who saw lineup time last season (9.767); Seria Johnson, who has been a staple in past lineups (9.792); and Emma Slevin, whose elite experience gives her a wide range of skills to construct a high-scoring routine.
In our opinion, this will be one of the toughest events to crack the lineup for the Gophers.
Beam Breakdown:
Losing from postseason lineup: Emily Koch
New faces to watch for: Gianna Gerdes, Emma Slevin, Arianna Ostrum, Lacie Saltzmann
Outlook: The Gophers lose just one postseason lineup routine from last year, so beam is expected to be a strength for this team. Jordyn Lyden headlines the event, returning with the highest team average at 9.846. Sarah Moraw, the 2024 Big Ten Beam Champion, follows closely with the second-highest average of 9.829.
They also return Ava Stewart (9.822), 5th year Lauren Pearl (9.767), and Brooklyn Rowray (9.750), all of whom are outstanding on this event. That group alone leaves only one spot open, which could come down to the newcomers Emma Slevin, Arianna Ostrum, or Lacie Saltzmann. Gianna Gerdes is also strong on beam, having averaged a 9.783 in 2024.
We’d expect Ostrum or Gerdes to have a slight edge, simply due to their potential as all-arounders, but the depth is certainly there for the coaching staff to experiment with lineups in order to find the highest-scoring combination
Floor Breakdown:
Losing from postseason lineup: Mya Hooten, Marissa Jencks, Emily Koch
New faces to watch for: Gianna Gerdes, Emma Slevin, Arianna Ostrum, Lacie Saltzmann
Outlook: Floor has a lot of depth options, which is great news considering this is the event where the team loses the most, with half of the postseason lineup departing. Sophie Swartzmiller posted the highest average from last season at 9.875; however, she only competed toward the end of the year so we’re pulling from less data there. Gianna Gerdes averaged a 9.885 in 2024, and we anticipate she’ll return to the lineup in 2026.
Other athletes with proven consistency and lineup experience include Lauren Pearl (9.850), Leah Gonioroski (9.825), Megan Steensland (9.825), and Seria Johnson (9.802).
Among the newcomers, Emma Slevin is still working on the consistency of her floor passes but is absolutely in the mix according to Jenny Hansen. Arianna Ostrum and Lacie Saltzmann are both clean on this event, and we could also see them strongly contending for lineup spots —even edging out some of the veterans!
Final Outlook:
We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this Gopher squad and believe they can be among the best in the nation if everything comes together on the right day. They have the perfect mix of experienced veterans and fresh young faces who are eager and motivated to compete at the collegiate level and make a name for themselves.
According to Hansen, a trip to Fort Worth is this team’s goal, and we absolutely believe it’s realistic — along with competing in the evening session of Big Tens with a legitimate shot at the title. This is a team that’s flying a bit under the radar but could surprise many this season with its upside and potential.
For our lineup predictions, become a Gold-level Patreon (or purchase this post) to get access to our 2026 Fantasy Gym Routine Tracker, which shows event-by-event averages, lineup predictions, and more!Listen to our 2026 Coaches Corner interview with Minnesota head coach Jenny Hansen!