Gophers gymnasts fall to No. 1 Michigan despite perfect 10s and floor-exercise excellence

Two perfect 10s in the same meet for just the second time in program history and first in a decade. The highest-ever floor exercise score. The third-best overall score.

Only when facing the reigning national champions would a performance like that not be enough to win.

The No. 7 Gophers dropped 198.025-197.650 to No. 1 Michigan on Monday in front of a lively, filled lower-bowl at Maturi Pavilion. The team's record-setting 49.725 on floor was the Gophers' only event victory.

But the Gophers had a celebratory vibe despite the result, from teammates mobbing each other after those 10s to fans on their feet through the final routines.

"We know Michigan was the team to beat ... and so that's the team that we're striving for," Gophers coach Jenny Hansen said. "Both teams were really great. I mean, everybody hit their routines, which is amazing. It was just a great meet from start to finish."

This was just the Gophers second meet of the year, and Hansen hopes her team can use it as a confidence builder that her gymnasts can be just as good as the Wolverines, whom the Gophers bested in last season's Big Ten championships, only to watch them take the NCAA title after failing to make it past the semifinals themselves.

"We had a good meet at nationals last year, but I know we all thought if we had done what we were capable of, we would have been able to go on to Day Two," Hansen said. "… That is our goal is to go on to Day Two of the national championships and be there."

Starting on vault Monday, the Gophers stuck three consecutive, first from two Yurchenko 1 ½ vaults from Lexy Ramler (9.975) and Maddie Quarles (9.95). Then Ona Loper tallied her squad's first perfect score, helping the team to its second-highest vault score in program history at 49.575.

"One of my goals was to get 10 at home, so I'm very excited that that happened," Loper said. "They really just they set me up really good."

The Gophers' slight 0.175 lead after the first rotation didn't last. They fell nearly a point behind after completing the uneven bars and balance beam. Hansen said beam is still a work in progress, as the lineup is not fully set.

Ending on floor, the Gophers got career highs from Emily Koch (9.925) and Ramler (9.975). Mya Hooten finished with the Gophers' second 10.

An Olympic gold medalist takes note of Hooten's 10.

"That was a memorable moment for me because the fans just made it 10 times better," Hooten said.

Ramler — the reigning conference all-around champion — notched the second-best school all-around score of 39.825 to win the meet. Loper set a career-best coming in second at 39.725. Michigan's Natalie Wojcik, ranked No. 1 on bars and beam this year, did not compete on the former event, sitting out the all-around.

In addition to Loper and Hooten's victories, Ramler also won bars with a stuck-landing 9.950. Michigan's Sierra Brooks won beam with a 9.95.

"We just have a lot of confidence in ourselves because we're kind of building off of last year," said Loper, a fifth-year senior along with Ramler. "… We know our potential, and we know that we're going to go so far if we just trust ourselves."