Gophers’ Mya Hooten reaches national women’s gymnastics championships on vault

Gophers senior Mya Hooten will advance to the national women’s gymnastics championships as an individual on vault. The NCAA on Monday announced the teams and individuals heading to Fort Worth, Texas.

Hooten will compete alongside Utah in the third rotation of the second semifinal session at 8 p.m. on April 18. The meet will be broadcast from Dickies Arena on ESPN2.

Hooten’s 9.975 on vault — where she was tied for eighth in the country at the end of the regular season — during the regional semifinal Thursday in Fayetteville, Ark., qualified her to nationals as the top finisher on the event from a nonqualifying team. Her 9.95 on floor — where she ended the season ranked second in the nation — tied for the top score among individuals on nonqualifying teams, but Kentucky’s Raena Worley won the tiebreaker with a higher ranking.

Minnesota earned its only national title when Marie Roethlisberger won the uneven bars crown in 1990. Hooten will look to become the program’s second national champion in her third NCAA championship appearance.

The Gophers qualified as a team in 2021 and 2022, and Hooten finished in the top eight on vault both years. She’s the Gophers’ first individual qualifier since Lexy Ramler in 2019.

JOCELYN HUANG

Pat Bowlin became the all-time winningest high school softball coach in state history in Winona Cotter’s 6-5 victory over Caledonia on Friday in Winona.

The victory, in Cotter's season-opener, was the 803rd for Bowlin, who is in his 40th season as the Cotter coach. He went into the season tied with former New Ulm Cathedral coach Bob Mertz, who had 802 career victories in 39 seasons. Mertz retired in 2018.

Bowlin also has 698 career victories as Cotter's girls basketball coach. Only three girls basketball coaches in state history have 700 or more career victories.

JOEL RIPPEL