Ties were the norm Friday night in the Gophers gymnastics team's Big Ten dual meet with No. 15 Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Both teams finished with a score of 196.875.
Mya Hooten of the No. 18 Gophers (5-2-1, 1-0-1 conference) tied for first place in two events. She was part of a three-day tie in bars (9.875) also involving teammate Tiarre Sales. And Hooten also tied for first in floor exercise (9.975)
Brooklyn Rowray of Minnesota tied for first on beam (9.900).
The Gophers' Gianna Gerdes did win the all-around (39.375, a career high) without anyone tying her — but then, she was the lone competitor in all four events.
"This was a really great step forward for the team," Gophers coach Jenny Hansen said. "It was the first meet for us ending on beam, and the team handled the pressure really well. Tying with Iowa on the road is a huge testament to our team's growth so far this season."
Minnesotan wins para-biathlon
Park Rapids native Aaron Pike won a world championship Friday in para-biathlon, earning the gold medal in the men's sitting 12.5-kilometer individual race at the FIS Para Nordic World Skiing Championships in Ostersund, Sweden.
The title was the first career world championship for Pike, who won silver medals in the 10k and sprint biathlon earlier in the week. The six-time Paralympian was 19-for-20 in the shooting portion of Friday's competition and finished 6.1 seconds ahead of silver medalist Scott Meenagh of Great Britain. The three medals mark Pike's largest haul in his four career appearances at the world championships.
Another Minnesotan, Sydney Peterson of Lake Elmo, earned a bronze medal Tuesday in the women's standing cross-country sprint.
