Spotlight Preview:  Minnesota

By Kylen

A year removed from a frustrating, injury-filled season, the Minnesota women's gymnastics team enters the season with something to prove.

The Gophers finished last year ranked 33rd in the country, just a year removed from a ninth-place finish at nationals. The Gophers had numerous injuries through the season, and lost junior all-arounder Mary Skokut the week before regionals to a torn Achilles.

Co-head coach Meg Stephenson acknowledged that the season was a disappointment

"Last was really frustrating," said Stephenson, who heads the University of Minnesota women's program along with her husband, Jim. "We had more injuries in that one year than in all the years combined. We really felt like we had a good chance to do very well. When you lose your key players, it makes it very difficult."

The season wasn't without rewards, however.

"I think the most amazing thing was to watch the team pick up when they needed to," Stephenson said. "It was encouraging for us as coaches to see kids we weren't expecting to compete not only compete, but do an incredible job."

"You can only make the best of the situation at hand."

Now, just a year later and with one of the largest freshmen classes in the history of the program, the Gophers are looking to improve not only on their national ranking but return to the National Championships.

"I know that they all want to get back to Nationals. There's nothing like that," Stephenson said, "That's just fun. Probably their No. 1 goal."

Taking a look at the Gophers by classes:

Seniors -- Carrie Hortsch, Alicia Opsahl, Mary Skokut

Opsahl, an all-arounder, was the team Co-MVP last season along with sophomore Laura Johnson. A strong 3-event competitor on bars, beam and floor, Opsahl is working on upgrading her vault to a 10.0-value Yurchenko-half, and she is a consistent 9.8+ scorer on the other three apparatus.

Team Captain Hortsch is recovered from a season-ending elbow injury last year, the latest in a string of injuries that have kept the senior from a full year of competition her entire career at Minnesota. She will be training exclusively on vault and floor this year, and could make the lineup in both events.

Skokut is a returning first-team All-Big 10 selection on bars, and was consistently competing bars, beam and floor before her injury last year. Because of the injury, she will compete exclusively on bars and beam this season, where she could likely anchor both events.

"She's phenomenal on bars and beam. That's where we really need her," Stephenson said. "Those are the easiest events for her to come back on."

Junior -- Carolyn Yernberg

A former walk-on, Yernberg is now the team's lone returning junior. A second-team Big 10 selection last season, Yernberg has turned into the team's best vault and floor worker. Yernberg was the first Minnesota gymnast to ever earn a perfect 10 -- on vault. This year, she has a new floor routine, and is training both bars and beam with the goal of eventually competing all-around.

"She definitely wants a chance to do all the events in one meet," said Stephenson. "It's a pretty amazing person who says, 'you know, I think I can do it.'"

Sophomores -- Laura Johnson, Erin Murphy, Maria Opsahl, Kelly Stout

A year ago, Johnson came into the Minnesota program and immediately contributed on three events. She added floor late in the season, and looks to be competing all-around again this year. An All-Big 10 second team selection, Johnson has improved her polish and lines since last year.

"She has great goals for what she wants to accomplish here at Minnesota, and she doesn't waste one minute," Stephenson said. "We really can't praise her enough."

Murphy, meanwhile, went home for the summer and came back with increased difficulty on all her events. She is working on both a tucked and piked fronts and front 1/2s, and has added a reverse hecht to her bars routine.

Opsahl, who spent a good part of last year recovering from a sprained neck suffered in the team's intrasquad meet, will provide much-needed depth for the Gophers on uneven bars, beam and floor.

Stout has upgraded her vault to a 1/2 on, 1/2 off piked front, and has also upgraded her floor tumbling. Stephenson was especially impressed with the commitment Stout made to her gymnastics over the summer.

"She spent the whole summer in Minnesota working, because she wanted to train," Stephenson said. "You won't recognize her. She just is transformed. Her fitness level, her skill level, her consistency level."

Freshmen -- Andy Cornelius, Stephanie Funk, Kelly Ganchan, Ashley Stanton, Kim Womack

Stephenson acknowledged that this freshman class is being looked to already.

"We have a lot riding on them, because it's a big class," Stephenson said. "Eventually, they'll be the core group. We have a lot of hope for them. They bring a really nice variety of gymnastics with them, because they're so different."

Funk will be expected to immediately contribute on bars and beam, while Stanton is a strong vaulter, beam and floor worker. Ganchan is working both a piked and piked front 1/2 on vault, and has strong difficulty on all events.

Womack could fill in holes on any apparatus, while Cornelius will miss the season while she rehabs a shoulder injury.