MINNEAPOLIS— Mya Hooten’s infectious and exuberant reactions have become her signature. The moments after the Gophers senior build a routine make for a season like no other.
“I can’t even describe the feeling because it literally feels like I’m in a dream when it happens,” Hooten said. “It’s just so much fun and all the cheers and hugs from my teammates and my coaches. The hugs after a routine are my favorite part in the world. The ten seconds after the routine when I hug and clap hands with everyone is the best ever feeling.”
Hooten is the last Gopher gymnast to compete this season. She is going to the national championships to compete in the vault. Hooten missed qualifying in her best discipline, the floor.
“It was a little heartbreaking at the time,” she said. “Because I worked so hard and I’m in second place, and not to go. But Raena [Worley] whoever made it deserves it and I’m so excited for her and to cheer her on.”
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Hooten is the only Gopher to ever score a perfect 10 on the floor. She’s done it ten times over the course of her career at the University of Minnesota. In that discipline, she is the best Gopher to ever do it.
“I still think that’s so crazy,” Hooten said. “To be the first to score a perfect 10 here, it just means so much. To have all the love and support from the fans and my family and my teammates and my coaches. It means so much to me.”
Hooten, a Woodbury native, is already working on her master’s degree at the University of Minnesota. She has one year of eligibility remaining and says she’s not sure if this is her last gymnastics season.
“These were the best four years of my life,” she said. “I wouldn’t regret anything. No regrets at all. This was my place and my home.”
Rene Clayton
