by Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics is among the best when it comes to club gymnastics, but it’s doing so under unique circumstances.
The team historically called Cooke Hall home as its full-time practice facility. However, that changed last year when the team was notified it would have to find a new facility.
Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics now uses a different room in Cooke Hall twice a week. The rest of the week is spent bouncing around places in the metro area.
The facility change came three years after the University of Minnesota dropped men’s gymnastics as an NCAA Division I program. The team was told last season that they would no longer be able to use their longtime practice gym.
Junior gymnast Noah Wills said he expected the news, but still took it with difficulty.
“Even though I wasn’t surprised, it was still like a punch in the gut, and it didn’t really hit me until we were doing it,” Wills said. “You don’t realize how convenient it is – having a gym on campus – until it’s taken away from you.”
Despite the adversity, Minnesota is currently second-best in its league and is undefeated for the second year in a row. Sophomore gymnast David Grossman said the team can put their future aside and focus on the present.
“What’s on our minds right now is becoming two-time national champions,” Grossman said.
Last year, the team won the GymACT national championship and is competing in it again next week. Minnesota recently won the Eastern Conference championship, its fourth in a row.
Guided by head coach Mike Burns, the team is committed to Minnesota gymnastics, regardless of the circumstances.
“I ended up rejecting a D-I offer this year because I can never leave the situation that we’re in right now,” Grossman said.
Burns started as head coach of the Division I program in 2005 and stayed with the team when it became a club sport. He is still active in the recruiting process.
“Mike is the reason I came to this school,” Wills said. “He really is a pioneer for this sport, not just in Minnesota, but across the whole country.”
Though they’re not Division I, the team still develops top-end talent. In fact, two former members transferred from Minnesota gymnastics to Division I programs after last season.
“I just feel like it’s my duty and obligation to make sure this thing continues to be a beacon,” Burns said.
No matter what situation life throws at them, the team remains confident, and Burns said he’s committed to continuing the program’s legacy.
