The key to success for menâÄôs gymnastics right now: endurance . Friday was the first Maroon and Gold intrasquad meet , MinnesotaâÄôs first true taste of competition. A meet with all of the components of a regular season meet âÄî there was some nervousness, some rivalry, but most of all, a genuine sense of unity and excitement for the season to come. âÄúThese guys are super competitive. The gold team is taunting the maroon; thatâÄôs kind of good because itâÄôs creating that team spirit,âÄù head coach Mike Burns said. Despite the rivalry within the team and a close 48-44 win for the gold team, everyone was supportive of each other and looking forward to a season where the whole team will go far. âÄúIn the gym and outside of the gym weâÄôre each otherâÄôs best friends. And thatâÄôs kind of the best thing about this team is that you get to do the thing you love with the people you love,âÄù junior Adam Reichow said. Coach Burns knows the team is close but likes to reiterate it when he can. âÄúI told them, as soon as that last Maroon and Gold meet is over, weâÄôre no longer Maroon and Gold. WeâÄôre just Golden Gophers,âÄù Burns said. He insisted that finishing strong is a must, something that wasnâÄôt completely fulfilled Friday afternoon. Long practices, workout sessions, and now even intrasquad meets take their toll on Gopher gymnasts daily. âÄúThe more of these kind of things we go through, the more theyâÄôre going to get in their comfort zone,âÄù Burns said. Between now and the second Maroon and Gold intrasqaud meet, the Gophers will do what they can with the time they have. âÄú[Endurance] is going to be critical. And when they can come in, weâÄôll be efficient and get it done,âÄù Burns said.