March 3, 2004
THIS WEEK — The sixth-ranked University of Iowa men’s gymnastics team will host the seventh-ranked Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers club team in a Big Ten Triangular Saturday at the Iowa Field House. Competition is set to begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $3.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN — The Wolverines are 7-4 this season with victories over Minnesota, Nebraska and Penn State, and losses to Oklahoma and Stanford. The team also recorded a third-place finish at the Windy City Invitational, behind Ohio State and Illinois. Michigan is led by junior all-arounders Justin Laury and Geoff Corrigan. The Wolverines are coached by Kurt Golder.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN — The Badgers are led by junior captain and all-arounder Josh Hassell. Senior John Bowser and junior Scott Irwin will be competing in the all-around, while freshman Johnny Ly will be competing on floor exercise, pommel horse, rings and vault.
LAST TIME OUT — The Hawkeyes defeated the ninth-ranked Minnesota Gophers last Saturday evening in Minneapolis, MN. Iowa won four event titles and crowned three event champions. Sophomore Michael Reavis took second place in the all-around competition (52.275), while fellow sophomore Michael McNamara took third (51.85). Senior Eric Block was crowned event champion on pommel horse (9.375) and junior Kenny Lin took first on rings (9.350). Junior Linas Gaveika won the horizontal bar competition with a score of 9.625.
IN THE RANKINGS — The Hawkeyes jumped from seventh to sixth in the GymInfo National Rankings. Iowa is also nationally-ranked in all six individual events. The Hawkeyes are the second-ranked team on floor exercise, are fifth on vault and sixth on rings and pommel horse. The Hawkeyes are also ranked seventh on parallel bars and horizontal bar.
NATIONALLY-RANKED INDIVIDUALS — Hawkeye junior Linas Gaveika and sophomores Michael Reavis and Michael McNamara lead the Hawkeyes in the rankings. Gaveika is tied for first on horizontal bar, 16th on parallel bars, 18th on pommel horse and sixth in the all-around. Reavis is fifth on floor exercise, sixth on vault and seventh in the all-around. McNamara is sixth on floor exercise, 16th on vault and 12th in the all-around. Senior Eric Block is ranked 10th on pommel horse and 13th on parallel bars. On the still rings, junior Kenny Lin is 13th, while senior Mike Kelly is 16th on floor exercise.
QUOTING COACH Tom Dunn — “This is our biggest meet of the year so far. Michigan and Iowa have been neck and neck in the polls all year and it is likely that one will bump the other out of the 2004 NCAA finals. This meet is also our last opportunity to compete in our Big Ten Championship order and basically have a very realistic dress rehearsal for the Big Ten Championships at Illinois in two weeks.”
NEXT COMPETITION — The Hawkeyes will travel to Chicago, IL, March 13 to take on No. 12 Illinois-Chicago.