April 9, 2007
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THIS WEEK — The ninth-ranked Iowa men’s gymnastics team will finish its 2007 season in State College, PA, at the NCAA Championships Thursday thru Saturday. Iowa is one of twelve teams competing. The three day event will take place in Rec Hall at Penn State University. The Hawkeyes compete in session I beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday. The top three teams from each session will move on to the team and all-around finals, at 7 p.m. Friday. The individual event finals will be at 7 p.m. Saturday.
THE COMPETING TEAMS — The 12 competing teams include Army, California, Illinois, Iowa, University of Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Stanford and Temple.
LAST TIME OUT — At the Big Ten Championships, Iowa scored 210.0, to finish sixth. It was the team’s best score this season. The Hawkeyes also posted their team best finish on rings (37.25). Jacques Bouchard broke the Iowa record on rings three times this season. On day one of the Big Ten Championships, Bouchard broke the previous Iowa record (9.55) with his score of 9.65. The next day, at the individual event championships, Bouchard posted a 9.725 for a first place finish and a new Iowa record.
LAST YEAR AT THE NCAAS — The seventh-ranked Hawkeyes placed third, scoring a 212.425, in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Championships. The team placed sixth at the finals (211.8). Five Hawkeyes competed in the event finals. Geoff Reins finished sixth on floor exercise (9.3). Curtis Kleffman placed fourth on pommel horse (8.962), Bouchard ninth on rings (9.237) and Bryan Bourland ninth on high bar (9.075).
WHEN TO WATCH — On Tuesday, April 17, at 1 p.m. (CT) the team and all-around finals will be televised on ESPN2. On Sunday, April 15, at 4:30 p.m. (CT) the individual event finals will be on the Comcast Network.
Jacques Bouchard — Not only has Bouchard set the record on rings three times this season, he was one of four Hawkeyes to compete in the Winter Cup Challenge and has been selected as one of eight finalists for the Nissen-Emery Award, the Heisman Trophy of gymnastics.
IOWA’S RECORD — Iowa has a 3-10 record this season and is ranked ninth according to the GymInfo National rankings.
HEAD COACH Tom Dunn — In his 28th year at Iowa, Head Coach Tom Dunn, has recorded a 213-101-2 record at Iowa. In 1998 and 2006, Dunn was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and College Gymnastics Association Central Region Coach of the Year. He has led the Hawkeyes to 17 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. Iowa has competed at the NCAA meet 17 of the past 22 seasons. Dunn has also coached 32 individuals to 64 all-America honors and 20 gymnasts to 32 Big Ten titles.
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