Jan. 21, 2010
This Week – The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team will travel to University Park, PA Saturday, to take on Penn State, Cornell and Yale. Competition will take place at Penn State’s Rec Hall and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. (CT).
Scouting the Opponents – Penn State, currently 3-2, is coming off a second place finish at the Denver Winterfest Classic. The Nittany Lions were led by senior Brandi Personett who placed second in the all-around, but with a team score of 194.150, they fell shy of the University of Denver. Cornell and Yale will both be representing the Ivy League and bring a combined 4-7 record to the meet.
Scouting the Hawkeyes – Iowa currently owns a record of 2-2 with a pair of second place finishes so far this season. The GymHawks are coming off their home opener against Michigan State and the University of Illinois-Chicago. Sophomore Jessa Hansen led the Black & Gold with an impressive first place finish in the all-around, scoring a 39.025 and setting career highs in three events.
Head Coach Larissa Libby – Entering her sixth season at Iowa, Larissa Libby has a career record of 45-51-1. She was named North Central Region Coach of the Year in 2009 for her efforts in guiding the GymHawks to a 10-5 record and a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Regionals. She was also named co-Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2008. Libby served as associate head coach in 2004 and assistant coach from 2001-03 at Iowa before being named head coach in 2005.
Next Competition – The Hawkeyes will return home Jan. 30 to host a Big Ten showdown against the Fighting Illini of Illinois. Competition will be held in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (CT).