Feb. 29, 2012
THIS WEEK: The No. 12 University of Iowa men’s gymnastics team will compete in a tri-meet against Minnesota and Brockport on Saturday in Minneapolis. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. (CT) inside the Sports Pavilion. The event will be televised on tape delay by BTN on March 10th at 3:30 p.m. (CT).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: No. 6 Minnesota has won two straight meets. The Golden Gophers have eight gymnasts ranked in the top 20. Iowa has met Minnesota twice this season, falling short both times. Brockport has competed against two Big Ten teams this season; Penn State and Ohio State.
LAST TIME OUT: Iowa came within one-tenth of tying its season high team score against top-ranked Oklahoma on Feb. 25, despite being without one of its top gymnasts, junior Javier Balboa. The Hawkeyes fell to the No. 1 Sooners, 356.250-334.400. Iowa set two event season high scores with solid performances on pommel horse and still rings. Iowa scored a 54.800 on pommel horse, led by junior Broderick Shemansky’s 14.150. Sophomore Angelo Bronzino and junior Matt McGrath each scored 14.900 on rings to pace Iowa on the event.
RING LEADER: Junior Anton Gryshayev broke the school record on rings in Iowa’s last meet, a feat he is no stranger to performing. Gryshayev scored a 15.250 to place third on the event and provide Iowa with its highest individual finish against the Sooners. Gryshayev owns the top six scores on the event in program history.
IN THE RANKINGS: Iowa is ranked 12th in the nation in the most recent poll, and has been ranked within the top-14 all season. Balboa is ranked nationally within the top 10 on parallel bars and all-around. Balboa is ranked fifth on parallel bars and ninth on all-around.
BIG TEN NETWORK: The Hawkeyes will have three televised meets this season on the Big Ten Network. Both days of the Big Ten Championships, hosted by Iowa April 6-7, will be televised live at 7 p.m. (CT). Iowa’s home meet against Minnesota and Nebraska on Feb. 11 was televised live.
HEAD COACH JD Reive: JD Reive is in his second season at the helm of the program after a record-setting season his first year at Iowa. Six gymnasts punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships under Reive’s guidance. Iowa also broke four team records and five individual records. Reive came to Iowa after serving as an assistant coach at Stanford from 2003-10, where he helped coach 44 All-Americans.
UP NEXT: Iowa will host No. 3 Illinois on March 17 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The meet will start at 7 p.m. (CT).
