Feb. 6, 2013
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This Week
The GymHawks return home to take on Michigan State and Illinois-Chicago on Friday. Action is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Last Time Out
In the dual meet vs. Michigan, Iowa scored its second highest score of the season but fell to the No. 3 Wolverines, 196.675-195.200.
Freshman Alie Glover earned a career-high 38.975 in the all-around, placing third behind the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, Michigan junior Joanna Sampson (39.600) and senior Katie Zurales (39.400). Sophomore Sydney Hoerr led Iowa on the bars with a career-high 9.850, tying for second with Michigan’s Zurales and sophomore Sachi Sugiyama. Sampson’s 9.900 won the event.
Iowa also collected a season-high on the floor (49.000). Senior Emma Stevenson paced the Hawkeyes with a 9.875 for second place. Sampson captured the floor title with 9.925.
Scouting The Flames
Illinois-Chicago posted a 192.800 for fourth last Saturday in a quad meet against Central Michigan (195.875), Illinois State (194.100) and Eastern Michigan (192.850). Senior Chantel Turk earned a 9.875 on the vault for third place. Sophomore Gabrielle May paced the Flames on the bars, scoring a 9.800 for third. Senior Erin Duggan’s led UIC on the beam with a 9.750 for sixth. Turk won the floor exercise title with another 9.875. UIC’s three all-around competitors placed in the top-five. May led the Flames with a 38.575 for second, Turk finished third with a 38.400 and junior Catherine Dion placed fourth (38.350).
Scouting The Spartans
Michigan State (0-4, 0-3 Big Ten) fell to No. 13 Minnesota, 194.325-192.625, last Friday. Sophomore Alina Cartwright finished second in the all-around competition with a 38.575 behind Minnesota’s Lindsay Mable (38.850). Senior captain Taira Neal won the vault title with a 9.850.
Big Ten Rankings
Stevenson ranks No. 9 in the conference on floor with a 9.844 average. In the Big Ten all-around, Glover is No. 15, averaging 38.769.
Five of the eight Big Ten teams (No. 3 Michigan, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 20 Ohio State and No. 22 Illinois) are nationally-ranked in the top 25. Michigan leads the conference on all events: vault (49.175), bars (49.215), beam (49.155), floor (49.310).
In The National Rankings
Iowa moved up to No. 15 on the bars with a 48.831 average. The Hawkeyes rank No. 19 on the floor (48.850), with Stevenson tied for No. 44 with Utah sophomore Georgia Dabritz and UCLA freshman Dana McDonald.
The rankings, which are determined by season scoring average, are released every Monday. The rankings will switch over to Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) on Monday, Feb. 25.
Hawkeyes On BTN
The Iowa gymnastics team will host No. 13 Minnesota on Friday, Feb. 22. The event will be aired on the Big Ten Network on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. CT. Other meets scheduled to be shown on the Big Ten Network include Penn State at Nebraska (Feb. 10), Ohio State at Michigan State (Feb. 16), and the Big Ten Championships (Mar. 23).
Roster Breakdown
The majority of GymHawks are underclassmen, with six freshmen, four sophomores and three seniors. There are no juniors.
Long-Time Teammates
Freshman Alyssa Lopez and sophomore Jessica Morreale trained together at Energym in Dekalb, Ill. Both were coached by Morreale’s father, Andy Morreale.
Young Contributors
Seventeen of Iowa’s 24 routines are contributed by underclassmen (nine by sophomores and eight by freshmen). Hoerr, Willis and Glover compete in the all-around and are all ranked in the top-100 nationally.
Head Coach Larissa Libby
Entering her ninth year as head coach of the Hawkeyes, Libby has her eyes set on a sixth-consecutive NCAA postseason appearance, the seventh in her tenure. In 2012, the Hawkeyes finished the season ranked 26th nationally, the highest finish since 2004. Libby coached Tesla Cox to second team All-Big Ten honors and Emma Stevenson to the Big Ten All-Championship Team. The Hawkeyes hosted the Big Ten Championships, drawing a season-high attendance figure of 1,661. Stevenson scored a 9.875 on the floor exercise, and Iowa finished seventh as a team. Libby led the Hawkeyes to a fifth-consecutive NCAA postseason appearance. Iowa posted 194.600 and finished fifth at the Seattle Regional.
Next Week
The GymHawks will travel to Champaign, Ill. to face Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 16. Action is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. (CT) inside Huff Hall.
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