Feb. 19, 2014
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THIS WEEK:
The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team will host the University of Illinois-Chicago on Sunday in its home finale. The meet is set to begin at 3 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
SCOUTING UIC:
The UIC women’s gymnastics team (2-1 in dual meets) collected a 193.175-193.100 victory over conference-foe Texas Woman’s on Friday night. Senior Catherine Dion and sophomores Alexandra Vedenin and Kerensa Mitchell finished with the Flames’ best scores, with Dion and Vedenin taking first-place on two events.
PROMOTIONS:
Sunday is Student Day. The first 200 University of Iowa students will receive free pizza and soda upon their arrival at the meet. The contest will also serve as Fan Appreciation Day and kids can get their face painted in the kids’ zone before the competition begins.
HAWKEYES POST SEASON BEST AGAINST NO. 20 OHIO STATE:
The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team posted a season best score of 195.075 against 20th-ranked Ohio State on Feb. 14, improving on its previous team best at Illinois (195.025). Iowa posted a season best on bars (48.900), vault (48.925), and floor (49.100). Freshman Mollie Drenth, sophomore Alie Glover, and freshman Angel Metcalf all set new season bests, tallying 9.825 (floor), 9.750 (bars), and 9.850 (bars) respectively.
METCALF CAPTURES THIRD ALL-AROUND TITLE:
Freshman Angel Metcalf captured her third all-around title of the season against No. 20 Ohio State on Feb. 14 in Iowa’s annual Pink Meet. Metcalf improved her all-around score to 39.325. She previously posted a season-best at Georgia (39.100). Metcalf finished ahead of two Buckeyes and two fellow teammates in the contest.
HAWKEYES DRAW SEASON-HIGH ATTENDANCE:
On Jan. 24, the GymHawks drew a season-high home crowd of 1,641 as they hosted No. 9 Nebraska inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa posted a 193.250 in its conference opener. Freshman Mollie Drenth was the only Hawkeye to compete in the all-around, posting a 38.325.
GYMHAWKS TO MAKE 3 BTN APPEARANCES:
The GymHawks will make three appearances on the Big Ten Network during the 2014 season. The three appearances equal the most of any of the eight league teams. The Hawkeyes made their season debut on BTN when they traveled to Illinois on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. (CT). The dual was televised as a tape delay on Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. (CT). Iowa can be seen live on BTN when it faces Michigan, Minnesota, and Penn State in the B1G Quad Meet in Ann Arbor, Mich., on March 15 at 12:30 p.m. (CT). The meet is a new addition to the schedule. The Big Ten Championships, slated for March 22 in University Park, Pa., can also be seen live on the network.
HEAD COACH Larissa Libby:
Entering her 10th year as head coach of the Hawkeyes, Libby has her eyes set on a seventh-consecutive NCAA postseason appearance, the eighth in her tenure. During the 2013 regular season, Iowa clinched the Cy-Hawk Series, defeating Iowa State with a season-best, 196.375-194.575. Iowa was the only Big Ten team to down Minnesota, the regular season Big Ten Co-Champions. The Hawkeyes beat the Gophers, 195.725-195.550. Iowa found success off the floor as well, as four GymHawks — Sydney Hoerr, Emma Stevenson, Kaitlynn Urano and Emma Willis — received Academic All-Big Ten honors. In 2012, the Hawkeyes finished the season ranked 26th nationally, the team’s highest finish since 2004.
HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS:
The Hawkeyes welcome seven newcomers to the 2014 squad: Jordyn Doherty, Mollie Drenth, Ashleigh Edlin, Amanda Kowalski, Caroline McCrady, Angel Metcalf, and Lexi Mura. At Georgia, the vault line-up featured all freshmen. In total, 17 of the 24 routines were completed by freshmen. Doherty currently holds the team high-score on vault posting a 9.850 against Ohio State and Metcalf is tied for best on beam (9.825) and holds the team high all-around score of 39.325.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN:
The majority of GymHawks are underclassmen, with seven freshmen, four sophomores and three juniors. There are no seniors on the roster.
2 NAMED TO BIG TEN WATCH LIST:
Two University of Iowa women’s gymnasts — Alie Glover and Sydney Hoerr — appear on the 2014 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List. Glover — one of three league sophomores named to the list — was the only GymHawk to compete in the all-around in all 12 meets in 2013 as a freshman. The Destin, Fla., native was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Feb. 8 last season after posting a career-high 39.050 for the all-around title against Michigan State and Illinois-Chicago. Glover scored 9.700 or better on bars 11-of-12 times, posting a career-high 9.825 at Southern Utah. Hoerr, an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, is a junior from Bloomington, Ill. She competed in the all-around in 10 meets last season. Hoerr won the bars title at Southern Utah with a career-best and team season-high 9.925, and won the all-around against Iowa State with a career-best and team season-high 39.400.
IN THE RANKINGS:
Two Big Ten women’s gymnastics teams (No. 7 MIchigan and No. 8 Nebraska) are ranked in the top 10 nationally, while four others (No. 14 Illinois, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 20 Penn State and No. 23 Ohio State) sit in the top 25.
The Big Ten additionally has a presence in the top 10 rankings on individual events. On vault, Nebraska is ranked seventh with a team-high of 49.400 with Michigan sitting at No. 9 with a total of 49.325. Michigan and Nebraska are ranked in the top-10 on the uneven bars, at eighth (49.475), and 10th (49.325), respectively. Nebraska (sixth) and Illinois (10th) both have posted high numbers on the beam, tallying 49.400 and 49.275. Lastly on the floor, Minnesota, Michigan, and Nebraska sit at fifth, eighth, and ninth with scores of 49.425, 49.500, and 49.350.
A LOOK BACK AT 2013:
In 2013, the GymHawks were selected to compete in NCAA Regional competition for the sixth-straight year under head coach Larissa Libby. The GymHawks were one of just 36 teams to receive an invitation to regional competition at one of six different sites. Iowa scored 194.475 for sixth place, while No. 2 Oklahoma won the meet, totaling 197.375. No. 11 Stanford earned second (196.800) followed by No. 22 Washington (195.925), No. 14 Penn State (195.875) and Southern Utah (194.850).
IOWA SELECTED TO HOST 2016 NCAA REGIONAL:
The University of Iowa and Carver-Hawkeye Arena have been selected to host a 2016 NCAA Regional (April 2, 2016) in women’s gymnastics. Iowa last hosted an NCAA Regional in 2009.
UP NEXT:
The GymHawks head to Boise, Idaho to take on Boise State on Feb. 28. The meet is set to begin at 8 p.m. (CT) inside Taco Bell Arena.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES:
Web Address: hawkeyesports.com (check the schedule page for live stats and live streams)
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