Feb. 21, 2014
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The No. 8 ranked Iowa men’s gymnastics team had three representatives – redshirt senior Matt McGrath, sophomore Matt Loochtan, and freshman Andrew Botto — compete in the second session of the Winter Cup Thursday evening. Of the three gymnasts, McGrath was the only one to advance to the finals on Saturday, Feb. 22. For complete results from Thursday’s sessions, visit the event’s website at usagym.org.
“The guys did a great job tonight in the midst of some of the best gymnastics in the world,” head coach JD Reive detailed. “While the two underclassmen were just shy of finals qualification, Matt McGrath’s All-American vault earned him another opportunity to showcase his power on Saturday night.”
Loochtan was the most successful of the three Hawkeyes, as he finished 30th out of 78 gymnasts with a score of 79.650. He tied for 14th place on floor with a score of 14.450 and tied for 18th place on rings with a score of 14.050. Loochtan’s other scores included a 12.050 on pommel horse, a 14.400 on vault, a 11.300 on parallel bars, and a 13.400 on horizontal bar.
Botto took 47th place in the session as he had an overall score of 64.700. On rings, he tied for 25th with a score of 13.850 and tied for 31st on vault with a score of 14.350. Other scores for Botto included a 10.650 on pommel horse, a 13.000 on parallel bars, and a 12.850 on horizontal bar.
As the final Hawkeye to compete, McGrath placed 63rd with an overall score of 41.350 and tied for 10th on vault with a 14.900. His other scores included a 13.600 on vault and a 12.850 on rings.
The Hawkeyes will end the weekend against the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. (CT) in Chicago. Fans can follow the meet with live results at uicflames.com.