Jan. 9, 2016
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Nine season bests lead the University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team past Northern Illinois, 194.500-192.825, in home opening action Saturday afternoon.
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“There was a huge difference between Cancun and the team we were today,” said UI head coach Larissa Libby. “They did a great job. The goal for this meet was for each girl to be 1/10 better and I think we are getting closer to that.”
Seven GymHawks earned a total of nine season bests to highlight the competition. Leading the pack was junior Mollie Drenth with a pair of bests on floor (9.825) and beam (9.875). Registering her own pair of career bests was junior Angel Metcalf, posting scores of 9.800 and 9.850 on floor and beam, respectively. Rounding out the season best list were senior Alie Glover, sophomores Ashley Fischer, Lanie Snyder, Melissa Zurawski and freshman Rose Piorkowski.
Iowa started the night on vault, posting a 48.450. Freshman Maria Ortiz lead the GymHawks posting a 9.800 and taking first place overall. Piorkowski also made her mark on vault tallying a season-high score of 9.750 and finishing second place overall.
Iowa took the lead following the second rotation after earning a 49.050 on bars. Zurawski led the charge for the Hawkeyes on bars, posting a season-high 9.850 and tying her teammate Metcalf for first place overall.
Iowa closed the night on floor, which resulted in four of the nine individual season bests and a team score of 48.850. Glover posted a score of 9.850, good enough to take first place overall in the event. Drenth followed, tallying a season best score of 9.825 and taking second place overall.
“The next step is finding the consistent lineups,” said Libby. “Last year we didn’t figure out the lineups until about four meets in. So this season we are already ahead with intensity and knowing what needs to be done. We are not looking back because we are not going that way. Onward and upward.”
They GymHawks return to action on Friday, Jan. 15, when they travel to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on the Michigan State Spartans. The meet is slated to begin at 6 p.m. (CT) inside the Jenison Field House.
