March 4, 2016
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AMES, Iowa — Twelve top five finishes were not enough to lift the University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team past Iowa State Friday night, as the Hawkeyes fell to the Cyclones, 196.025-196.000, inside Hilton Coliseum. The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series stands at 12-10 favoring Iowa after the loss.
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“In the end, we know what our mission is and this is just another step in the process,” said UI head coach Larissa Libby. “Learning how to deal with adversity is part of the journey. I thought they did an excellent job because it was a struggle all night. Our team did a great job and we believe what we did tonight was enough to win.”
Six GymHawks earned a total of 12 top five finishes to highlight competition. Leading the pack was junior Mollie Drenth who finished at the top of the podium on vault (9.950) and beam (9.925), second in the all-around (39.325), and fourth on bars (9.750). Junior Angel Metcalf also earned four top five finishes of her own, placing second on vault (9.850), third on beam (9.875) and in the all-around (39.275), and fourth on floor (9.850).
Iowa started the night on bars, which resulted in a team score of 48.650. Senior Johanny Sotillo and Drenth led the GymHawks, each posting a 9.750 to tie for fourth place overall.
The Hawkeyes moved to vault where they earned a season-high team score of 49.125. Drenth led the charge on beam, recording a career-high 9.950 to secure first place overall. Metcalf earned a season-high on the event, posting a 9.850.
The GymHawks closed the night on beam where Drenth posted a career-high score of 9.925 to claim the top spot. Metcalf followed, tallying a season-high score of 9.875 to place third overall.
The GymHawks return to action when they travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to take on Penn State, Michigan, Rutgers, and Minnesota in the Big Five Meet on March 12. The meet is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. (CT) inside Rec Hall.
The meet is the Big Ten Qualifier. It decides which session teams will compete in and the rotation order for the Big Ten Championships on March 19 at the Devaney Center. The top three teams at each Big Five Meet qualify for the evening session at 4 p.m., while the lower two teams will compete in the morning at 11 a.m.
