5 Hawkeyes Qualify for Day 2 of NCAA Championships

April 16, 2016

NCAA Results

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The University of Iowa men’s gymnastics team qualified five Hawkeyes for day two of the NCAA Championships on Friday night inside St. John Arena.

Senior Matt Loochtan (all-around), senior Jack Boyle (all-around), junior Cory Paterson (high bar), sophomore Dylan Ellsworth (vault), and sophomore Austin Hodges (high bar) qualified for day two of the NCAA Championships.

As a team, Iowa placed fourth overall with a score of 423.250 and missed the cut to qualify as a team for team finals. This allowed gymnasts to qualify individually for the second day. Stanford (434.350), Ohio State (433.400), and Illinois (432.050) qualified for team finals on Saturday. Michigan (422.150) and Air Force (412.650) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

Iowa began on high bar, Boyle led the team with a 14.500 and placed seventh overall. Paterson qualified on the event with a 14th place finish with a score of 14.250 while Hodges tied for 15th place and scored a 14.200 to qualify as well.

On floor exercise, Loochtan led the team, posting a score of 14.550 to tie for eighth place, Ellsworth placed 18th, recording a score of 14.200, and junior Mark Springett tied for 20th with a 13.950.

The Hawkeyes failed to land a gymnast in the top 10 on pommel horse during the third rotation. Hodges led the team in 12th place, posting a 14.650 and senior Emmanuel Monroy finished in 16th place with a score of 14.300.

Loochtan found himself in the hunt for the event title on rings during the fourth rotation. He posted a 14.900 for fourth place overall while Boyle followed closely behind, placing seventh with a 14.750 effort.

Ellsworth qualified for day two during the fifth rotation on vault. The Farmington, Utah, native stuck his landing on vault on his way to a fifth place finish with a score of 15.200. Loochtan tied for 13th with a score of 14.900.

In the final rotation on parallel bars, Ellsworth led the team, tying for 10th place and posting a 14.000. Boyle placed behind him in 13th with a score of 14.000.

Loochtan (84.850) and Boyle (84.600) competed all-around for the Hawkeyes and qualified for day two in the all-around competition, finishing in second and fourth place, respectively.

The Hawkeyes wrap up their season tomorrow as they look to name an All-American for the third straight year. Session three of the NCAA Championships begins at 6 p.m. (CT) inside St. John Arena.