Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — Dec. 2016
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s gymnasts Angel Metcalf and Mollie Drenth were named to the 2017 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List, announced by the conference office Thursday afternoon. This is the second year in a row that the pair has been recognized with this honor.
Metcalf hails from Swansboro, North Carolina. The senior has been featured on the Big Ten Watch List for three consecutive years. She took part in all 14 meets during the 2016 season and competed in the all-around in 13 meets. She made the history books to tie the fourth highest beam score (9.900) in Iowa history at the Big Five Meet at Penn State on March 12.
Metcalf took 12th on beam (9.825), 20th on uneven bars (9.825), and finished ninth in the all-around (39.225) at the Big Ten Championships on March 19 to be named to the All-Big Ten Championship Team for the second year in a row. She ended the season at her third NCAA Regionals in Iowa City on April 2 with a fourth-place finish on bars (9.900) and tenth-place result in the all-around (38.650). She was selected to the All-Championship Team for her efforts.
Drenth is a senior from Riverview, Florida. She competed in every meet in the all-around during the 2016 season and owns Iowa’s individual season best on vault (9.950 at No. 13 Denver, Feb. 27), beam (9.925 at Iowa State, March 4), and the all-around (39.475 vs. No. 14 Nebraska, Feb. 6).The senior tied the third best scores in Iowa history on both vault (9.950) and beam (9.925) and holds the tenth-place record in the all-around (39.475).
Last season, the senior earned a runner-up finish on vault (9.925) and placed 20th on uneven bars (9.825) at the Big Ten Championships to be named to the All-Big Ten Championship Team. At the NCAA Regionals in Iowa City, she finished seventh on vault (9.825), fourth on uneven bars (9.900), 13th on floor (9.825), third in the all-around (39.450) and was the beam champion with a 9.900. Drenth was named to the All-Championship team and qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual. She finished the season with a third-place finish (9.9125) at the NCAA Championships and All-American honors.
As a team, Iowa is tied for fifth in the Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The GymHawks open the 2017 season on the road against Northern Illinois on Jan. 8 at 1:00 p.m. (CT).
BIG TEN WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
- Michigan
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- Illinois
- Iowa & Penn State
- Ohio State
- Michigan State
- Maryland
- Rutgers
BIG TEN WOMEN’S GYMNASTS TO WATCH LIST
Lizzy LeDuc, Soph., Illinois
Karen Howell, Fr., Illinois
Mollie Drenth, Sr., Iowa
Angel Metcalf, Sr., Iowa
Sarah Faller, Sr., Maryland
Alecia Farina, Fr., Maryland
Talia Chiarelli, Sr., Michigan
Emma McLean, Soph., Michigan
Kira Frederick, Sr., Michigan State
Anna Gamelo, Soph., Michigan State
Ciara Gardner, Jr., Minnesota
Abby DeMuse, Jr., Minnesota
Jennie Laeng, Sr., Nebraska
Sienna Crouse, Soph., Nebraska
Kaitlyn Hofland, Jr., Ohio State
Olivia Aepli, Fr., Ohio State
Briannah Tsang, Jr., Penn State
Kiera Brown, Sr., Penn State
Elizabeth Groden, Jr., Rutgers
Chloe DeVries, Fr., Rutgers