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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The 22nd-ranked University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team hits the road this week to face Big Ten foe and 18th-ranked Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (CT).
Iowa returns to competition after two meets last weekend against Michigan State and California-Berkeley. The Hawkeyes notched their first Big Ten win of the season against Michigan State, 195.475-193.875 on Friday. Iowa fell to No. 13 California, 195.550-194.400 on Sunday. The GymHawks performance over the weekend moved them to No. 22 nationally, improving from their No. 24 ranking after their season opener at Northern Illinois on Jan. 9.
The weekend was highlighted with eight event titles. Freshman Charlotte Sullivan won the all-around in both meets, posting a 39.050 against Michigan State and a 38.275 against California. Senior Angel Metcalf won on bars against California with a 9.900, while freshman Clair Kaji took the title on floor with a 9.825. Against Michigan State, sophomore Rose Piorkowski and senior Mollie Drenth tied for first on vault with scores of 9.850, while Metcalf and Kaji tied for the title on beam with scores of 9.850.
Ohio State swept Pittsburg in their season opener, 194.375-192.800 on Jan. 7. They went on to defeat Kent State, Michigan, and Washington at their home quad meet last Saturday to earn a No. 18 national ranking and the No. 1 seat in the Big Ten Conference standings with a 4-0 record. The Buckeyes return 10 letterwinners from their 2016 season to compete on Saturday, including All-Big Ten honorees Katilyn Hofland and Alexis Mattern.
Fans can follow the GymHawks as they take on Ohio State on Saturday through live stats on hawkeyesports.com or by following @IowaGymnastics on Twitter and Instagram or on Facebook at facebook.com/iowagymnastics.