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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The 17th-ranked University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team has been selected to compete as the No. 3 seed at the NCAA Championships Champaign Regional on April 1 in Champaign, Illinois. The NCAA announced the postseason field Monday.
“We are thrilled to be competing in Champaign,” said UI head coach Larissa Libby. “Everyone can jump on board with the GymHawks. Everyone can join a party bus and head to Illinois and cheer on their Hawkeyes.”
The GymHawks are one of 36 teams to qualify for NCAA competition at one of six different regional sites. Iowa will compete against No. 5 UCLA, No. 8 Oregon State, Illinois, Eastern Michigan, and Ohio State. Competition begins at 4 p.m. (CT) inside the State Farm Center.
“We are a very dangerous three seed,” Libby said. “We’re very consistent across the board. If I was a different team I would be scared to go against us.”
The top two teams from each regional and the top two all-around competitors not on a qualifying team receive automatic berths to the national championships in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 14-15.
In addition to the automatic qualifiers, event winners at each regional will advance to the national championships (in that event only) if they are not part of a qualifying team or an all-around qualifier.
Iowa has had representation at every NCAA Regionals since 2005, with three seasons of individual representation and 10 team appearances. Libby, the 2017 Big Ten Coach of the Year, has led Iowa to 10 postseason appearances in 13 seasons.
Champaign Regional (University of Illinois)
1. #5 UCLA 197.500
2. #8 Oregon State 197.115
3. #17 Iowa 196.510
4. Illinois 196.365
5. Eastern Michigan 195.970
6. Ohio State 195.825