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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Iowa men’s gymnastics team had five gymnasts compete in individual finals at day two of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday. The Hawkeyes were led by senior Cory Paterson who earned a silver medal on high bar and the three other Hawkeyes who took the podium.
“Finals was awesome,” said head coach JD Reive. “I love the format. It’s really exciting to watch them go out and compete. They all killed it today. They did a wonderful job. They performed some of the best routines they’ve done all year. To have the four on the podium was excellent.”
Junior Elijah Parsells and red shirt junior Mark Springett started the Hawkeyes off on pommel horse and rings. Parsells notched a 13.950 and tied for sixth on pommel horse. He took the podium in sixth place. Springett tallied a 14.050 on rings. He took the podium in fifth place for the Hawkeyes. Senior Andrew Botto scored a 13.775 on rings and finished seventh.
Junior Dylan Ellsworth started Iowa off in the second half. He recorded a 14.300 on vault. He earned a fifth place finish and a spot on the podium. Senior Cory Paterson marked a 14.350 on high bar. This earned him the silver medal. He was named Second Team All Big-Ten.
“It feels amazing to get the silver after missing finals the past three years,” said Paterson. “I’ve put a lot of work in over the year and it showed tonight. I went out and hit one of my best sets of the year so it feels great.”
Sophomore Jake Brodarzon earned Sportsmanship honoree for Iowa.
“We put forward one of the athletes every year for sportsmanship honoree,” said Reive. “He was going to be the guy long before we had any injuries because he brings a ton of energy and really cares about the team and works towards it individually. He’s a wonderful teammate and student to have.”
The Hawkeyes travel to West Point, New York to compete at the NCAA Championships on April 21-22. Competition is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. (CT).
