Hawk Talk Monthly — January | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2019-20 | Results
Orlando, Florida — University of Iowa sophomore women’s gymnast Lauren Guerin closed the night for the Hawkeyes, earning a spot in the record books after posting a 9.925 on vault at the Critique Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Friday.
Guerin’s score placed first, earned a personal best, and is the Hawkeyes best vault since Mollie Drenth earned two 9.925s in 2016. Guerin now ties for ninth all-time at Iowa.
The Hawkeyes posted a 192.700 to finish third in its 2020 season opener against Oregon State, Georgia, and Bridgeport. Georgia won with a score of 195.100. Oregon State followed in second with a total of 194.450, while Bridgeport finished fourth with a 189.300.
MEET HIGHLIGHTS
Thirteen Hawkeyes saw action — one senior, two juniors, six sophomores, and four freshmen.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH LARISSA LIBBY
“Tonight’s competition was one of those bitter/sweet moments that you have to endure when start early in the season. We got off to a rough start on bars, which hurt us in terms of where we had the potential to finish. However the fight that this young team demonstrated was impressive to say the least! In the past we tended to let mistakes carry over, but they got a hold of each other quickly tonight and were able to “stop the bleeding” before it as too late.”
“Could not be more proud of the newcomers to our team as they certainly held their own and showed the staff and the rest of the team that they were not here to play! I’m not sure I could have asked them to handle themselves any better.That being said, our focus has never been, nor will it ever be, on the individual wins. This team grew and matured tonight because they never lost sight of what was important… and that’s our FAMILY…one TEAM!!!!”
“I don’t want to downplay the individual successes because they play a huge role in what ultimately will drive team success. Lauren’s vault win has been a long time coming and was ecstatic that her diligence was rewarded”
UNEVEN BARS
The Hawkeyes started the night on the uneven bars, earning a 46.200. Freshman Allyson Steffensmeier led Iowa with a 9.775, tying for second in her first collegiate meet.
BEAM
Iowa continued on beam, posting a score of 48.700. Sophomore Lauren Guerin made a statement and earned a 9.850, competing on the beam lineup for the first time collegiately and tying for third. Fellow sophomores Bridget Killian and Allie Gilchrist followed with 9.800 and 9.750, respectively.
FLOOR
Iowa earned a final score of 48.850 on floor with Guerin adding a score of 9.850 for the GymHawks. Sophomore Alex Greenwald posted her career high of 9.800, freshman Ariana Agrapides posted a solid score of 9.750 in her first collegiate meet, and Killian and junior Erin Castle rounded out Iowa’s floor score with a pair of 9.725s.
VAULT
Iowa finished the night strong with its highest score on vault (48.950). Sophomore Lauren Guerin led the GymHawks, earning a perfect 9.950 from one judge and a final score of 9.925 to set her new career best. Bridget Killian followed with a 9.800 to tie for third, Agrapides earned a 9.775, freshmen Madelyn Solomon and Steffensmeier finished the night with scores of 9.750 and 9.700, respectively.
UP NEXT
The GymHawks host Air Force and Ball State for the Pink Meet and its 2020 home opener on Jan. 11, 2020 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 4:00 p.m. (CT).
