THIS WEEK
The 10th-ranked University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team will host No. 11 Minnesota on Saturday at 3 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Area. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no general admittance to the meet.
FOLLOW LIVE
• Saturday’s meet will be televised on ESPNU with Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson-Clarke on the call.
• Fans can follow along via live results at hawkeyesports.com.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
•The GymHawks are No. 10 in the Road to Nationals rankings with an average score of 196.442. The Hawkeyes started the season ranked 25th before climbing to No. 9 — the highest ranking in school history — on Jan. 18 and Jan. 25.
• Iowa currently has a No.5 national ranking and leads the Big Ten on floor with a 49.317 average. Clair Kaji is currently ranked No.1 in the Big Ten and tied for fifth nationally on floor with an average of 9.917.
• The Hawkeyes are second the Big Ten and eighth nationally on balance beam and 12th in the country on uneven bars.
• Iowa posted a season high on beam, tallying a 49.125 against Illinois on Jan. 31.
• Iowa has earned four Big Ten weekly honors through the first three weeks. Lauren Guerin was Specialist of the Week on Jan. 18, while Clair Kaji (Specialist of the Week) and Adeline Kenlin (Freshman of the Week) were honored on Jan. 25. Kaji earned her second consecutive honor on Feb. 1.
• The Hawkeyes shared or won all four event titles in the victory over No. 18 Illinois en route to a score of 196.325.
A START FOR THE AGE
The Hawkeyes have catapulted up the national rankings early in the 2021 season. Iowa started the season ranked 25th in the preseason before jumping 16 spots to No. 9 in the rankings following a season-opening 196.450 at Minnesota. The national ranking is the best in program history.
• The Hawkeyes 196.450 was a high under Larissa Libby in a season opener and in the month of January. Iowa followed it up with a 196.550 in the decisive win over No. 13 Ohio State.
HAWKEYE NOTABLES
• Freshman Adeline Kenlin shared the bar crown with Emma Hartzler against Ohio State with a 9.875. It was her first career event win.
• Six different gymnasts lead the Hawkeyes on the four events. Sophomore JerQuavia Henderson and junior Bridget Killian (9.850) lead the team on vault, freshman Adeline Kenlin (9.850) and senior Emma Hartzler lead team on bars, senior Clair Kaji leads team on beam (9.875) and junior Lauren Guerin on floor (9.950).
HENDERSON’S ALL-AROUND DEBUT
Sophomore JerQuavia Henderson made her career all-around debut against Illinois. The Peoria, Illinois, native posted a 39.325, which puts her at No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 14 nationally. She is the first Hawkeye this season to compete in all-around this season.
HAWKEYE EVENT WINNERS
Iowa has shared or won the 10 individual event victories in its first three meets. Senior Clair Kaji has won three events, junior Lauren Guerin and freshman Adeline Kenlin (two wins), and junior Alex Greenwald, senior Emma Hartzler, and sophomore JerQuavia Henderson have one win apiece.
B1G WEEKLY HONOREES
• Senior Clair Kaji was named the Big Ten Specialist of the Week for the second consecutive week on Feb. 1 after winning floor, posting a 9.900, and finished runner up on the beam (9.875) and bars (9.725).
• Iowa City native Adeline Kenlin earned her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Jan. 25 after sharing the bar win with senior Emma Hartzler. The duo both posted a 9.875 on the event. She also tied for third on beam posting a 9.825 as the Hawkeye anchor in the event.
• Junior Lauren Guerin was the Big Ten Specialist of the Week on Jan. 18 after sharing the floor title at Minnesota. She posted a 9.950 for the fourth time in her career.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Three Hawkeyes enter the 2021 in the Iowa record books. They are as follows:
• Clair Kaji – t2nd – 9.950 – Beam
• Lauren Guerin – t3rd – 9.950 – Floor
• Allyson Steffensmeier – 6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
• Lauren Guerin – 9th – 9.925 – Vault
• Lauren Guerin – t11 – 9.925 – Floor
• Clair Kaji – t11 – 9.925 – Floor
• Clair Kaji – t14th – 9.900 – Beam
• Clair Kaji – t15th – 9.900 – Uneven Bars
HAWKEYE HOMECOMING
Following a four-year stint as an assistant coach at UC Davis, former Hawkeye Jessa Hansen Parker has returned to Iowa City as an assistant coach. Hansen Parker was a four-year letterwinner at Iowa from 2008-12 where she earned two All-Big Ten, three Academic All-Big Ten, and two Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honors.
19 & COUNTING
Head coach Larissa Libby has led GymHawks to 19 straight NCAA Regional appearances (either as a team or individually). The 2021 season is Libby’s 17th as Iowa’s head coach and 21st overall with the program.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
For a behind the scenes look at the program, follow the GymHawks via social media at Facebook/IowaGymnastics, Twitter/@IowaGymnastics, and Instagram (@IowaGymnastics).
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return home to host Maryland on Feb. 13 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The meet will start at 1 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on B1G+.
