THIS WEEK
The ninth-ranked University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team heads to Minneapolis for a tri-meet against Minnesota and UCLA on Monday afternoon. The meet will begin at noon (CT) from the Maturi Pavilion.
FOLLOW LIVE
• Monday’s meet will be televised live on BTN with Dean Linke and Olivia Karas on the call.
• Fans can follow along via live results at hawkeyesports.com or via Twitter (@IowaGymnastics).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The Hawkeyes moved up to No. 9 in the Road to Nationals rankings following their season-opening 195.950 against Eastern Michigan. Iowa moved up nine spots from a No. 18 preseason ranking. The No. 9 ranking is the second highest in program history, as the Gymhawks were ranked No. 7 during the 2021 season.
• Iowa posted a season-high score of 196.125 in its victory over Texas Woman’s University on Jan. 14. The Hawkeyes posted season highs on both vault (49.150) and floor (49.350).
• Prior to the Jan. 15 meet against TWU, Iowa sat in fifth nationally on floor, eighth on beam, 14th on vault, and 19th on bars.
• Junior JerQuavia Henderson was named the Big Ten Specialist of the Week on Jan. 10 for the first time in her career after winning two events (vault, floor) in the season-opening victory over Eastern Michigan.
• Henderson has won both the vault and floor competitions in both meets this season.
• Iowa was selected to finish third in the Big Ten Preseason Poll in a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches (behind Michigan and Minnesota). Henderson and sophomore Adeline Kenlin were tabbed as Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch.
• Iowa returns 15 letterwinners in 2022, including three All-Americans and four All-Big Ten selections. Iowa boasts a roster with seven seniors and 11 upperclassmen.
NOTABLES
• Fourteen gymnasts set season highs and two had career-bests in the Hawkeyes’ victory over Texas Woman’s University.
• Sophomore Adeline Kenlin won all-around with a season-best 38.800. She tied a career-high on vault with a 9.850.
• Sophomore Aubrey Nick tied a career-high on beam against Texas Woman’s, scoring a 9.825.
• The Gymhawks have scored 49 or higher in both meets on floor and beam.
• Iowa has had five gymnasts win event titles this season — Alex Greenwald (1), JerQuavia Henderson (4), Clair Kaji (1), Adeline Kenlin (3) and Allyson Steffensmeier (1).
ZIVAT STEPS IN
Michigan State transfer Linda Zivat posted a pair of top three finishes in her second meet as a Hawkeye. The Illinois native was runner-up on floor, scoring a 9.875 and she tied for third on vault with a 9.825. Zivat is competing for the first time as a collegian, as she missed her two seasons in East Lansing because of injury.
HENDERSON B1G SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK
For the first time in her career, junior Jerquavia Henderson was named Big Ten Specialist of the Week after scoring a 9.925 on vault and floor in the Hawkeyes’ win over Eastern Michigan.
• Henderson tied a career high 9.925 en route to her vault title. The junior has tied this score three times, placing ninth in program history.
HAWKEYES RANKED TOP 10
The Hawkeyes posted a 195.950 in their season-opener against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 8. The score puts Iowa in ninth in the Road to National rankings, the second-highest ranking in program history. Iowa is one of two Big Ten teams in the top 10 along with No. 1 Michigan.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
The Hawkeyes clinched their first Big Ten Conference championship, claiming the 2021 regular season title, when they won the Big Five Meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Feb. 27. Iowa finished the Big Ten regular season with an 8-0 record.
• Lauren Guerin and JerQuavia Henderson earned a share of the Big Ten floor titles during the 2021 Big Ten Championships. They were the third and fourth floor champions in school history and the first since 2004.
KENLIN: 2021 B1G FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Sophomore Adeline Kenlin earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2021, becoming the fourth Hawkeye in school history to earn the conference’s top freshman honor and the first in 20 years.
• Kenlin earned the distinction after winning five event titles during the regular season. The Iowa City native tied the school record on beam, posting a 9.975 score on March 14 at Nebraska. Kenlin earned four Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
HENDERSON — CGA COMEBACK GYMNAST OF THE YEAR
Junior JerQuavia Henderson was selected as College Gym News Comeback Gymnast of the Year in 2021. The Peoria, Illinois, native missed the 2020 season after rupturing her Achilles before returning to earn All-America honors in 2021.
• Henderson also earned a share of the Big Ten floor title with a 9.950 and she tied for first on floor at NCAA Regionals with a 9.925. She also was a second-team WCGA All-America honoree on floor after posting a 9.944 national qualifying score during the regular season.
• The first-team All-Big Ten selection tied the Iowa school record during a tri-meet against Minnesota and Maryland on Feb. 13 with a score of 9.975. She received a 10.00 from one judge to tie the record last set in 2004.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Six Hawkeyes enter the 2022 season in the Iowa record books. They are as follows:
• JerQuavia Henderson – t1st – 9.975 – Floor
• Adeline Kenlin -t1st- 9.975- Beam
• Clair Kaji – t3rd – 9.950 – Beam
• Lauren Guerin – t4th – 9.950 – Floor
• Allyson Steffensmeier – t6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
• Clair Kaji – t6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
• JerQuavia Henderson – t6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
• Lauren Guerin – t9th – 9.925 – Vault
• JerQuavia Henderson -t9th- 9.925- vault
• Lauren Guerin – t12- 9.925 – Floor
• Clair Kaji – t12 – 9.925 – Floor
• Alex Greenwald – t12 – 9.925 – Floor
• Adeline Kenlin – t15th – 9.900 – Uneven Bars
• Adeline Kenlin – t17 – 39.500 – All-Around
KAJI X 6
Senior Clair Kaji returns for her sixth season with the Gymhawks after earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2021. It was Kaji’s third All-Big Ten recognition as she was the first Hawkeye since Houry Gebeshian to earn three All-Big Ten honors. Kaji is the ninth Iowa gymnast to earn multiple first-team honors.
HAYDEN JOINS IOWA COACHING STAFF
Quest Hayden is in his first season as an assistant coach, joining the Hawkeyes following stints at North Carolina, Michigan and Penn State. Hadyen was a member of the United States’ 2013 Junior National Team and he competed collegiately at Penn State from 2015-18.
20 & COUNTING
Head coach Larissa Libby has led the GymHawks to 20 straight NCAA Regional appearances (either as a team or individually). The 2022 season is Libby’s 18th as Iowa’s head coach and 21st overall with the program. She is a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.
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 will open Big Ten competition on Jan. 22, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan, to face Michigan State.
