Notes: No. 18 Iowa Hosts Eastern Michigan in Season Opener

THIS WEEK
The 18th-ranked University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team opens its 2022 season, hosting Eastern Michigan on Saturday at 5 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  
• Marketing promotions include Junior Hawks Club Night and Faculty/Hospital Staff Appreciation day.  Free gold tie-dye t-shirts will be given away. 
• Tickets can be purchased at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.  Admission is $10 for adults, while youth are free of charge.

FOLLOW LIVE
• Saturday’s meet will be streamed live on BTN+ — a paid subscription service. 
• Fans can follow along via live results at hawkeyesports.com or via Twitter (@IowaGymnastics).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The Hawkeyes are ranked 18th in the WGCA preseason poll. Iowa is one of nine Big Ten teams in the rankings or receiving votes.
• 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).  Junior JerQuavia 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.
• The Hawkeyes posted four of the top 10 team scores in school history during the 2021 season. Iowa closed out the season with a 196.525 at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional — the second-best score in program history.
•The GymHawks won their first Big Ten Conference title, claiming the regular season crown after going 8-0 in the league during the 2021 season.  Iowa tied for third at the Big Ten Championships.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
The Hawkeyes clinched their first Big Ten Conference championship, claiming the 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.

3 RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The Hawkeyes return three All-Americans in 2022 with the return of senior Lauren Guerin, junior JerQuavia Henderson and sophomore Adeline Kenlin. Guerin became the third GymHawk in school history to earn first-team All-America honors with a NQS score of 9.95 on the floor. It was Guerin’s second All-America honor; she was a second-team selection in 2020.                  • Henderson earned second-team All-America distinction on floor with a NQS score of 9.944 on floor, while Kenlin also earned second-team All-America honors on beam with a NQS of 9.944.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Five 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 – t2nd – 9.950 – Beam
• Lauren Guerin – t4th – 9.950 – Floor
• Allyson Steffensmeier – t6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
• Clair Kaji – t6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
• Lauren Guerin – t9th – 9.925 – Vault
• JerQuavia Henderson -t9th- 9.925- vault
• Lauren Guerin – t11 – 9.925 – Floor
• Clair Kaji – t11 – 9.925 – Floor

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.

WELCOME NEWCOMERS
The Hawkeyes have six newcomers on the 2022 roster, including Michigan State transfer Linda Zivat and Towson transfer Allison Zuhlke.  Iowa’s freshmen include Alex Bradford, Alexa Ebeling, Kamryn Martinez and Marissa Rojas.
• Zivat didn’t compete for the Spartans in 2020 or 2021 because of injury.
• Zuhlke was the EAGL Rookie of the Year in 2021 and a first-team All-EAGL performer on bars and second-team on beam.  

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 return to action Jan. 14, hosting Texas Woman’s University at Carver-Hawkeye Aren