THIS WEEK
The 15th-ranked University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team hosts its home opener this Friday
to face No. 18 Minnesota. The meet is set to start at 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and will honor the 50 Years of Iowa women’s athletics.
FOLLOW LIVE
- Fans can follow along via live results at hawkeyesports.com or via Twitter (@IowaGymnastics).
- The meet will be streamed on B1G+ (Subscription needed)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Hawkeyes are ranked 15th nationally after scoring a 196.900 against No 10 Ohio State on Sunday, Jan. 22. Iowa is one of six Big Ten teams in the top 25.
- Iowa is ranked in the top 25 in all four events as a team: No. 11 on vault, No. 19 on bars, No. 21 on beam, and tied for sixth on floor.
- The GymHawks’ 196.900 against No. 10 Ohio State ties for the fifth-best score in program history.
- Iowa set two new event season-highs, scoring a 49.200 on bars and a 49.250 on beam against No. 10 Ohio State.
- Iowa had a gymnast finish in the top three in each event against No. 10 Ohio State with JerQuavia Henderson placing in the top three in both vault and beam. Henderson and Linda Zivat tied for first place on vault after scoring 9.900s, and Adeline Kenlin and Henderson tied for second on beam after posting a pair of 9.900. Kendall LaPlante scored a 9.900 on bar to finish third place overall, and Kenlin secured the second-place spot on floor after posting a career-high 9.925.
- Six gymnasts set or matched career-highs against No. 10 Ohio State. Adeline Kenlin scored a 9.925 on floor to take second place overall. JerQuavia Henderson posted a 9.900 on beam to tie for second place. Kendall LaPlante scored a 9.900 on bars to take third place overall, and Marissa Rojas tied her career-high after posting a 9.800 on bars. Freshman Bailey Libby tied her career highs on floor after scoring a 9.850 for the second time, and Aubrey Nick scored a 9.825 on floor.
KENLIN NAMED CO-BIG TEN GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Junior Adeline Kenlin was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week on January 24. The Iowa City, Iowa, native earned the distinction after posting at least a 9.850 or higher on each of her three events when competing in Columbus, Ohio, against No. 10 Ohio State on Sunday.
- The honor is Kenlin’s first of the season and fifth of her career. She is the first Hawkeye to be named Gymnast of the Week since 2017 (Melissa Zurawski).
- The junior earned a career-high 9.925 on floor, earning second place. This marks her third straight week going 9.900 or higher on the event. She ranks sixth in the conference and 17th nationally on the event with an average score of 9.908.
- Kenlin is the first Hawkeye to earn Big Ten weekly honors this season. She was a four-time Freshman of the Week selection in 2021.
MUÑOZ MAKES EVENT DEBUTS
Freshman Karina Muñoz made her collegiate debut on bars and floor while setting three new career-highs to help the GymHawks earn a new season-high team score at the Wasatch Classic on Jan. 14.
- Posted a 9.875 in her collegiate bars debut to secure the highest score for the Hawkeyes in opening rotation and tie for fourth place.
- Made her collegiate floor debut and scored a 9.875 on floor to tie for ninth place overall and set a new career high to help the Hawkeyes tie for the sixth-best team floor score in program history.
- Muñoz tied for sixth place overall on vault after scoring a 9.850 to set a new career high.
NATIONALLY RANKED GYMHAWKS
Two GymHawks are individually ranked in this week’s Road to Nationals Rankings.
- Linda Zivat ranked T-19th nationally on vault with a 9.892 avg. score.
- Adeline Kenlin is T-17th on floor with a 9.908 avg. score
HENDERSON AND KENLIN NAMED BIG TEN GYMNASTS TO WATCH
JerQuavia Henderson and junior Adeline Kenlin were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch.
- Henderson won 12 event titles and posted 27 top-three finishes in 2022. The two-time All-American tied the school record on floor, scoring a 9.975 a season ago. The Peoria, Illinois native was WGCA Second-Team All-American on floor and First Team All-Big Ten selection.
- Kenlin is coming off a record-setting 2022 season and is a two-time All-American. The Iowa City native was NCAA runner-up on beam in 2022 after scoring a 9.950, the highest finish by a Hawkeye in program history. She was a second-team All-Big Ten selection and Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
KENLIN MAKES HISTORY
- Junior Adeline Kenlin finished as the NCAA runner-up on beam after scoring a 9.950 while competing as an individual at the 2022 NCAA Championships. The Iowa City, Iowa, native’s finish is the highest by a Hawkeye all-time and the score is the highest beam score by a Hawkeye at the NCAA meet in program history.
- Kenlin earned first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, becoming the sixth such All-American in program history. She is the second Hawkeye to earn All-America distinction on the beam.
- Kenlin was the first Hawkeye since 2017 to advance to the NCAA Championships and the 11th Iowa gymnast all-time.
HENDERSON EARNS WGCA ALL-AMERICAN HONOR
- Senior JerQuavia Henderson were named Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association second-team All-Americans on floor on March 24. She is only the 12th All-Americans in program history.
- Henderson is the third Hawkeye to earn multiple All-America distinctions. She was a secondteam selection last season.
NCAA REGIONAL FUN
- The Hawkeyes overcame a .100 deficit on the final rotation to advance to the NCAA Regional Final for the first time under the current format. Iowa defeated No. 6 LSU and NC State to advance, joining Missouri out of the first session.
- Iowa posted a 196.900 to tie the fourth-best score in program history in the NCAA Regional competition.
- The GymHawks scored a 197.075 at the NCAA Regional Final, the program’s second-highest score all-time (trailing only the 197.150 set in 2004). The 197 was just the third all-time in program history.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Six Hawkeyes are in the Iowa record books. They are as follows:
- JerQuavia Henderson – t1st – 9.975 – Floor
- Adeline Kenlin -t1st- 9.975- Beam
- JerQuavia Henderson – t4th – 9.950 – Floor
- JerQuavia Henderson – t6th – 9.925 – Uneven Bars
- Marissa Rojas – t8 – 9.925 – Beam
- Aubrey Nick – t10 – 9.900 – Beam
- Linda Zivat – t9th – 9.925 – Vault
- JerQuavia Henderson -t9th- 9.925- Vault
- Adeline Kenlin – t15th – 9.900 – Uneven Bars
- Kendall LaPlante- t15th – 9.900 – Uneven Bars
- Adeline Kenlin – t17 – 39.500 – All-Around
22 & COUNTING
Head coach Larissa Libby has led the GymHawks to 22 straight NCAA Regional appearances (either as a team or individually). The 2023 season is Libby’s 19th as Iowa’s head coach and 22nd 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).
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes will return to action on Feb. 6, traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to face No. 30 Nebraska. The meet is set to start at 8:00 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on the Big Ten Network.