Notes: GymHawks Set for Big Ten Opener at Ohio State

THIS WEEK

The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team heads to Columbus, Ohio to face the Ohio State Buckeyes. Action inside of the Covelli Center will begin at 3:00 p.m. CT.

FOLLOW LIVE

• The meet with be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).

• Fans can follow along via live results at hawkeyesports.com or via X (@IowaGymnastics).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Hawkeyes enter the new week at No. 38, after taking second at the Iowa State Tri-Meet on Friday evening.

• All-Americans JerQuavia Henderson and Adeline Kenlin both return this season for their fifth years.

• Kenlin and junior Karina Muñoz were named B1G Gymnasts to Watch for the second straight season.

• Sophomore Eva Volpe hopes to capitalize after a strong freshman season where she was named B1G Freshman of the Week three times.

• 2024 NCAA Regional qualifiers Emily Erb, Ilka Juk and Muñoz all return for the 2025 season.

• The GymHawks return six athletes who accounted for 26 event titles in 2024

LAST TIME OUT

• Iowa scored 194.575 at the Tri-Meet, defeating Brown (190.300) and falling closely beind Iowa State (195.100).

• Freshman Aurélie Tran shined taking the crown in the all-around (39.050) and on bars(9.850).

• Senior Ilka Juk brought home a share of the event title on beam.

• Iowa concluded the meet on bars posting a 48.675 and taking the team title on the event.

• Four student-athletes made their GymHawk debuts and accounted for 11 routines on the night.

PREVIEWING OHIO STATE

• Head Coach Meredith Paulicivic is in her eighth season leading the Buckeyes.

• The Buckeyes enter the new week ranked No. 9. The Buckeyes are ranked fourth on vault, 23rd on bars, 13th on beam and 10th on floor nationally.

• Ohio State opened the season placing third at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, posting a 196.425, falling to No. 10 UCLA, No.7 Kentucky, and defeating No. 8 Arkansas.

• Redshirt junior Tory Vetter won a share of the all-around title scoring a 39.475.

• Payton Harris and Vetter were named Gymnasts to Watch for the second straight season. Vetter is the reigning Big Ten beam champion. Harris finished the 2024 regular season top five in the conference in the all-around with an NQS of 39.490.

O CANADA!

• The Hawkeyes have four Canadians on the roster for 2025, including three 2024 Olympians in Cassie Lee, Aurélie Tran and Sydney Turner.

• Freshman Tran was named Big Ten Freshman of the week after capturing the all-around and bars titles at the Iowa State Tri-Meet.

• Senior Ilka Juk won the title on beam scoring a 9.850 in the anchor position.

• In Iowa’s first meet the Canadians accounted for 11 of the GymHawk routines.

A NEW ERA OF IOWA GYMNASTICS

• Jen Llewellyn was named the fifth head coach in program history on June 6, 2024

• Coach Llewellyn came to Iowa with 13 years of head coaching experience including multiple postseason appearances.

• Along with a new head coach, the Hawkeyes have a brand new staff that includes Craig Ballard, Brenna Brooks and Kyle Grable.

• Ballard spent the last 13 seasons on staff at Kent State University. Brooks was a student-athlete under Llewellyn at Washington and was an assistant coach in 2024. Grable was on staff at UCLA the past three seasons and was a successful club coach for 15 years prior to that.

• The GymHawks have made 24 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances (as a team or individuals) and the expectation does not change with the new staff.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

Six Hawkeyes are in the Iowa record books. They are as follows:

• JerQuavia Henderson - T-9th - 9.925 - Vault

• Karina Muñoz – T-2nd – 9.950 – Uneven Bars

• JerQuavia Henderson - T-7th - 9.925 - Uneven Bars

• Adeline Kenlin – T-18th – 9.900 – Uneven Bars

• Adeline Kenlin -T-1st- 9.975- Beam

• Adeline Kenlin -T-3rd- 9.950- Beam

• Marissa Rojas – T-9th – 9.925 – Beam

• Karina Muñoz – T-9th – 9.925 – Beam

• Ilka Juk - T-9th- 9.925 - Beam

• Adeline Kenlin– T-9th – 9.925 – Beam

• JerQuavia Henderson – T-9th – 9.925 – Beam

• JerQuavia Henderson – T-1st– 9.975 – Floor

• JerQuavia Henderson – T-4th– 9.950 – Floor

• Emily Erb - T-4th - 9.950 - Floor

• Adeline Kenlin - T-15th - 9.925 - Floor

• Karina Muñoz – T-8th – 39.575 – All-Around

• Adeline Kenlin – T-8th – 39.575– All-Around

NEW FACES ON THE MAT

• The Hawkeyes have welcomed four newcomers to the team, all freshmen.

• The freshmen class includes Iowa native, Reese Wilson and Canadians Cassie Lee, Aurélie Tran and Sydney Turner

• Lee and Tran both represented Team Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympics where they finished fifth in the team competition. Turner traveled with the team as an alternate.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES

For a behind the scenes look at the program, follow the GymHawks via social media at Facebook/IowaGymnastics, X/@IowaGymnastics, and Instagram (@IowaGymnastics).

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes will host their home opener on Sunday, January 26 as they welcome Minnesota into Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The meet is set to begin at 2 p.m. CT.