Hawkeyes Dominate Rutgers, Muñoz Secures 4 Event Titles

CORALVILLE, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team claimed a dominant, 195.975-194.450, Big Ten victory over Rutgers on Sunday afternoon inside Xtream Arena.

The Hawkeyes took first place in every event and secured the top three spots on vault. Junior Karina Muñoz led the way for the Hawkeyes, securing event titles on vault, beam, and floor. Muñoz also took home first place in the all-around with a 39.350, followed by freshman Aurélie Tran who scored a total of 39.250 to take second place in the all-around.

VAULT

Iowa got off to a strong start on vault, earning a 48.800 team score. Muñoz led the lineup with a 9.800, securing first place overall. Hanna Castillo followed closely behind with a 9.775 to take second, while junior Avery Chambers and Tran both posted 9.750s to tie for third place. Junior Gianna Masella added a solid 9.725 to help the Hawkeyes sweep the top of the podium in the event.

BARS

The momentum continued on bars, where the GymHawks posted a 48.975. Freshman Sydney Turner delivered a standout performance, scoring a career-best 9.925 to win the event title. Tran and senior Ilka Juk and each posted 9.825s, tying for third place. Muñoz added a 9.800, while Masella contributed a 9.600 to help Iowa extend its lead at the halfway mark, 97.775-96.950.

BEAM

The Hawkeyes kept their energy high on beam, posting a 49.100 in the third rotation. Muñoz once again led the way with a season-high 9.850, tying for first place. Fifth-year Adeline Kenlin and junior Haley Tyson each delivered strong routines, earning 9.825s to tie for third place. Juk added a 9.800, while freshmen Cassie Lee and Tran posted scores of 9.725 and 9.700, respectively, to keep the Hawkeyes in control heading into the final rotation. 

FLOOR

Iowa closed out the meet on floor with strong performances posting a season-high, 49.100. Muñoz matched her career-high with an impressive 9.900, securing first place in the event. Tran and Castillo each posted 9.875s, tying for second-place, while Masella posted a career-best 9.800. Turner tied her career-high with a 9.650, and junior Emily Erb rounded out the lineup with a 9.625 to seal the Hawkeyes' victory.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JEN LLEWELLYN

“It was great to be back at home and I think overall it was a full team performance. A big focus for us has been controlling what we can control and focus on doing your job and I think they did a great job of that today. It was great to see a lot of stuck landings on bars and we are starting to find our groove on beam. It was nice to see us continue to build our confidence on floor it was awesome to see Hannah, Karina and Aurélie hit their routines.”

Up Next
The Hawkeyes will travel to St. Charles, Missouri, to compete against Missouri, Alabama, and Illinois in the Zou to the Lou meet on Friday, Feb. 14. Action inside the Family Arena will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT.