Notes: GymHawks Head to No. 25 Nebraska

THIS WEEK

The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team travels to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Saturday, Feb. 1, to face the No. 25 Cornhuskers. Action inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center will begin at 7:00 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).

LAST TIME OUT

• The GymHawks fell short against No. 20 Minnesota in its home opener, 197.325-195.625.

• Iowa achieved season-high team scores on vault, bars and floor.

• The GymHawks saw multiple season and career-best performances, including freshman Aurélie Tran, who claimed the all-around title with a season-high 39.475.

• Four GymHawks set or matched season highs on vault.

• Gianna Masella earned a season-high 9.875 on bars to take first place, and Emily Erb tied for the top score on floor with a career-best 9.925.

• Haley Tyson delivered a standout beam routine, scoring a career-high 9.900 to tie for second-place on the apparatus.

PREVIEWING NEBRASKA

• The Cornhuskers are 2-6, 1-1 in Big Ten competition.

• Head Coach Heather Brinks is in her 6th season leading the Cornhuskers.

• Nebraska enters the new week ranked No. 25. The Cornhuskers are ranked 36th on vault, 13th on bars, 27th on beam and 35th on floor nationally.

• The Cornhuskers recorded five career highs and grabbed three event titles, but ultimately fell short to Illinois in their first conference match up.

• Nebraska recently swept event titles against Maryland in its home opener, 196.325-195.950.

• Nebraska gymnasts Emma Spence and Lauren Homecillo picked up Big Ten weekly honors, Spence being names Big Ten Gymnast of the Week and Homecillo earning Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week.

O CANADA!

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

• Tran has earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors twice this season (1/14 and 1/28). Tran currently ranks 26th nationally in the all-around and on bars with an average of 39.292 and 9.867, respectively. In the Big Ten she ranks in the top 20 on bars, beam and the all-around.

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

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.

STRONG RETURNING CORE

• The Hawkeyes boast a roster full of returners including 2024 NCAA Regional qualifiers Emily Erb, Ilka Juk and Karina Muñoz.

• Erb was a qualifier on floor with an NQS of 9.895. As a sophomore she had three top-three finishes with a season high of 9.950. 

• Juk qualifed for regionals on beam for the second time in her career with a NQS of 9.900 and a season-high of 9.925. She was also a second team all-Big Ten honoree.

• Muñoz was an all-Big Ten first team selection after competing in the all-around in six meets. She had an NQS 39.470. She won 14 event titles and posted 30 top-three finishes in 2024. She competed in the all-around in six meets and took home three titles. She posted 11 scores of a 9.900 or higher.

•Eva Volpe returns for her sophomore season after a strong collegiate debut where she was named Big Ten Freshmen of the Week three times.

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 Rutgers in Coralville, Iowa on Feb. 9. Action inside Xtream Arena will begin at 2:00 p.m. CT and be streamed on B1G+.