Two members of the Iowa women’s gymnastics team were selected to the 2010 Preseason Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List on Tuesday.

Sophomore Jessa Hansen and junior Rebecca Simbhudas are two of the 14 gymnasts on the list of prospective conference leaders for the upcoming season.

Hansen, from Clive, Iowa, competed on bars, beam, and floor last season, recording a career-best score on the floor exercise (9.9) against Iowa State in addition to a best score on bars (9.775) at the Big Ten championships.

Simbhudas, from Markham, Ontario, Canada, scored career-highs in every event during the 200-09 season. She also earned Big Ten Gymnast of the Week in February and finished first in the all-around competition against Iowa State.

“I think there are a lot of gymnasts who show promise on our team, but these two girls are the two that have the most potential to make a difference and improve from last year,” Iowa head coach Larissa Libby said in a statement.

The Hawkeyes will return to competition on Jan. 9, 2010, against Michigan.

— by Ryan Young