The Iowa women’s gymnastics team posted its best finish in six years at the Big Ten championships on March 27.

The Hawkeyes tallied a team score of 195.575, their highest of the season en route to third place in Columbus, Ohio.

Michigan won its fourth-straight Big Ten team title with a score of 196.900.

Dominant performances on the balance beam set up Iowa’s bronze-medal run. The squad posted its best score of the season in any event, a 49.200.

Three Hawkeye gymnasts placed in the all-around results, with junior Rebecca Simbhudas finishing fourth. Junior Houry Gebeshian tied for fifth, and sophomore Jessa Hansen came in 13th.

Freshman Emma Stevenson set a career-high mark in the floor exercise with a score of 9.750.

“I was so proud of the team for turning heads and putting themselves in a position to be a force to be reckoned with,” Iowa head coach Larissa Libby said in a statement. “They showed intensity, tenacity, camaraderie … It was great, as a coach, to watch everything unfold, and I couldn’t be more proud of these girls.”

Next up for Iowa is the NCAA regional championships on April 10. The location for the event is expected to be determined later today.

— by Robbie Lehman