The Iowa men’s gymnastics team split up for the Black and Gold intrasquad bout Dec. 6, and the Black team won, 253.55 to 251.40.
“They did a really good job,” head coach JD Reive said. “They’re healthy, they’re fit, and it was a phenomenal starting point for us.”
While the performance overall wasn’t perfect by any means, the Hawkeyes showed positive signs in every event.
The vault has been an area of concern for the team in recent years, leading Reive to implement a tougher but more rewarding routine if executed properly. A few gymnasts struggled with landing, but junior Matt Loochtan posted an impressive score of 14.9 in the event.
“Vault was pretty good; we’re still trying to get the difficulty up,” senior Lance Alberhasky said. “But Matt landed his awesomely; he did a great job.”
Loochtan also recorded a team high on the parallel bars with a score of 14.8, while junior Jack Boyle posted a 14.5.
Alberhasky had the highest score of the day with a 15.0 on the still rings, while redshirt junior Cyrus Dobre-Mofid preformed the top floor exercise with a score of 14.8.
“We’ve never had a Black and Gold that was that successful with so many hit routines,” Reive said. “Even score-wise, it was the best since I’ve been here.”
On the pommel horse, struggles from previous seasons continued for the Hawkeyes, despite junior Del Vecchio Orozco’s impressive score of 14.65.
The captains and top all-around gymnasts were impressive for the team. Boyle competed in all six events and compiled a team-high 83.75 points, while sophomore Cory Paterson was second with 81.5.
“Our leadership showed up in a big way, and I was really happy to see that,” Reive said. “They did their jobs, and set up some momentum, and inspired the underclassmen. I could see it in their body language.”
Loochtan, Alberhasky, and Dobre-Mofid rounded out the top five in scoring.
On the high bar, uncharacteristic mishaps kept scores lower than normal for the Hawkeyes.
Sophomore Caleb Fischle-Faulk, Dobre-Mofid, Boyle, and Alberhasky underperformed on an event that is typically a strong point for the team.
Despite a few issues the Hawkeyes need to address, their confidence is as high as ever heading into the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17, 2015.
“We know what it’s like to compete now,” Dobre-Mofid said. “After this Black and Gold meet, our team is more confident to move on to the next one when it really counts.”
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