Hawkeye senior Jack Boyle is one of the elite all-around gymnasts in the nation.

Last season, he was named an All-American, but skills are not the only attribute Boyle possesses. He’s got brains, too. Boyle is working toward a mechanical-engineering degree, and the last two seasons, he was named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
“There’s a lot of staying up late,” Boyle said. “It’s all worth it. You just have to use your sources, talk to teachers, let them know if you’re struggling with something so they can give you some extra time to work on school instead of gym.”

Boyle said that he began gymnastics at age 4 at Bartlett Gymnastics in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Through the years, he transitioned to a couple of different gyms.

His junior year of high school, Boyle had a fracture in his elbow that required bone from his knee to be put in his elbow with a plate and screws. With recruiting mostly occurring during high schoolers’ junior years, he was not heavily recruited.

Through making some connections and putting in an effort, though, he landed a spot with the Hawkeyes.

Now a senior for Iowa, Boyle is in his fourth year under head coach JD Reive.

“[Jack is a] very intelligent individual,” Reive said. “Very successful … he’s come really far from where he was freshman year to now. He’s a captain and a leader, and he’s scoring 86s in the all-around.”

He is not the most highly skilled gymnast on the team, but Reive said that Boyle’s work ethic makes up for everything.

In a sport in which teammates feed off of each other and look to leaders for guidance, Boyle’s leadership is essential to the Iowa squad, even for fellow seniors.

“He’s one of the guys who does his stuff every single day; no one tells him what to do. He’s just on point every single time,” senior Matt Loochtan said. “I actually learned a lot from him. He’s taught me to pursue as much as I can on each single event. He’s a good leader in the gym.”

After Boyle’s high-school injury, physical issues continued in college, although he did not acknowledge them.

“It’s not been easy, that’s for sure. Jack definitely has overcome a bunch of injuries,” Loochtan said. “Smaller ones, shoulders, rips on his hands all the time, which is a pain, but he’s a really hard worker.”

Both the team and Boyle noted that he is not a loud leader. He is not vocal often with his teammates, but they look up to him in each event.
Reive believes Boyle has done more than just lead by example.

“He’s been an integral part of changing the dynamic and the culture of this program,” Reive said. “Finishing up his senior year in his degree, applying for jobs, competing in the all-around — all of those things happening successfully at the same time, there’s a reason for that.”

Boyle may spend a lot of time working at balancing things in his life, but he offers something else as a leader, something unique.

“His weirdness … you could be sitting in a room, and everyone would be quiet, and all of a sudden he’ll make a weird face or a weird noise, and everyone will start laughing,” Loochtan said. “His weirdness just keeps everyone going, keeps everyone together, and it’s definitely the best thing about him.”