By Jess Westendorf
Heading into this new gymnastics season, one GymHawk is going above and beyond for herself and her squad.
Senior Mollie Drenth has been a star for the Iowa women’s gymnastics team since she joined the team in January 2014.
As a sophomore, Drenth competed in all 12 meets and was selected to NCAA regionals as an event specialist on the floor, where she posted a 9.800. She also posted her season best on floor against Illinois and at the Big Ten Championships.
Her junior year, she impressed observers once again. She competed in every meet on bars and beam and earned ninth place on bars at the Big Ten Championships. She then went onto place ninth on bars and eighth in the all-around at the NCAA regionals.
In 2015, she was named to the All-Championship Team and earned the first Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week accolade of her career in March.
Last season was a historic and fabulous season for the GymHawks. Drenth was no exception — she once again competed in every meet all-round.
She won first place on vault with a 9.925 and tied for fifth on bars with a 9.825 at the Big Ten Championships in March of this year. She was once again named to the All-Championship Team and to first team All-Big Ten.
Last season, Drenth was chosen as first team All-American at the NCAA Championships — Iowa’s first since Alexis Maday in 2004.
Just last season she captured 19 individual titles: eight beam titles, seven all-around titles, three on vault, and one on floor. She also collected Iowa’s season high scores on vault (9.950), beam (9.925), and in the all-around (39.475).
“I have been working on all the details,” she said. “Making sure that I hit those details and preparing mentally for season.”
After the Black and Gold Intrasquad meet, the GymHawks and Drenth are excited, but they know that there is work to be done. Drenth was proud of what the team accomplished but knows that there is always something to work on to have a great season.
“I felt really good about it; overall as a team, we looked great,” Drenth said. “We have a lot of work to do; we have to hit the detail things and stay together.”
This will be Drenth’s last season as a GymHawk, and she has focused on how she will make her last season one of her bests. The GymHawks will kick off their season at Northern Illinios in Dekalb, Illinois, on Jan. 8.
“I am excited to spend my last year with this incredible team and knowing the potential that we have we will make it far this year,” Drenth said. “I’m excited to be on the floor with my family and sharing those incredible moments with them.”
