By Jess Westendorf
Women’s Gymnastics
The No. 16 Iowa women’s gymnastics team will start of its spring-break schedule at home with the Big Five Meet on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye.
No. 11 Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, and Minnesota will compete — the meet will determine seeding for the teams going into the Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Championships.“I’m looking forward to seeing how we measure up to everyone else in the Big Ten that we haven’t seen so far this season,” head coach Larissa Libby said in a release. “To be in a postseason meet like this is such a different atmosphere. I think it will be really exciting. I’m interested to see the level that we can go to.”
The top-three teams at the Big Five Meet will earn the 4 p.m. night session spot at the Big Ten Championships in Piscataway, New Jersey, on March 18. The last two teams will be automatically given the 11 a.m. morning session.
Heading into Saturday’s meet, the GymHawks have a record of 12-5, 4-1 Big Ten. Iowa is tied for first in the Big Ten.
Michigan will comes in ranked No. 11 in the nation with an average score of 197.595. Michigan joins Iowa in the tie for first place in the Big Ten, 8-3 overall, 4-1 conference.
Minnesota is ranked 34th in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten, Penn State is also ranked 34th but is currently in seventh place. Rutgers rounds out the group ranked 46th nationally and eighth place in the Big Ten.
Iowa is coming off of its 12th win, against Iowa State on March 4 in the Cy-Hawk Series with a season high score of 196.725.
Going into this weekend, the GymHawks will use its whole roster as well as the four Hawkeyes ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten. Mollie Drenth ranks second in the all-around with a 39.245 and tied for 10th on beam (9.855).
“The pinnacle of success all year that we have been working toward is to get to a 197, and I think we are completely capable of that,” Libby said in a release. “I will be ecstatic if we get to that 197 mark, because I think it will be vindication for everything the team has been working for all year and justification of where we believe our potential lies.”
Men’s Gymnastics
Head Coach JD Reive and the No. 8 Iowa men’s gymnastics team will travel to Minneapolis to compete in a tri-meet on Saturday against No. 5 Minnesota and No.15 Arizona State. It will be the only meet for the Hawkeyes during spring break.
Last time out, Iowa had two gymnasts take home two titles and one runner-up title. Junior Dylan Ellsworth took home the title on the vault with a season-best of 14.800.
Freshman Andrew Herrador won the event on high bar with a season-best of 14.150, and senior Andrew Botto finished second on the all-around with a season best of 81.850.
After this weekend’s meet, the Hawkeyes will return to Carver-Hawkeye on March 20 to face Nebraska.