By Jess Westendorf
The 2017 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships will bring teams and gymnasts from all over the nation to St. Louis to compete for the national title.
Hawkeye senior Angel Metcalf and freshman Clair Kaji will join the competition to represent Iowa at the championship.
“We are ecstatic to be returning to the national championship and where this could take the future of our program,” head coach Larissa Libby said in a release. “Angel and Clair are an excellent representation of Iowa, and I could not be more proud of them and the entire team.”
Metcalf and Kaji will compete as individuals, Metcalf in the all-around and Kaji on the beam.
Though both gymnasts will travel together to St. Louis, they will not rotate through the events together.
“It’s exciting,” Kaji said. “Going with the senior is really nice. They are so helpful in guiding us through.”
Metcalf is set to compete with Denver University, and Kaji will make her appearance on the beam with Utah during the fourth rotation.
After a hard-fought NCAA regionals on April 1, Iowa came up 0.10 of a point short to claim second place and advance to NCAAs as a team. How Metcalf and Kaji competed on the beam pushed them through to finals.
The pair tied for first on the beam, scoring career highs of 9.950 and helping Iowa shatter the school record with a 49.600 score.
Metcalf took to the podium for third place in the all-around with a 39.300. The first- and second-place gymnasts, Oregon State’s Kaytianna McMillan (39.400) and UCLA’s Madison Kocian (30.375) advanced with their teams. Metcalf and Kaji were able to qualify as individuals and a specialist on beam.
In her four years as a Hawkeye, this will be Metcalf’s first NCAA appearance. She has proven to be a stellar and essential part of the GymHawk squad throughout her career.
She has competed in every meet this season while competing in the all-around in six of those meets. At the end of the season, she had earned nine event titles, including four bar and five beam titles.
To top things off for Metcalf, she was named to the first team All-Big Ten and All-Championship honors at the Big Ten Championships.
In her senior season as a GymHawk, Metcalf holds the record on bars (9.950), beam (9.950), and in the all-around (39.375).
Kaji, on the other hand, has outdone herself in her freshman season as a GymHawk. She has competed in every meet while earning seven titles.
Of those seven, three were on the floor and one on bars. Kaji was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this season as well as earning second team All-Big Ten.
“I am thrilled for Angel, who has worked … for four years to put herself in this position,” Libby said. “I am proud of them for sticking to the plan and staying committed to each other.”