This weekend, the postseason will engulf Iowa gymnastics. The women’s team has made its impact in the Big Tens, so this weekend marks the NCAA regional competition. The men, coming off their last regular-season competition, head to the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
NCAA qualifications were held on March 27, in which the GymHawks took the sixth seed in the regional.
“We’re super excited to be going to Minnesota — it’s super close for us,” senior Nikki Youd said. “We’re bringing a lot of fans. It’s pretty tight, but I think we can create our own environment in there. I’m always excited about going out there and competing with my teammates, so it will be fun.”
The creation of a positive environment, as well as just having fun while competing, takes priority over a focus on what the results might be.
But that doesn’t mean that training lessened any.
“We’re just honing in on the little details, just making every practice count,” Youd said. “We’re not doing too much different because that’s what we’ve been training for all year. Of course, it’s an important meet, but we’re not putting any extra emphasis on it because we don’t really need to, I don’t think. We just need to go in with that mindset that we’re peaking at the right time. I think we can just have fun and take it one routine at a time, one skill at a time, one event at a time.”
With this mindset, the GymHawks should be able to continue their habit of surprising their opponents.
The men, likewise, are hopeful for their postseason competitions, particularly in the Big Tens.
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“I’m most excited about the competition, mostly because it will be closer than it has been in the past, and I think we’re real contenders for winning the entire thing this year,” said sophomore Andrew Herrador.
Men’s gymnastics head coach JD Reive echoed his belief.
“Quite honestly, I think that these are the most open Big Ten Championships I’ve ever been to since I’ve been here for eight years,” he said. “I think anybody who shows up at this event and hits close to 30 routines and counting is going to win the meet. That’s really cool, because it should make for an exciting competition.”
The team’s developed consistency this season is what makes Reive convinced his team will be a strong contender against higher-ranked opponents.
The Hawkeyes’ practices have helped to further develop this, giving the athletes confidence in their ability to put up big numbers even under the intense pressure.
“Lots of routines — routines every day,” Herrador said about the team’s postseason training. “We’ve [also] been working a lot on team bonding, so I feel like the energy at the arena while we’re there will be a lot better, and we’ll hit more. I’m personally working on high bar and floor. I think I can final in both of those events. It would be really exciting to compete on the second day, because I missed the last year. I really want the opportunity this year, and I think that, if I just go in and hit my sets, I can make that a reality.”
Reive, who expects great results from all of his athletes, reflects Herrador’s hopes.
Each event has strong contenders in the lineup, and the all-around competitors especially have a good outlook. Senior Dylan Ellsworth, sophomore Nick Merryman, and freshman Bennet Huang rank among the top all-arounders in the Big Ten.
Despite their focus on just going out and doing their thing while having fun, both teams expect to see promising results. Come this weekend, it will be seen if their hopes become a reality.