Iowa women's gymnastics drops Big Ten opener to Minnesota

Iowa women’s gymnastics drops Big Ten opener to Minnesota

The GymHawks fell to the Gophers, 196.850-196.150, on Monday night.

Jake Olson, Sports Reporter

January 23, 2024

Iowa’s Bailey Libby hugs head coach Larissa Libby during a gymnastics meet between No. 23 Iowa and No. 21 Washington at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Libby scored 9.875 on the floor. In the fourth meeting between Iowa and Washington, the Hawkeyes defeated the Huskies, 196.400-196.250.

Iowa women’s gymnastics fell to No. 17 Minnesota, 196.850-196.150, in its Big Ten opener on Monday night at Maturi Pavillion in Minneapolis.

Bars

The GymHawks opened the meet with a 49.025 on uneven bars. Iowa secured the top two scorers on the night. Fourth-year Adeline Kenlin tied her career-best with a 9.900. Second-year Gianna Masella notched a career-high of 9.850 to earn the second-place event finish.

Vault

The GymHawks’ 48.875 on vault was led by second-year Karina Muñoz, who earned second with a 9.850. Second-year Hannah Castillo made her season debut on vault, scoring a 9.800. First-year duo Eva Volpe and Alyse Karenbauer recorded career highs with 9.775 and 9.650, respectively.

Floor

Kenlin and Castillo powered Iowa to a 49.025 on the floor, with both athletes putting up a 9.875. Second-year specialist Bailey Libby also earned a solid score of 9.825. Libby has earned a 9.800 or higher in 12 of her 13 floor routines with the GymHawks.

Beam

Iowa capped off the evening with a 49.175 on its beam routines. Muñoz fueled the Gymhawks with a score of 9.900 to earn the event title. Third-years Marissa Rojas and Ilka Juk scored career-bests in the event. Rojas tied for second with a 9.875, while Juk earned a 9.775.

Big picture

Despite the close defeat to the Gophers, the GymHawks battled back and hung close the whole way.

“From my perspective, I felt like this meet felt more like our first meet of the season in comparison to last week,” head coach Larissa Libby said in a release. “I am not sure with this being our first travel trip made them a little jittery. After a lot of atypical mistakes early on, I felt like the team did a great job mounting a comeback on beam. Being able to close out as well as they did bodes well for the future.”

Up next

The Iowa women’s gymnastics team returns to action on Friday against Southern Utah. The event will be at Xtream Arena at 6:30 p.m.

About the Contributors

Jake Olson, Sports Reporter

(he/him/his)

Email: [email protected] Jake Olson is a Sports Reporter for The Daily Iowan. In his three years with the paper, he has covered everything from rowing to basketball. He is studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in sports and rec management.

Grace Smith, Senior photojournalist and filmmaker

she/her/hers

Grace Smith is a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic Arts. In her four years at The Daily Iowan, she has held the roles of photo editor, managing summer editor, and visual storyteller. Outside of The Daily Iowan, Grace has held an internship at The Denver Post and pursued freelance assignments for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Des Moines Register.