The Iowa women’s gymnastics team triumphed over No. 26 Illinois in Sunday’s dual at Xtream Arena in Coralville, outscoring the Fighting Illini, 196.200-194.975, in the third home dual of the season.
Iowa kicked off the competition on vault, a strong suit for the Hawkeyes this season, which so far includes a team score of 49.400 in Iowa’s Jan. 26 home loss against No. 20 Minnesota.
The Hawkeyes found success yet again, with three athletes scoring above a 9.800, including third-year Karina Muñoz, who claimed four event titles in Iowa’s Feb. 9 triumph over Rutgers. The New Jersey native was the event’s highest scorer for the Hawkeyes, cracking a 9.850.
“We really pushed each other to do our best, and we came out with one of our top scores this season,” Muñoz said after the meet.
While Illinois’ performance on the uneven bars kept them right on Iowa’s heels after the first event, the Hawkeyes kept a 49.025-48.575 lead moving into their turn on bars.
Fourth-year Ilka Juk led off for Iowa on bars with a 9.650. A native of British Columbia and a Long Island transfer, Juk’s score was subsequently matched by third-year Kaia Vanney.
While the Illini set a rigorous tempo for the meet with high scores on vault, the Hawkeyes kept their composure during their second event. Aided by a 9.825 from first-year Quebec native Aurélie Tran and a 9.775 from Muñoz, Iowa finished its time on bars with a 48.625 team score, compared to Illinois’ 48.450 on the vault.
The Hawkeyes headed into their third event with a slightly larger lead of 97.650-97.025, keeping just ahead of the No. 26 Illini.
“We had a lot of adversity over the last 48 hours with our athletes with a couple of them being out,” first-year head coach Jen Llewellyn said. “I think it was just incredible to see our athletes step up and be resilient.”
First-year Cassie Lee started on beam for Iowa, achieving a 9.800 for her efforts. Lee, who previously competed as a member of the fifth-place Canada team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was followed by Juk with a 9.750.
While Illinois showcased its floor routines, the Hawkeyes continued to outpace the Illini, getting their licks in on beam to keep a few decimal places ahead.
Up third on beam for Iowa, fourth-year Haley Tyson, an Aurora, Illinois, native who competed for Minnesota in the 2021-22 season, stepped up with a 9.850 to push the Hawkeyes to 29.400 with three athletes remaining, including Muñoz and Tran.
Iowa’s efforts on beam resulted in a team score of 49.175, keeping the Hawkeyes ahead on the board, 146.825-146.250. Iowa closed the deal against Illinois on floor, the fourth and final event. Tran started the Hawkeyes off strong with a 9.900, followed by Tyson with a 9.625.
With the Illini keeping too close for comfort, it was either team’s meet to win as Muñoz stepped up as the middle competitor for floor routine. Muñoz’s performance earned her a 9.925 to keep Iowa ahead, followed by third-year Hanna Castillo with a 9.950 to lead the Hawkeyes.
By the time third-year Emily Erb completed her routine, earning Iowa a near-perfect 9.975 for her efforts and tying the program record, the Hawkeyes had pulled far enough away to come out on top with a score of 49.375 on floor alone, besting Illinois, 196.200-194.975.
Up next
Iowa travels to Maryland for a dual on Feb. 21, set to take place in College Park. The meet will start at 6 p.m. central time, with coverage provided by Big Ten Plus.