The Iowa gymnastics team is prepping for their season-opening meet early in the new year.
The GymHawks look to continue their momentum into the 2025-26 season after finishing fifth at the Big Ten tournament and making it into the NCAA regional last season.
Leading the Iowa squad is second-year head coach Jen Llewellyn, who previously served successful stints at Lindenwood and Washington before arriving in Iowa City.
“The system we had last season worked, and we won’t really make any drastic changes besides some tweaks based on the roster,” Llewellyn said.
The Hawkeyes roster this season, though, has more depth and veteran leadership than in previous years.
The team has 14 GymHawks returning, with some coming back from injury, in addition to four new freshmen arrivals. With this lengthy roster, the Hawkeyes have 11 people capable of competing on vault, eight on bars, 11 on beam, and 11 on floor, with each only having six participants competing.
“Being strategic with who we put in and where we put them in the lineup will be the hardest decision for us as coaches,” Llewellyn said.
One of the key returners for the Hawkeyes this season on the participant side is senior Hanna Castillo. Castillo competed in 12 meets last season — 11 on vault and floor.
“It’s bittersweet being a senior, I will say. I am very excited for this season with our freshmen that just came in, and there’s so much talent and depth,” Castillo said. “But at the same time, I’d never want it to end.”
Even though the GymHawks have an immense amount of talent returning, Iowa still has four new incoming freshmen who are ready to compete and learn from the veterans.
Among the first-years, Sophie Schriever, who looks to earn her name on a Freshman of the Year list, has earned numerous honors and awards throughout her high school career.
The Sandy, Utah, native collected the 2025 USA Gymnastics Development Camp title, won a state championship on bars, beam, and all-around, and finished as the 2025 Utah State runner-up in vault.
“It’s been really cool to watch the older girls show me how I can progress, take care of myself, and how to trust my training,” Schriever said.
Preparation and practice for the new season are already underway in the new Nagle-Duda Gymnastics and Spirit Squads Training Center. Many gymnasts have been developing their craft since the summer, with those coming back from injury working with athletic trainers.
“We’ve really prioritized taking care of our bodies and everybody being mentally strong, continuing to put in the effort, pushing each other past our own limits,” Schriever said.
But even with the veteran leadership, new freshmen arrivals, and injured returners, one thing has remained the same all offseason and still now, the emphasis of “Team 49.”
This season will mark the 49th squad in Iowa gymnastics history, something the GymHawks have made apparent in how to unify the team even more.
“It makes you want to come in and want to be here every day. I feel like we’re just really unified all as one unit,” Castillo said.
Team 49 now looks ahead to their first meet of the season on Jan. 2 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The GymHawks will compete against Utah and rival Minnesota.