When it comes to the Iowa gymnastics team this season, many people will mention the abundance of leadership with fourth-year Hanna Castillo and fifth-year JerQuavia Henderson, or the new arrivals like Sophie Schriever and Daisy Bowles.
However, early on this season in her second year of collegiate action, Sydney Turner has already started to make her mark on Iowa and even on the international scale.
Turner, originally from British Columbia, Canada, posted a new career-best on her floor routine at the season’s home opener with a score of 9.925, which beat her original career-high of 9.8, which she earned at last season’s NCAA Regionals.
Turner competed in 11 of the 13 meets last season, earning a 9.9 on vault and 9.925 on bars. She said she enhanced her skills by working on the little things and trying to raise her confidence.
“I really wanted to make my routines as perfect as possible,” Turner said. “My coaches even helped me be more confident in showing off and having fun in the gym and on the competition floor.”
This season, she has already competed as one of the all-around competitors, similar to last year. With such a deep roster, Turner has already made her presence known to the coaching staff.
“It’s her preparation and everything that she does in practice, something we have told all our gymnasts,” Iowa head women’s gymnastics coach Jen Llewellyn said. “She shows up every day like she wants to compete, which is because she takes care of herself mentally and physically.”
Much of Turner’s experience has even led her to the international level of competition. From 2022-24, Turner competed with Team Canada in the Pan American Championships, earning multiple bronze medals and a silver medal on bars in 2024. Her accomplishments helped her earn a spot as a traveling alternate for Team Canada during the 2024
Paris Olympics.
“It was so much fun to travel the world and compete for my country,” Turner said. “It really prepared me for college gymnastics, and I tried to carry what I learned to the University of Iowa.”
These experiences have allowed Turner to gain crucial skills many gymnasts don’t receive until later in their collegiate careers, such as handling nerves on a big stage.
“The experiences she has had at the elite level with Team Canada are absolutely insurmountable for helping her with the team sport here in college,” Llewellyn said.
Though Turner has achieved goals on the international level, she still has some personal and team collegiate objectives she hopes to attain this season.
“This season I really want to hit some personal bests on vault, bars, beam, and floor, which I have now just accomplished,” Turner said. “But I really want our team to get a bunch of 197’s and be super successful.”
Turner’s goals are lofty and future-oriented, but her career aims remain centered on the present as this season and her career gradually unfold.
“I really think my career aspiration is still to enjoy what I do every single day and being intentional in the gym,” Turner said.