Coming off a historic meet at home the previous weekend, the 22nd-ranked Iowa gymnastics team carried that momentum on its long road trip to Rutgers. 

The Gymhawks set multiple new career and season-high scores that propelled the team to a 196.725-195.700 win over the Scarlet Knights Saturday afternoon. 

Iowa sprang out of the gate early on bars, with four of the six Gymhawks striking their landings, allowing for a well-balanced scoring from the team. 

Standing out, though, was fourth-year Gianna Masella, who tied her career high with a new season-best score of 9.875. Masella also shared this high score with two fellow Gymhawks – first-year Daisy Bowles and second-year Sydney Turner. 

The 9.875 score for Turner also marked a new season high for her on the bars event. 

With a lead of 0.225 through the first rotation, the Hawkeyes looked to extend their lead on vault, and though many struggled to stick their landings, the Gymhawks’ scores were not far off those of Rutgers.

Leading the Hawkeyes on vault and earning a new career high was second-year Aurélie Tran with a 9.900. Tran’s score also earned her the meet’s best score on the vault event. 

Halfway through the meet, still only up 0.250, Iowa moved into its floor rotation, where it ranks 24th in the nation. 

Hawkeye fourth-year Emily Erb, a team anchor and lead competitor on floor, went down with a lower right leg injury on her first pass during her routine and did not return. 

Erb started her routine as she had all season, but on the landing of her first flip pass, Erb immediately lifted and grabbed her right ankle.

The remaining competing Gymhawks not only kept the team ahead of Rutgers in the overall score but lengthened their lead to 1.075 over the Scarlet Knights. Some of those Gymhawks were first-year Sophie Schriever, who earned a new career and season-best score of 9.925. 

Rounding out the meet on a high note for the Hawkeyes was a special opportunity for first-year Stella DePoala, who replaced first-year Maggie Ball on the beam rotation. 

DePoala has competed for the Hawkeyes as an exhibition competitor up to this point, which means she earns a score, but it does not go towards the team’s official overall score. 

Now getting the opportunity to place an official score for her collegiate career, DePoala leaped and flipped with stunning balance, earning her a career-best 9.850, tying Schriever for second on the team in the beam rotation. 

In the end, it was Turner who led the Gymhawks with a first-place score on beam and a second-place score in the meet’s all-around standings. 

With Iowa State cancelling its season, Iowa now only has three meets remaining on its schedule and will return to Iowa City next week on Feb. 21, to face 16th-ranked Penn State on the Big Ten Network.