The 19th-ranked Iowa gymnastics team pulled out the victory to secure an undefeated season at home Friday afternoon with a 196.500 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas (196.025), Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (194.600), and Northern Illinois Huskies (193.300).
The Gymhawks’ night was highlighted by a handful of personal season and career highs as well as the celebration of the six seniors and three fifth-year students ending their final meet in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Fifth-years JerQuavia Henderson, Marissa Rojas, and Haley Tyson and fourth-years Hanna Castillo, Avery Chambers, Emily Erb, Gianna Masella, Karina Muñoz, and Kaia Vanney all were honored following the meet.
“They all have been really resilient through all the ups and downs they have had over the years, growing together along the way,” head coach Jen Llewellyn said. “The program will really miss their dynamic personalities that continually make each day fun and competitive.”
Beyond the senior festivities the Hawkeyes celebrated their 9-0 record at home with some standout performances by two star second-years.
Sophomore Sydney Turner helped the Gymhawks to a monumental start on the vault rotation with a new career-best 9.950, Turner’s high score ties her for sixth place in the program record books for the event.
But Turner was not the only Gymhawk putting her name in the record books. Leading the Iowa on the bar event was sophomore Aurélie Tran, who flew her way to a new career-best score of 9.975. Tran now stands alongside former Gymhawk Alexis Maday as the highest scorers in Iowa gymnastics history in the bars event.
“It feels amazing, I am just glad I can do what I can do in practice and now in competition,” Tran said. “Hitting those handstands and dismounts have been something I have worked on and to complete those so perfectly was so wonderful.”
These two high-scoring rotations allowed the Hawkeyes to have a comfortable 0.750 point lead over the Chippewas going into the third event. That lead dropped significantly following one of Iowa’s worst performances on beam.
Three Gymhawks faltered in their routines with two earning scores of 9.3 and one earning a 9.525. Iowa has struggled on beam this season though still being ranked 21st in the nation on the event. Over the last two meets the Hawkeyes have failed to post a team score above 49 points, something they will need to turn around before the postseason.
“We dealt with some changes in the lineup but the team handled it the best they could,” Llewellyn said. “There were some uncharacteristic mistakes made but they kept fighting and getting back up.”
Though some Iowa competitors posted low scores it was thanks to Turner once again, who posted a new career-high 9.925, helping keep the Hawkeyes above the Chippewas in the meet standings.
The Hawkeyes rebounded as usual, dancing their way through the floor rotation with highlighted performances from both Tran, who earned another career high with 9.925, and Henderson, who earned a new season-high 9.950.
Tran earned a total three new career bests, with the final being a new all-around career-high 39.600, placing her tied for sixth in the program record books.
“Really proud of her performances tonight, she may have not had the best warmups but she trusted her gymnastics skills, allowing her to be her best when she needed to,” Llewellyn said.
Up Next
Iowa heads north one last time this season to Minneapolis where it will take part in a quad-meet with Minnesota, Northern Illinois, and Illinois on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. Central Time on Big Ten Plus.