The Iowa women’s gymnastics team will soon face off against Ohio State in the Buckeyes’ arena. Both teams have had areas where they excelled so far this season as well as areas to improve on, so for now, this upcoming meet is anyone’s to win. One unexpected fall or well-stuck routine could change it all, and both teams have worked hard to make it happen. 

So far in the 2019 season, Iowa has competed five meets, its first against Auburn. Although the official results shows a loss for that meet, Iowa was close behind the No. 13-ranked Tigers. Next, the Hawkeyes matched up with Missouri State, and Iowa won by an impressive number, almost 14 points. 

Iowa’s third meet was against New Hampshire, losing by a few tenths of a point. Iowa has a lot of freshmen this year, and they are only getting stronger and more confident with each meet. Despite this loss, there were many high scores and impressive performances from Iowa, especially so early in the season. 

On Jan. 19, the University of Minnesota headed to Iowa to compete in a dual meet. The Carver-Hawkeye Arena was decked out in pink for the annual pink meet, and the energy was high due to that tradition. Despite losing 195.475-194.350 to the Gophers, Iowa put up a strong fight and hit some goals, including a season-high score on bars. Senior Nicole Chow and junior Charlotte Sullivan each scored 9.825 on bars, meeting their personal season-best and helping their team set that season-high total. Sophomores Maddie Kampschroeder and Emma Hartzler also hit season bests, scoring 9.800 and 9.775, respectively. Freshman Jax Kranitz hit her season best on the event, scoring a 9.725. 

“We asked them to work on certain things, and they did those things. I have to believe that doing those things and working on the details will pay off,” Iowa head coach Larissa Libby said after the Minnesota meet. 

Besides bars, there were other highlights of the meet as well. Junior Charlotte Sullivan scored a 9.525 for her first vault of her collegiate career, and Misty-Jade Carlson and Bridget Killian hit their vaults, each scoring a 9.675. The team beam score was a 48.850, with Clair Kaji hitting an impressive 9.900. On floor, four gymnasts scored over a 9.700, with Kaji and Killian scoring a 9.775. 

On Jan. 26, the team competed against Rutgers, defeating the Scarlet Knights 194.575 to 191.625. Iowa also set a new season high on bars (49.125), as well as a new season high on floor (48.900). Iowa also had gymnasts win vault, bars, beam and floor. 

“We are just going to keep plugging away,” Libby said following the competition versus Rutgers. “The thing with this team is that anything you ask them to do they’re going to do it. It’s never about how much they’re working or the effort they’re putting in. We have the right difficulty, we have the right people. We are just young and need a little bit more time.”

Ohio State has had an impressive start to their season as well. After barely losing its first meet to Georgia, 196.600-194.900, Ohio State picked up the pace in its next few competitions. 

Against North Carolina State, Ohio State took a significant lead and ended up winning, scoring a 196.025 to North Carolina State’s 194.550. Between their first and second meet, the Buckeyes gained over a point in their total team score, which is a significant improvement. This big win in their second meet evidently gave them confidence, as they went to win again in their third meet of the 2019 season. 

Up against Penn State, Ohio State scored a 196.075, once again improving its total team score and climbing towards its goals.

The Buckeyes’ last matchup before taking on Iowa was on Sunday, Jan. 27 against Michigan State. Ohio State defeated Michigan State 196.200 to 195.225. Although a 195.225 was Michigan State’s new season team high, Ohio State still managed to squeak past for the win. 

The Buckeyes scored an even 49.000 on bars, 48.975 on vault, 49.125 on floor and a 49.100 on beam. If they keep up these scores at next week’s meet, there is a good chance they can do well, but hitting those performances will be important, as Iowa is only more and more on its game as the season continues. 

Although Ohio State’s average team score has consistently been higher than Iowa’s, Iowa has been switching up its lineup lately, finding the best combination to consistently hit each routine and event. If Iowa finds its team momentum and consistency during the Ohio State meet, it is anyone’s guess who will take home the win. 

Miranda Martin is a freelance writer who writes about gymnastics, social justice issues, and more. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or contact her through her website.