HAWK TALK

December 2015

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107 T he University of Iowa men's gymnastics program is coming off of a successful season, which included a sixth-place team finish at the NCAA Championship and an All- America honoree in Jack Boyle. With Boyle leading the senior class — and the core of its roster back for the 2016 season — sixth-year head coach JD Reive sees an exciting season on the horizon for the Hawkeyes. "e senior group is pivotal for our program because it came in when we were still building," Reive said. "ey've seen us grow and have been a part of it day-in and day-out. ey have ownership of the success we've had and are taking a vested interest in their gymnastics. ey don't want to do things status quo, they want more." Senior co-captains Boyle and Matt Loochtan and the rest of the team have welcomed a freshman class of six gymnasts, schooling them in the philosophies of the Iowa gymnastics program. ey have responded and Reive is excited for the energy and competition they have already added to the gym. "is group is fun to work with, they are doing well in school and they're training with the same intensity," Reive said. "ey're the first ones in the gym and the last ones out of the gym every day, they've embraced the philosophies of what we do, and they're bringing an energy into the gym that brings up the level of the entire team. "ey bring much needed depth. We have more competition now and that has made my job even harder. It's a good thing and I want that, it's hard for me to pick six guys. It's going to be a weekly challenge to figure out what the best lineup is. e best teams have that depth." According to Reive, depth is key to accomplishing the loy goals the team has laid out for itself. Iowa wants to make team finals at the NCAA Championship every season, have four or five gymnasts earn All-America accolades, and win individual event titles at the NCAA Championships. Another building block of success for the Hawkeyes has been the renovated practice facility inside the UI Field House. It has already added to the competitive environment and allowed gymnasts to increase their skill levels in the preseason. "Our new gym has given us the ability to train at a higher level of difficulty more consistently," Reive said. "We couldn't get enough repetitions before to add new, higher-level skills to our routines, but now we can. We can challenge them, keep up the intensity, and do it all safely. "e new gym has been a motivational tool, it's a source of excitement, and it's great to see our kids take advantage of what it brings to our program and culture." DECEMBER SCHEDULE Dec. 5 Black & Gold Intrasquad (at the Field House)

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