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115 S ince ending last season with a sixth-place national finish, the University of Iowa men's gymnastics team has been working hard to raise its stock nationally. With strong senior leaders and a roster full of depth, goals of a top-three finish at the Big Ten and NCAA championships have been set. "e leadership has shown up in the senior class," UI head coach JD Reive said. "Jack Boyle and Matthew Loochtan came to me and said they wanted to be captains and lead this team. ey've done that ever since, they've worked hard, and their gymnastics looks much better." Both seniors believe the team is ready to push itself to new heights and they are excited for the opportunities that await the Hawkeyes. "We have a lot of upperclassmen that are able to help the younger guys get the experience they need to take over when we graduate," Loochtan said. "e team camaraderie this year has been great, and because of that, we've been able to develop the guys into more mature athletes." "We're eager to get out there and compete, but we still have a lot to do to get ready," Boyle said. "We're going to push routines and refine things over the next few weeks. We have a good meet to start with that will help us see how we measure up with other teams." e Hawkeyes, who were picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten this preseason, will have an opportunity to see how they measure up against top national talent right out of the gate at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17. Iowa will compete against Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, and Illinois-Chicago in the regular season opener. "We didn't get a good preseason rank this year," Reive said. "Going into a meet like that gives us the opportunity to show that we are well-prepared. If we can go to an event like that with the best of the Big Ten and hold our own, it will show the entire gymnastics community that we belong in the top tier of teams." Despite the disappointing preseason rank, the Hawkeyes have not changed their loy goals. "Seeing that makes us work harder and more motivated," Loochtan said. "Each year we finish better at the NCAA Championship, so this is our year. We want to finish in the top three in the Big Ten and in the NCAA, which is more than doable. We have a great squad." JANUARY SCHEDULE Jan. 17 at Windy City Invitational (Chicago) Jan. 23 Illinois Jan. 30 at Oklahoma