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29 T he 2019 season was one to remember for the University of Iowa men's gymnastics team and it had much to do with a culture created within the program. Iowa head coach JD Reive decided there needed to be a cultural change within the team and each athlete took it upon themselves to put Reive's plan into action. "A huge part of the cultural shi was facilitated by the captain and the leadership that our senior class provided," said Reive. "e seniors kept the team on track from a peer perspective, which is ultimately more powerful than from a coaching perspective. We would not have been able to do it as effectively as we did without them." e Hawkeyes had three seniors: Jake Brodarzon, Kevin Johnson, and Rogelio Vazquez. Reive wanted to build a strong foundation along with the new culture. To achieve that goal, the team decided to focus on execution and consistency. "We started the season aggressive and consistent," said Reive. "at meant sacrificing the difficulty, and our primary focus was execution. We put consistency first and that was the strategy for the entire year. It worked well. "Statistically, we were at a 17-point disadvantage from the get-go from the team that won. We had to obviously do what we do better. e goal was to hit the routines that we were doing, so as we build in future generations, we can have a solid foundation, and it worked out almost flawlessly." Reive believes Iowa's foundation is strong, and the team was rewarded with awards and medals. Eight Hawkeyes advanced 18 routines to the NCAA Championship finals. e team earned a share of its first-ever Big Ten regular-season title, Reive and assistant coaches Tom Buese and Ben Ketelsen earned Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year, two Hawkeyes medaled at the Big Ten Championships, and Iowa boasted three All- Americans. Brodarzon and freshman Stewart Brown earned All-America recognition on parallel bars and junior Andrew Herrador was All-America on high bar. "It was very exciting getting the recognition that we did this season," Reive said. "We felt like we did the right thing and the proof is in the pudding. When you are trying to change the culture of a program and the mentality of what they're doing, getting rewards for what you are doing reinforces it and the buy-in happens faster." e team is excited to continue the success it had from this season and reenact it in seasons to come. "e guys are motivated and excited about training and getting better," said Reive. "e environment is healthy and positive, so as long as we keep our heads to the grind, we are going to be very good next year."