HAWK TALK

March 2021

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55 T here's a friendly rivalry on the University of Iowa men's gymnastics team between all- arounders Bennet Huang and Evan Davis. e team captains have finished first and second in all-around in every meet this year, both gymnasts rank in the top 10 nationally and both have used the other as motivation throughout their careers, chasing their own individual and team aspirations. Huang made the transition from the West Coast to the Midwest in 2017 and he performed from the start. "I didn't anticipate what he would do every week, he's just a competitor," said Iowa head coach JD Reive. "He wants to win the meets when he gets there no matter what's going on, and it has been a driving force for us the past four years." Huang competed in all-around at every meet except one his freshman season and finished 12th at the 2018 NCAA Championships. Evan Davis arrived in Iowa City as a highly touted recruit from Houston a year aer Huang, but his energy and work ethic stood out from the jump. "You could tell he has that drive," said Huang. "He's one of those guys where it doesn't matter how he feels that day, he's going to keep pushing and it sparked an energy in the gym." at became the start of a rivalry that has pushed the duo to new heights as Hawkeyes. It began in year one for Davis when he was competing alongside a teammate he considered a role model from his first day on campus. e 2019 Winter Cup was an opportunity for both to compete on a national level against some of the best competition in the country. ey credit that event as a turning point for their collegiate careers, as it was the first time Evan finished with a higher all-around total than his teammate. "It was a wakeup call that what I had been doing in the gym was working," Davis said. "at pushed me," said Huang. "I realized I had to tidy things up and nit-pick myself as much as he does." Huang bounced back in 2019, once again earning a spot in the NCAA Championships all-around final. He finished ninth, while Davis was 14th in the finals on the horizontal bar. With the 2020 season being cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, this season has showcased their final opportunity to compete as teammates. ey each have won two all-around titles and each has been honored as the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week. "e good thing about our rivalry is that it's not malicious, we congratulate each other, but then we tell each other that we're getting them next time," said Huang. "We want to beat each other at our best." Davis said the rivalry has allowed both gymnasts to push for perfection. e 2021 season is the final one for the program. Reive credits much of the team success to the supportive and competitive environment that Huang and Davis created in the offseason, as well as establishing an underdog mentality that the team has run with this season. "e experience of the program getting cut is what has bonded us together, no matter how good or bad the routine is," said Davis. "We're going to go crazy for each other because you are out there. I think that's what's setting us apart." MARCH SCHEDULE March 13 at Ohio State March 20 Nebraska

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