HAWK TALK

May 2017

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129 T he University of Iowa women's gymnastics team closed its season in April with a list of awards and broken school records. "I think when we look back at the season, the one thing I can say is that I don't have any regrets," said Iowa head coach Larissa Libby. "I don't think regrets exist for any of us this season. We broke almost every record, we had an amazing development of a loyal fan base, the kids were recognized in the community, and the GymHawk name became branded." Iowa finished its season at the NCAA Regionals in Champaign, Illinois, with an overall record of 25- 11 and a conference mark of 13-5. e GymHawks placed third at both the Big Ten Championships (196.725) and the NCAA Regionals (196.050). Senior Angel Metcalf and freshman Clair Kaji went on to compete at the NCAA Championships as individual qualifiers. "We were in contention for a lot of things this year, and in the past, we haven't always been," said Libby. "Our mission was to be recognized as a serious contender for qualifying for a national championship and to be taken as a threat at the Big Ten Championships. I think people are starting to recognize the Iowa name as a serious competitor." e GymHawks broke the school record on beam at the NCAA Regionals with a score of 49.600. ey also recorded the second-best score on floor in Iowa history with a 49.525 against Iowa State and they tied the fih-best school record on uneven bars with a score of 49.325 twice this season. Seven GymHawks made their way into the record book by registering 11 top-10 school records in uneven bars, beam, and floor. e Hawkeyes' list of awards this season is even longer than their list of broken records. A record five GymHawks were selected to the All-Big Ten Team for the regular season, and three were named to the All-Championship Team at the Big Ten Championships. Junior Melissa Zurawski was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, while both Kaji and freshman Charlotte Sullivan garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors twice. Outside the gymnasium, nine GymHawks were named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team — the most to receive this honor since 2010. Libby was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for leading the GymHawks through this historic season. "Being named coach of the year was exciting," said Libby. "ere's no better situation than to be recognized by your peers. e Big Ten is a difficult conference and some of those teams have been the best for a long time." e honor means a lot to Libby, who is quick to sing her team's praises for the season's accomplishments. "You don't get those awards without having great teams," she said. "I was coach of the year because my team made me look like the coach of the year. I love my job, my athletes, and my assistant coaches, and I love working with them. I'm so grateful and so appreciative. " One thing is certain aer this historic season: e future looks bright for the GymHawk program. "We are a pretty complete program from top to bottom with gymnastics, academics, life skills. In that respect, I look forward to the future," said Libby.

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