The 2019 NCAA Gymnastics Regional competition in Corvallis kicked off on Thursday, April 5 with round one action. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
No. 33 Arizona came into the meet closely matched with its opponent. Maddi Leydin (vault, floor), Christina Berg (bars, floor), Haylie Hendrickson (beam), Heather Swanson (vault) and Danielle Spencer (bars) also qualified as individuals and will compete Friday regardless of how the Wildcats perform as a team. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
No. 32 Iowa had an up-and-down season but made it into regionals to fight for a chance at round two. Clair Kaji (beam, floor), Jax Kranitz (bars), Nicole Chow (bars) and Lauren Guerin (floor)will compete Friday as individuals should Iowa not advance. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Wildcat senior Danielle Spencer-Bearham had a spectacular and crucial bars set registering a 9.900, tying for first on that event. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
With the pressure on to have a hit routine, Iowa senior Nicole Chow came through for the GymHawks with an amazing routine on bars to garner a 9.900, tying her for first on the event. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
In her first Regionals meet, freshman Jax Kranitz nailed her routine with a 9.850 to help bring the GymHawks ahead of Arizona after the second rotation. The hit erased a fall earlier in the lineup. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Junior Christina Berg helped close out Arizona’s floor rotation with a respectable 9.800 to help keep the Wildcats in contention of advancing out of this round one meet. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Maddi Leydin turned in the highest floor performance for the Wildcats, earning a 9.850. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Senior Nicole Chow of Iowa turned in a 9.850, tying her teammate Clair Kaji for the highest score in the beam lineup for the GymHawks. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Charlotte Sullivan, displaying her beautiful beam flexibility, earned a 9.800 in a rotation where every tenth counted for the possibility of advancement. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Junior Jenny Leung of Arizona shows off her beautiful flexibility. Her 9.850 ended up being a bright spot in a rough rotation that sealed Arizona’s fate and end of season. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
But at the time, Leung gave the team something to celebrate. This would turn out to be her last routine of the 2019 season. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Iowa freshman Lauren Guerin pulled out a huge floor score of a 9.900 to earn her the floor title in her first NCAA regional appearance. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Courtney Cowles helped put Arizona back on track after two falls from earlier competitors. Her 9.750 was the third-highest for the team. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Junior Clair Kaji registered a 9.875, electrifying the crowd and earning her second place overall in the event behind her teammate Guerin. The routine ended up sealing the win for the Hawkeyes. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
While Hayley Hendrickson’s 9.825 wasn’t enough to send Arizona to round two, the senior will get one more opportunity to perform for the Wildcats on beam as an individual in session one Friday. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Erin Castle, performing her cult favorite routine to “Tequila,” got to perform free of pressure in the anchor position as Iowa had already sealed the win over Arizona before she was set to go. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Castle’s 9.800 contributed to a big 49.200 for Iowa on floor and 195.850 overall. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
The Hawkeyes’ 195.850 to Arizona’s 194.550 sends them to round two. They will compete again in session two Friday with Florida, Oregon State and Stanford for the chance at moving on to round three Saturday. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Iowa head coach Larissa Libby, who has a philosophy of competing free and for fun and letting the results follow, celebrates with her team as they clinch the opportunity to compete another day. (Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Essay by Ali Gradischer
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