Iowa at Minnesota

Recap

The Big Storyline: Minnesota kicked off its season in a big way, setting a new program record for its highest season-opening score and becoming only the second team in Big Ten history to break the 197-barrier at the first meet. Iowa also started strong, with an exceptionally good floor rotation. A 196-plus number is a blockbuster start for the Hawkeyes.

Implications: If there was any question that Minnesota would be able to pick up right where it left off last season, it was answered this weekend. Both the Gophers and the Hawkeyes had strong showings and find themselves ranked second and third in the Big Ten, respectively. 

Records: Minnesota senior Ona Loper notched career-highs on both bars (9.925) and floor (9.950), and tied her career-high in the all around. 

Controversies: There was some confusion on the broadcast about JerQuavia Henderson’s bar score—announcing she got a 10 when she actually received a 9.775. Minnesota freshman Mya Hooten also had a strange mishap on vault that resulted in a hop over the table and a zero; the best we could tell was that her run was off and she bailed at the last minute for safety reasons.