Ohio State at Iowa

Recap

The Big Storyline: Iowa’s week one outing was no fluke. The Hawkeyes bettered their first number by 0.150 to remain in the mid-196s. This squad hit 196 only three times in 2020, all in February and March; they are solidifying a place with the leaders in the Big Ten for 2021. This is the highest number in the conference this week. The Buckeyes had a bumpy ride on floor after some mistakes on bars. They pulled themselves together for a strong beam rotation, though, which is a good sign for this program. It’s early and the mistakes are fixable. Proving they’re tough mentally is great progress over 2020.

Implications: With Michigan Athletics on a full pause for the next two weeks, Iowa will have a chance to keep charging toward the top of the conference, especially if Minnesota indeed suffered injuries this week. That also means Ohio State gets a bye next week to regroup, unless it joins another scheduled competition.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 13 Ohio State at No. 9 Iowa

Why You Should Make Time to Tune in: Look at those rankings! Both of these teams had very strong first meets and look poised to well outperform their preseason rankings and 2020 finishes. 

Need More Proof? Meredith Paulicivic and Larissa Libby are two of the best choreographers in the country. Both floor rotations are can’t-miss. Look especially for the Buckeyes’ Claire Gagliardi and Hawkeyes’ Lauren Guerin—Guerin has made it her mission to score a 10.0 this season. Iowa’s JerQuavia Henderson is also a great floor worker and powerful vaulter, and you don’t want to miss Ohio State freshman Hannah Oliveros on beam; she notched a 9.900 at Michigan to kick off her career.