Hey everyone, long time no see. Like moving back home only to find out your parents have completely redecorated your room, the site's gotten a bit of an overhaul since I last wrote anything. Unlike my parents turning my bedroom into my brother's bedroom and office though, the new website looks even better than before. There's a lot of exciting stuff going on and in the pipeline and I hope you'll come along with us for the ride.

For the experienced readers, welcome back! For those of you that haven't read any of my articles before, welcome in! We're so glad you're here. Each week, I'll use this space to cover some of the Hawkeye sports that don't always get as much exposure. Our football and basketball teams get a lot of (well-deserved) coverage, but Iowa's athletic prowess reaches far beyond those two sports, and I try to do my best to help shine a spotlight on some more incredible athletes that deserve your attention.

Many of the winter sports are still on break between the semesters, but the Hawkeye gymnastics team competed in their opening meet over the weekend and, if the opening meet is any indication, we're in for another fun season. Let's take a look.

Last season, the Iowa gymnastics team went out with a bang, qualifying for the regional finals and posting their 2nd-best team score of all time. On the individual level, Adeline Kenlin tied for 2nd at the NCAA Championships on the Balance Beam. That team was an experienced group and included former Hawkeyes like Lauren Guerin and Clair Kaji, who were staples in the lineup for 4+ years. Coach Larissa Libby had confidence in her team to fill those shoes, but potential is just that until it's proven on gameday.

After last weekend, it looks like Coach Libby was right to be excited.

The GymHawks kicked off the 2023 season by competing in The Super 16 meet in Las Vegas as part of the third session, competing against #11 Cal, ASU, and #24 BYU.

Iowa put together podium performances in three events: Linda Zivat tied for first on the Vault with a 9.925, Aubrey Nick tied for 2nd on the Beam with a 9.900, and Adeline Kenlin tied for 3rd on the Floor, scoring 9.900.

Altogether, the Hawkeyes put up their second-highest season-opening score in school history, 196.225, securing the highest team score in their session on the Vault and finishing second in their session behind only #11 Cal.

The Hawks' performance earned them the #16 spot in this week's rankings.

The Hawkeyes were one of the most experienced teams in the country last season, but this group looks far more like a reload than a rebuild. The points of strength may shift a little as the specialties of the individual members change (Guerin and Kaji were two of the best in the country on the Floor), but as a whole, the Hawks looked as competitive as ever. Adeline Kenlin and JerQuavia Henderson turned heads as underclassmen last year and I expect that you'll continue to hear their names a whole lot in these articles as the season progresses. Combine that with a few upperclassmen stepping into leadership roles, such as Zivat, and there's a clear path to success for the Hawkeyes this season.

Think of it this way: this group, while still tinkering with the lineup and knocking out some of the nerves that come with being new athletes and new roles, is already notching all-time team scores. Just imagine what this group will look like come March or April once everyone settles in. I fully expect we'll see this team, and some of its members, in the mix for Big Ten titles and pushing for a return to postseason competition. We're in for another fun Hawkeye season.