IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team is set to compete at the Big Five Meet on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (CT) at the Rutgers Athletic Center. The Hawkeyes face No. 7 Michigan, No. 22 Minnesota, No. 25 Penn State, and Rutgers to determine seeding for the 2018 Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Championships.
The top three teams of the Big Five meet compete in the evening session of the Big Ten Championships at 7 p.m. (CT). The remaining two teams compete in the afternoon session at 2 p.m.
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
· The Big Five will be carried on Big Ten Network and will be available live via BTN2Go to fans with a BTN subscription through their cable provider. A direct link is on the women's gymnastics schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
· Live stats links throughout the season can be found on the women’s gymnastics schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
LAST TIME OUT
Iowa finished third with a score of 195.600 against then-No. 19 Missouri and then-No. 25 Iowa State on March 9. The Hawkeyes recorded a season-high 49.225 on uneven bars, and six GymHawks registered seven season highs.
Junior Nicole Chow placed second on bars with a career-best 9.900. She also finished third in the all-around with a career-high 39.275. Sophomore Charlotte Sullivan finished second on beam with a score of 9.850, while senior Lanie Snyder came in second on floor with a 9.900.
IN THE CONFERENCE
Iowa ranks eighth in the Big Ten Conference with an overall record of 5-9 and conference mark of 3-2. The Hawkeyes also rank fourth on floor, fifth on beam, and eighth on bars and vault.
Four Hawkeyes rank in the top-15 in the Big Ten Conference. Snyder stands at third on floor. Senior Nikki Youd ranks seventh and Chow ranks eighth on beam. Sullivan is 14th in the all-around.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Iowa ranks No. 32 in the national with a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 195.680. The Hawkeyes also rank 26th on beam (49.010), 29th on floor (49.115), 33rd on bars (48.970), and 37th on vault (48.835).
Five GymHawks rank in the top-100 in national rankings:
All-Around: Sullivan ranks 62nd (39.030) and Chow ranks 71st (38.915) in the all-around standings.
Bars: Senior Melissa Zurawski stands at 92nd (9.840) on uneven bars.
Beam: Youd ranks 54th (9.865) on beam, while Chow follows at 59th (9.860).
Floor: Snyder stands at 28th (9.895) on floor.
THE COMPETITION
Michigan is ranked No. 7 in the nation -- and first in the Big Ten Conference -- with an RQS of 196.945. Nationally, Michigan is also ranked sixth on beam (49.335 RQS), seventh on floor (49.320), and eighth on vault (49.235) and on bars (49.265). The Wolverines own an 11-2-1 overall record, with a 4-1 mark in conference action.
The Golden Gophers are ranked No. 22 nationally with an RQS of 196.160; they stand at third in the Big Ten Conference. They are also ranked 16th nationally on bars (49.205 RQS), 25th on beam (49.040), 29th on floor (49.115), and 30th on vault (48.970). The Golden Gophers hold an overall record of 13-4 and a conference mark of 4-2.
Penn State is ranked No. 25 in the nation with an RQS of 195.980. They are No. 8 in the Big Ten Conference. Nationally, the team is also ranked seventh on bars (49.275 RQS), 28th on vault (48.995), 35th on floor (49.080), and 36th on beam (48.825). The Nittany Lions own an overall record of 10-5 with a 1-4 mark in conference action.
Rutgers is ranked No. 52 nationally with an RQS of 194.205 and stands at tenth in the Big Ten Conference. The Scarlet Knights are also ranked 38th on beam (48.795 RQS), 50th on vault (48.685), 52nd on floor (48.810), and 63rd on bars (48.190). Rutgers holds an overall record of 9-16 with a conference mark of 0-6.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa gymnastics program and access to exclusive coverage, "like" Iowa Women's Gymnastics on Facebook and follow @IowaGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.