COMMUNITY JOURNALISM: Ups and downs of NCAA gymnastics regional

Editor's note: Annie Szatkowski is a senior at the University of Iowa from Reno, Nev. She is majoring in journalism and sports studies and just completed her final season with the gymnastics team.

By Annie Szatkowski, community contributor

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa women's gymnastics team landed at the Cedar Rapids airport late Sunday night. They were exhausted from traveling all day, but the true reason for the heaviness goes much deeper than tiredness.

The Hawkeyes had just competed in the NCAA Regional in Seattle, Wash., hoping to move on to nationals. They needed to place in the top two spots, but ended up fifth out of the six teams.

The Hawks were up against some of the toughest teams in the country, including last years' reigning champions from Alabama as well as LSU, the University of Washington, University of Arizona and Central Michigan.

Although daunting, the Hawks held a glimmer of hope of qualifying. But in order to do that, they would have to be perfect.

Alabama claimed first place with an overall team score of 197.025 and LSU took second, nearly a point behind the Crimson Tide at 196.075.

Despite the defeat, there were some notable highlights for Iowa.

Senior Rachel Corcoran scored a career-high on vault, complete with a stuck landing, to end up tying for fifth place. Junior Emma Stevenson tied for seventh in the floor exercise and senior Jessa Hansen ended her college career with a 10th-place all-around finish.

Sometimes even with all the right training, a well-thought-out plan and all the desire in the world, things just fail to click. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost for this team. The remaining members of the team have a very bright future and plenty of success to look forward to in years to come.

I know this because I was one of those athletes on the floor that weekend, and now that I have officially retired from the sport, I can say that the potential of the teammates I leave behind is endless. If they can collectively figure out how to channel that potential, they will be unstoppable.

Saying that the season and the meet did not go according to plan is a fair statement, yet is not meant to discourage or dishearten the remaining and future members of the Iowa gymnastics team. It should serve as motivation to be that much better.

And it will be better.

The freshman class is undeniably talented and it is clear that the only way this team can move is onward and upward.

For the seniors, it was their last shot. Their last time on the competition floor. The last time they would represent Iowa as an athlete. For all of them, this last meet felt unreal. This couldn't be it - could it?

Sadly it was.

Even through the initial letdown of not qualifying for nationals hit these upperclassmen hard, they still knew in their hearts that they did everything they could. They knew that this meet was potentially their last and each one of them showed up to compete that day. There was no holding back and that is something they can walk away from with their heads held high.

This ending was perhaps most difficult for senior Jordan Eszlinger, who throughout her four years on the team played a huge leadership role and was inspiring to all of her teammates. Eszlinger injured her elbow while practicing on the uneven bars the week before the regionals and was unable to perform in what should have been her last meet.

Eszlinger has very high hopes for her team and sees nothing but greatness to come.

“I am honored to have been a part of this team,” she said “Even though there were disappointing moments our team stayed strong and we made huge strides forward. This team is very talented, works hard and their future is bright.”