Iowa’s Mollie Drenth earns berth at NCAA nationals after sparkling gymnastics regional

IOWA CITY – Mollie Drenth couldn't help but think back a year.

Last season, a minor mistake on the balance beam cost the Iowa junior an individual berth in the NCAA championship meet.

Buoyed by a strong finish from her Hawkeye teammates, Drenth hit a pair of 9.90 scores in the final two events, won the balance beam in a five-way tie and claimed that elusive spot at nationals at an NCAA women's gymnastics regional Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

'I'm so thrilled,' Drenth said. 'It's just such a privilege to be able to go this year. I'm excited.'

After a pair of 9.825 scores in the floor exercise and the vault, Drenth watched as her teammates provided an energetic momentum boost with successive higher scores on the uneven bars and the balance beam. When it was her turn, Drenth collected a 9.90 in both events.

'Everyone just stuck on bars, everyone hit on beam,' Drenth said. 'It was just incredible. The energy was up and that was very motivating.'

Top-ranked Oklahoma and Nebraska finished 1-2 in the overall team standings and thus qualified for nationals as a team. Iowa finished fourth overall with a score of 195.450.

'On the back half we pretty much won those two events and sent the message that we're going to be back,' Iowa Coach Larissa Libby said.

Even without the balance beam championship, Drenth would have qualified on the strength of her 39.45 score in the all-around category (all four events combined), which placed her in the top two amongst schools that did not advance as a team.

Drenth is Iowa's first NCAA women's gymnastics national championship qualifier since Rebecca Simbhudas and Houry Gebeshian in 2011.

The NCAA women's gymnastics national championships are April 15-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.

'Taking someone on to the national championships is such huge recognition for the University of Iowa and everything we've done throughout the season,' Libby said. 'The reason that she's sitting there is because the team was behind her.'

Drenth posted a team-high score in all four events for the Hawkeyes. Freshman Rose Piorkowski equaled Drenth's 9.825 in the floor exercise, while junior Angel Metcalf also posted a 9.90 on the uneven bars.

Drenth was part of a five-way tie for first place on the balance beam with identical 9.90 scores along with Chase Capps, Nicole Lehrmann and Natalie Brown from Oklahoma and Nebraska's Grace Williams.

Capps (vault), McKenzie Wofford (uneven bars) and AJ Jackson (floor) also won individual events for Oklahoma, which placed first as a team with an overall score of 197.575. The Sooners are coached by former Iowa State gymnast K.J. Kindler, who coached Iowa State from 2001-06.

'I love Iowa and I love Iowans,' Kindler said. 'I thought the crowd was great today. It was a good atmosphere that they provided here. The championship was run top-notch.'

Nebraska's Hollie Blanske tied Jackson with a 9.90 on the floor exercise to claim a share of the regional title.

NCAA REGIONALS

At Carver-Hawkeye Arena

FINAL RESULTS

Teams — 1. Oklahoma 197.575; 2. Nebraska 196.550; 3. Arkansas 195.500; 4. Iowa 195.450

; 5. Central Michigan 194.675; 6. Kent State 194.525; 7. Western Michigan 86.750.

Vault — 1. Chayse Capps (Oklahoma), 9.90; t7. Mollie Drenth (Iowa), 9.875; t7. Rose Piorkowski (Iowa), 9.875; t21. Misty-Jade Carlson (Iowa), 9.725; t30. Maria Ortiz (Iowa), 9.625; t35. Angel Metcalf (Iowa), 9.525; 40. Nikki Youd (Iowa), 9.20.

Bars — 1. McKenzie Wofford (Oklahoma), 9.95; t4. Drenth (Iowa), 9.90; t4. Metcalf (Iowa), 9.90; t8. Johanny Sotillo (Iowa), 9.875; t8. Lexi Mura (Iowa), 9.875; t8. Melissa Zurawski (Iowa), 9.875; t17. Lanie Snyder (Iowa), 9.825.

Beam — t1. Capps (Oklahoma), 9.90; t1. Drenth (Iowa), 9.90; t1. Grace Wiliams (Nebraska), 9.90; t1. Nicole Lehrmann (Oklahoma), 9.90; t1. Natalie Brown (Oklahoma), 9.90; t6. Alie Glover (Iowa), 9.875; t17. Sotillo (Iowa), 9.80; t26. Savannah Borman (Iowa), 9.775; t32. Mura (Iowa), 9.750; 37. Metcalf (Iowa), 9.675.

Floor exercise — t1. Hollie Blanske (Nebraska), 9.90; t1. AJ Jackson (Oklahoma), 9.90; t13. Drenth (Iowa), 9.825; t20. Snyder (Iowa), 9.750; t23. Glover (Iowa), 9.725; t36. Metcalf (Iowa), 9.550; t36. Ashleigh Edlin (Iowa), 9.550; 40. Zurawski (Iowa), 9.075.

All-around — 1. Capps (Oklahoma), 39.55; t3. Drenth (Iowa), 39.450; 10. Metcalf (Iowa), 38.650.

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