By Jess Westendorf
The No. 8 Iowa men’s gymnastics team will face its final challenge of the regular season this weekend.The Hawkeyes will travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to take on No. 6 Penn State to close out the regular season in a Big Ten battle at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Iowa enters the competition having won three out of their last four meets and defeating two Big Ten teams.
The latest win for Iowa was against No. 7 Nebraska on March 20 (Senior Night), 408.300-400.000.
Seniors Andrew Botto, Cory Paterson, and David Spanier were all recognized that night.
Botto, Paterson, junior Austin Hodges, and Mark Springett took home event titles.
Botto won the all-around with a 78.700, and Paterson secured first on the high bar with a season-best of 14.400.
Hodges took first on the pommel horse with a 14.500, and Springett won the title with a 13.750.
Penn State comes into the meet ranked No. 3 on pommel horse and rings, No. 4 on the parallel bars, and No. 9 on floor, vault, and high bar.
This is not the first time that the Hawkeyes have competed against the Nittany Lions this season. On March 4, Iowa defeated Penn State in a tri-meet with Nebraska in Lincoln, 413.550-409.600.
Junior Dylan Ellsworth and freshman Andrew Herrador both took home titles during that meet.
Ellsworth scored a season-best 14.800 to take the vault title, and Herrador scored a 14.150 on high bar for first place.
After Saturday’s meet, the Hawkeyes will focus on the Big Ten Championships on April 7-8 in Champaign, Illinois.