IOWA CITY, Iowa – Senior
Hannah Joyner scored a 9.950 on beam for the third time in her career to tie the Rutgers gymnastics record in a Big Ten dual meet at Iowa on Saturday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The big score, coupled with junior captain
Stephanie Zannella's anchoring and career-high 9.925, pushed the Scarlet Knights to a 49.175 on vault, the eighth-best score in program history, and part of a 195.125 total on the road.
Joyner won the beam in the dual with the GymHawks, while junior
Avery Balser continued her excellent form on bars, winning the event with a 9.825. Iowa claimed the dual with a 196.200.
The Scarlet Knights closed the evening on the balance beam with junior
Emily Leese opening with a solid 9.675. Sophomore
Jacqueline Manifold tied her career-best with a 9.850, followed by junior
Gianna Ortiz's 9.800. Joyner's near-perfect routine featured a stuck landing on the difficult roundoff 1.5 dismount. Zannella's career-high 9.925 on the beam was capped off by another stuck landing on the side aerial to tucked 1.5 dismount.
KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers' 49.175 is tied for the eighth-highest beam score in team history. It is the second entry to the program's Top 10 list this season, joining the new program record 49.375 set on Jan. 21.
- Hannah Joyner tied her own school record for the third time with the 9.950 on beam. Sharing the record with Erin McLachlan (2020), it is the fourth time in program history a gymnast has hit 9.950 on beam. Joyner has a 9.950 on beam in each her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
- Stephanie Zannella established a new career-high on beam with a 9.925.
- Jacqueline Manifold matched her career-best 9.850 on beam.
- Maya Jones tied her career-best on floor with a 9.800.
TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMERS
Vault: Emily Leese, 9.750
Bars: Avery Balser, 9.825 (1st)
Beam: Hannah Joyner, 9.950 (1st)
Floor: Hannah Joyner, 9.825
All-Around: Hannah Joyner, 39.275
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights head to Nebraska for the Big Five meet on Sat., Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. ET and live on Big Ten Network.
