Jess and Jay met in February 2007 when they were reruiting a gymnastics meet. Jess was working at the University of Pittsburgh while Jay was working for Iowa State. For the next few months Jay puttered around, sent Jess a few e-mails here and there, and then two were reunited at NCAA Championships in Salt Lake City in April. They saw each other over the next couple months at a few more meets and decided to plan a vacation to Vegas together. After that weekend they decided that even though they were separated by 800 miles they were going to try to make it work.

The couple spent the next TWO years living apart which was no easy task. What is it that they say? Distance makes the heart grow fonder... yeah, they nailed that one on the head. The majority of their time spent together was on the road for work or to visit family. In the summer of 2009 Jay finally convinces a very stubborn Jess to pack her bags and she moved to Iowa. The rest is history...