Minnesota sweeps season series with ISU gymnastics

Harrison March

The ISU gymnastics team came up short on the road at No. 12 Minnesota on Saturday by a final score of 197.250-193.725. With the win, the Golden Gophers secured a regular season sweep of the Cyclones, 2-0.

On Minnesota’s senior night, it was sophomore Lindsay Mable who stole the show. Mable scored 9.900 or higher on vault, beam and floor exercise and finished the all-around competition with a mark of 39.625.

Junior Caitlin Brown tallied Iowa State’s highest individual score of the season on vault with a mark of 9.850. Minnesota was led by senior Kayla Slechta and Mable, who scored 9.950 and 9.900, respectively.

All-American Michelle Shealy made her return to the line-up on bars, but a fall on the landing resulted in a 9.175. Two other ISU gymnasts also fell, making the Cyclones count two of them. Iowa State scored 47.600 on the bars, its lowest team score on any apparatus this season.

Iowa State’s highest team score of the evening came on the floor exercise with a total of 49.050. It was the only event in which the Cyclones eclipsed 49 points. Just two ISU gymnasts scored higher than Minnesota’s worst score, however, and as a result Minnesota had the top four scores on the event.

Shealy racked up her highest score on the beam since her return from injury with a mark of 9.900. Minnesota’s Mable was too much to overcome, though, as she scored 9.925 on the event.