The Cyclones have been in recovery mode for the last two weeks after an unusually low score and loss against Iowa on March 5.

Last week, the team managed a victory while tying its season-high score, winning 196.225–195.300 over Minnesota on Saturday.

The team, now 7–7, has been fighting the odds in order to make a comeback for the last few meets after injuries and faltering performances have plagued the team all season.

This week’s score was a full two points higher than its score against Iowa.

“I’m proud of the direction the team has gone the past two weeks,” coach Jay Ronayne said in a news release.

“We had a few curveballs thrown at us this meet, and the team responded well. On floor, it has been a weak spot for us since we lost Melanie Tham to injury two weeks ago.

“Also, Anna Robey wasn’t able to work out this week due to sickness, and we had to take Jessica Rizzi out of the floor lineup in warm-ups because of an ankle injury. Rebecca Ellis stepped in the floor lineup at the last second and got her job done.”

The Cyclones have dealt with many injuries over the season, especially with the seniors, and several of the freshmen have been tossed into the rotations in order to round out the lineups.

Ronayne said the freshmen have been struggling throughout the season, but he also said they are learning what it takes to be a Division I athlete at the most important time of the season – right before the Big 12 Championship.

The improvement of the freshmen was indicated on the floor exercise this week, where Ellis scored a 9.725 on her collegiate floor debut and Elizabeth Stranahan tallied a career-high 9.800, which helped the Cyclones notch a 49.025 on the rotation.

“The freshmen have been doing so well the last two meets,” said senior Ashley Kent.

“They’ve stepped up more and they know they can hit. They know we expect them to hit as well, so it’s a relief that they can start to compete at that level.”

Senior Jody McKellar said the three replacement freshmen have been working very hard in practice and it has shown in their performances.

The freshmen have been working to fill the shoes of the senior Tham, who McKellar said was amazing on floor exercise.

Tham, who tore her Achilles tendon, is out for the remainder of the season.

After losing Tham and experiencing other setbacks, the team has been gaining their confidence once again.

The recent success of the freshmen, the season-high tying score and the win over Minnesota were just what the Cyclones were looking for to wrap up their regular season competition.

Next up they have the Big 12 Championship on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., which would have been an unwelcome challenge if it had been scheduled several weeks earlier.

“We went through a dip,” Kent said. “We had injuries, but we’ve stepped up again. We’re back on track and we’re focused.”

Ronayne is also pleased that his team has managed to rebound, and he said the team has begun to relax again at the right time.

He said the Cyclones are as ready as they are going to be for the Big 12 Championship.