The ISU gymnastics team can’t escape the barrage of motivational factors in practice this week.

Surrounding walls of the Amy and Dennis Pyle Family Gymnastics Facility are five large sheets of white paper, each with the name of an NCAA Central Region opponent the Cyclones face this Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala., placed squarely in the center in large black text. Circling each name is a wide array of positive reinforcement messages written by members of the team.

“Robey nailed her jump on floor . Jazzy swings like a champion . Ceil just rocked the bars . Jennio inspires me to work hard . .”

The encouraging writing spread throughout the gym is the idea of ISU gymnastics coach Jay Ronayne, who deems himself a strong believer of positive reinforcement. The team plans to take the posters on the road with them this weekend to inspire them prior to competing.

“I wanted them to realize how much they have going for themselves. There’s a ton of good qualities about this team that they may or may not realize and it was just a way to bring those out in the open,” Ronayne said. “So I thought, ‘Since we have five other teams we’ll be competing against, we have so many things going for us that they don’t, if throughout the week-and-a-half of practice we had an opportunity to write on another team’s name all the positives we have within our little family, it will be readily apparent to them that we have so much more than they do.'”

Coming off the team’s most disappointing performance of the season – a season-low 193.975 at the Big 12 Championship on March 31 – some positive reinforcement might be just what the Cyclones need going into Saturday’s must-place meet.

Jennifer Salfen thinks the posters have had a positive effect on the team.

“Just going around reading all the nice things that people write about, stuff you wouldn’t even think anybody would notice, it’s really cool to have the team recognize you like that,” she said.

After qualifying for the NCAA Super Six Finals for the first time in school history last season, the 16th-ranked Cyclones (12-8) enter this weekend’s Central Regional as the third-seeded team, behind first-seed Alabama (12-4, No. 3 nationally) and second-seed Oklahoma (14-4, No. 10 nationally). Breathing down Iowa State’s neck is fourth-seeded Michigan State (12-13, No. 19th nationally), fifth-seeded Ohio State (15-9, No. 21 nationally) and sixth-seeded Kentucky (7-17, No. 26 nationally). In order to advance to Nationals in Salt Lake City on April 26 to 28, Iowa State must finish in the top two this weekend.

Needless to say, the Cyclones find themselves in a rare underdog role – which is exactly what Ronayne wants.

“I always like the underdog position. It’s a different feeling when you go into a competition with a target on your back,” Ronayne said. “I like sneaking up on people. I think it’s at times more satisfying when you’re not expected to be No. 1, when you come in at No. 3 and walk out at No. 1.”

According to coaches and gymnasts alike, competing in Tuscaloosa’s Coleman Coliseum works to Iowa State’s advantage because the Cyclone seniors have competed here before – when Iowa State took second at the 2005 NCAA Central Regional.

“This meet will be fun. Alabama fans are amazing. If you do good gymnastics, they will be behind you no matter what leo you’re wearing or where you come from,” senior Janet Anson said. “It’s really fun because if you hit a good routine, the crowd’s just completely behind you. They always have sellouts, so it’s a fun place to be.”

The team also believes the rotation order puts Iowa State in a strong position to qualify for Nationals. The Cyclones start out Saturday’s six-team competition with a bye and finish on balance beam – Iowa State’s Achilles’ heel during the last half of the season. The Cyclones, however, consider themselves pressure performers and believe the late placement of beam will only help them overall.

“When you’re in competition on the last event, you’re in contention for anything. You are in control of your own destiny and I think that’s very important,” Ronayne said. “There’s nothing worse than sitting through the last event watching other teams in control of your destiny.”

For freshman Megan Barnes, a top-two finish at Regionals means she will get to compete where she hasn’t all season – home.

“[Nationals] is in my hometown, Salt Lake City. I would love to make it there and bring my team home.”