CORVALLIS, Ore. – After being focused on her team all season, junior Janet Anson could finally focus on herself.

After qualifying April 20 for the NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics individual finals, Anson took her spot among the nation’s best gymnasts to compete on the vault and floor exercise. Runner-up on vault at last year’s championships, Saturday night marked the first time Anson qualified for the individual finals in the floor exercise.

This year, Anson tied for third place on the floor exercise and fourth place on the vault, cementing her place among former Olympians competing in Corvallis.

Anson finished her night as the final competitor on the floor exercise and delivered for the fans. Upon nailing her final pass, the crowd gave Anson a standing ovation.

Anson tied with Alabama’s Ashley Miles and Stanford’s Tabitha Yim on the floor exercise. Her performance gives Iowa State it’s highest placing ever on the floor exercise at the NCAA individual finals.

“It was really exciting having the whole crowd behind me,” Anson said. “I could just hear them pumping me up the whole time.”

Given the high stakes of the meet, Anson also had a few new tricks up her sleeve.

“I threw a new pass for my first pass – a half-in, half-out, which is a double backflip with a full twist,” she said. “It was really exciting because I hadn’t done it since last year, so it felt really good to go out and do it again.”

UCLA’s Kate Richardson was awarded the crown of national champion on the floor exercise with a score of 9.950.

As with the floor exercise, Anson also busted out some new moves on the vault. Unlike most meets, she had to perform two different vaults. She began the night by nailing a Yurchenko full twist and a layout for a score of 9.825, following that up with a tremendous Yurchenko one-and-a-half for another 9.825, giving her a total score of 9.825.

Anson, however, faced stiff competition from a familiar competitor – freshman Emily Parsons of Nebraska. After a dynamic rookie year on vault, Parsons stuck both vault attempts for a 9.825, tying Anson for first place after flight one.

In the end, it was two-time national champion Miles’ night. The Alabama senior brought the crowd to its feet with two outstanding vaults during flight two, taking the title of national champion with a 9.938 average.

ISU coach K.J. Kindler said she was proud of Anson’s showing.

“Janet’s money, so you know she’s going to hit her stuff,” she said.

The Big 12 gymnast of the year, Anson came into Saturday’s meet nationally-ranked No. 2 on vault with a 9.935 average and tied for No. 3 on floor with a 9.915 average.