CORVALLIS, Ore.- Mark down another accomplishment in a season of firsts for the ISU gymnastics team.

After being the first team to reach 20 wins, host an NCAA women’s gymnastics regional championship and defeat Nebraska in Lincoln in thirteen years – the No. 4 Cyclones took second place with a total score of 196.250 during the first-day session of the NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics championships. The strong placing allowed Iowa State to qualify for the Super Six championship on Friday for the first time in school history.

The finish puts the Cyclones one step away from earning the national championship.

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To say coach K.J. Kindler is pleased would be an understatement.

“My initial reaction is that we are thrilled,” she said. “I mean, wow, we are so excited and feel like we earned every single thing we did tonight.”

Junior Janet Anson was even more excited than her coach.

“Our team is so excited, can’t even explain it in words,” Anson said.” This is what we’ve been working for all season.”

Iowa State bested No. 3 Florida (196.225), No. 11 Arizona State (195.575), No. 16 Oregon State(195.150) and No. 18 Arkansas (194.375). The Arizona State Sun Devils are the only team to defeat Iowa State twice this season, while Florida is the highest-ranked team that Iowa State has beat this year.

Defending national champions, No. 1 Georgia placed ahead of the Cyclones, leaving them undefeated at 31-0.

“I’d like to congratulate Iowa State for qualifying for the Super Six for the first time,” Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “It’s exciting for them and they really fought to get here.”

For Kindler, this is the culmination of hard work she has wanted all season.

“This was our goal,” she said. “We expected to do this and we’re very proud that we were able to do it.”

Aside from team goals, Cyclone gymnasts strove to reach individual goals. Anson qualified to compete in Saturday’s individual finals in the floor exercise and vault. Last season, she was runner-up in the individual final for vault.

“We are really excited to come back tomorrow for our first time ever,” she said.

Kindler said the program has made a big stride.

“This is something our program has never done and we hope we can continue to do it,” she said.

“I’m really proud of them.”

Joining the Cyclones, Gators and GymDawgs in the Super Six will be Alabama, Utah and Big 12 rival Nebraska.

Friday’s Super Six competition begins at 7p.m. PST (9 p.m. CST) at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis.