When the ISU gymnastics team heads to Columbia, Mo., Friday night for its Big 12 conference opener against the University of Missouri, it will also be opening a new chapter of its season.

The meet marks the beginning of what could be the toughest stretch of the regular season, with competitions against three Big 12 opponents over the next four weeks.

According to the GymInfo national collegiate women’s gymnastics rankings, all four Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 10, with Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State all ranked No. 6, 7, 8, 9, respectively.

Proof of the Big 12’s competitiveness is the fact that only four-tenths of a point separate No. 6 Oklahoma (195.050) and No. 9 Iowa State (194.617) in the rankings.

“The Big 12 has been very competitive for the last eight years,” said ISU gymnastics coach K.J. Kindler. “Every conference championship comes down to tenths of a point, and last year, three of the Big 12 schools were at nationals and only 12 teams go, so we were the second-toughest conference at nationals next to the SEC.”

When the Cyclones (5-2) enter the Hearnes Center Friday night to take on the Tigers (3-6 overall, 0-1 in the Big 12), they’ll be taking on one of the toughest gymnastics teams in Missouri history. No. 7 Missouri enters the meet with its highest ranking in school history.

“Missouri has been extremely consistent,” said Kindler. “They have some very talented seniors on their team, really great leadership and they’re going to be on their home court. They’re going to be tough.”

The significance of the meet is certainly not lost on the Cyclones.

“It’s an important meet,” senior Kacey Oiness said. “It helps us in the Big 12 and it will build up our confidence for the rest of the year, too.”

Recent history is on the Cyclones side. Iowa State is 31-41 all-time vs. Missouri, but has defeated the Tigers in 28 of the last 30 meetings.

The teams met previously this year at the season-opening Super Six Challenge, hosted by Louisiana State University on Jan. 6. Iowa State bested Missouri at that meet, placing third (194.050) to Missouri’s sixth (192.700).

Despite Iowa State having a better overall record than Missouri, the Tigers have a higher overall average score, which is what the national rankings are based on. However, Kindler points out that both teams are very evenly matched.

“Missouri’s strongest events are bars and beam, by far, and they’re ranked fourth in the country on beam, so obviously we’re not going to be able to give up anything on that event,” said Kindler. “We’re actually ranked higher on vault and floor, so obviously two very evenly matched teams with each squad have a little advantage on another event.

“All those rankings are based on your average score, and we’re a much stronger team on bars and beam than our average shows,” she said.

Junior Ashley Alden summed up what the meet is all about.

“In gymnastics you can win a meet on any event and we’re pretty much equal to them on all the events, so if we just hit our routines and stay on we’ll do fine,” she said.

Kindler said it will be a tight meet.

“I’m not expecting them to make mistakes, so we’re going to have to be looking pretty good,” she said.

The meet is slated to start at 7 p.m.