IOWA CITY – The ISU gymnastics team (5-2) left the University of Iowa (0-5) feeling blue after the Cyclones 195.700-193.375 victory during Saturday’s “Think Pink” competition. The win clinched victory for ISU athletics over Iowa in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series.

“We’re very proud to be the team that clinched it for Iowa State, and just to be one of the teams that won in the series,” said coach K.J. Kindler. “We’re just really proud to be part of Iowa State University and to have had the opportunity to do this tonight.”

Kindler added that it was an important win for the gymnastics team.

“It means a tremendous amount to my team,” she said. “I know they were 150 percent focused on that one thing, and I’m definitely proud of them.”

Sophomore Jade Kvach echoed the sentiments of her coach and team’s excitement.

“We knew that a lot of people were counting on us to clinch the series, and it’s very exciting to know that we were able to do that,” she said.

Along with deciding the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series, the meet had a larger significance for breast cancer survivors throughout the country.

Titled the “Think Pink” competition, 50 percent of ticket proceeds will go toward improving breast cancer awareness and research.

In a show of unity, both teams wore the same pink and black leotards and joined together to form the shape of a ribbon during the introduction of the team lineups.

Pink and black balloons were clustered together throughout the north gym of the University of Iowa Field House, and many of the 726 fans in attendance wore pink clothing and held pink programs.

“I think it’s great because I actually have an aunt that has breast cancer, so I think it’s really awesome to have a meet like this [to] support awareness,” said junior Katie Lasher.

University of Iowa assistant coach Talya Vexler delivered an emotional speech about breast cancer awareness to the crowd before the competition began. Vexler discovered that she had breast cancer when she was 23 years old. Now 26, she’s been healthy for three years, but credits being healthy today with her own personal awareness and asked the fans to be more aware themselves.

Kindler was proud that her team was able to be involved with such an important cause.

“We were all aware in the gymnastics community,” she said. “Talya [Vexler] was a great gymnast at Georgia and a sports figure for our sport, so when this happened to her, the whole community got together and said ‘We need to do this.'”

As for the competition, victory in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series was never in danger for the nationally-ranked No. 15 Cyclones, who swept all four events. After struggling on floor exercise earlier in the season, the gymnasts came out with a bang against the GymHawks.

ISU gymnasts had the top five individual scores on floor exercise, combining for a team score of 49.350, which ties for 11th best in school history.

“Floor was phenomenal,” said Kindler. “That’s an end-of-the-season performance on floor.

“Our hard work definitely paid off on floor,” she said. “You could obviously see the improvements that were there and the landings were solid.”

Individually, ISU gymnasts posted some of their strongest performances of the season. Six different Cyclones placed in the top three in at least one event.

After falling twice on the uneven bars against Illinois on Jan. 13, Lasher redeemed herself by scoring a team-best 9.850 against Iowa, placing second overall.

“I did as best as I probably could have done on bars, so I was really happy,” she said. “Last time was a total mental error and I was determined not to have [it] happen again.”

After uncharacteristically struggling on uneven bars and vault, Kvach made sure to finish strong on beam and floor.

“I was telling myself I have to be aggressive on these last two events,” she said. “In order to do your best, you think that you have to be cautious, and that’s not how it has to be.”

Although school pride was on the line, both teams proved to be very noble competitors in support of a great cause.

“They’re both competitive teams and want to win, but when it comes to sports-womanship, both teams are very classy,” Kindler said.