The Iowa State Gymnastics team has a busy week ahead.

The Cyclones seek to defend Hilton against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Denver.

Iowa State will face the Oklahoma Sooners Monday at 6:30 p.m. and will try to get another home win Friday against Denver.

Coach Jay Ronayne said the team is ready for the challenge of facing two teams in one week and can’t wait to get started.

Practices have been longer and more conducive to preparing for a long week. There has been more intensity this week compared to other weeks, this is the toughest challenge of the season for the Cyclones.

According to Ronayne, there is pressure to succeed this week against two top ten teams.

“It surprises me that we haven’t hit all 24 routines yet,” Ronayne said. “This team is capable of it, and we are a very talented group.”

Last week at the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, the Cyclones took back the Iowa Corn Trophy, beating the Hawkeyes by 0.25.

This was the smallest difference in winning a meet in collegiate history for the Cyclones.

According to Ronayne, the Cyclones started on their worst event which is floor but later took control of the meet. Notable gymnasts who stepped up were Ana Palacios, Meaghan Sievers and Sydney Converse, which helped push the team towards victory.

There are still things the Cyclones need to improve on to succeed this week. The floor event is still a work in progress.

“We need to stick one more vault than what we did at the Iowa-Corn meet to be successful this week,” Ronayne said. “I am very confident that we can battle it out this week.”

The last home meet for the Cyclones was on Feb. 8, the team is ecstatic about being back at Hilton and having the home crowd advantage. The Cyclones are currently 3-0 at home.

According to Ronayne staying in Ames for the week is huge for the team. The team has been able to relax, get their studies done and enjoy the week.

“Being in our own environment is huge for us, we can’t wait to enter Hilton twice in one week; it is truly something special,” Ronayne said.

The 2018-19 gymnastic season is quickly coming to an end. This is the last week of the regular season before the Big 12 Championships are held on March 23. After the Big 12 Championships are the NCAA Regional Championships, held April 4-6 and April 19-20.

“The team has grown every single day in practice and in meets,” Ronayne said. “This sport is very demanding, and everyone puts in the work every single practice.”

Freshman Ana Palacios was a positive surprise for the Cyclones at the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series when she made her debut on the bar event. Palacios tallied a 9.825 which helped push the team toward victory.

“I was very excited to be a part of the team,” Palacio said. “I didn’t want to fall and let the team down, my teammates are very important to me.”

Palacio is originally from Spain and has transitioned to the U.S. this year. Palacios has transitioned extremely well to the culture of the U.S.

“At the beginning, things were very hard for me, it was hard to make friends and being away from my family is the toughest part,” Palacio said.

According to Palacio, her teammates and coaches were the difference maker in transitioning to the University and the U.S.

Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Nilson Medeiros helped recruit Palacios. Medeiros has three decades of coaching experience, his career has taken him all over the world which has helped him recruit future stars.

According to Palacios her favorite event is beam. The way dancing is incorporated is completely different from all of the other events.

“I love to dance, but you have to be very focused, once I’m on the beam I am just me and the beam,” Palacios said.