The ninth-ranked ISU women’s gymnastics team will be trying to do more than defeat the five other teams competing at Saturday’s NCAA Central Region Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala. — it will be trying to end the plague of unstuck landings that have kept the team from nationals the last four years.

After a near-perfect regular season in 2004 (9-1-1), the Cyclones placed third at the regional championships, missing second place and a berth in the national championships by less than three-tenths of a point.

Despite the roadblocks of the past, Big 12 floor co-champion Janet Anson said this year’s team is ready to make sure the second-seeded Cyclones won’t leave the competition floor without a top-two finish and the team’s first national championship bid since 2000.

Trying to block the path, though, will be Alabama, Utah State, Auburn, Kentucky and Kent State. Of those teams, top seed host Alabama is the only team the Cyclones have faced this year. The two teams met in January for a dual meet, with the Crimson Tide coming out on top 195.825-193.75. Iowa State did sweep the top three places in the balance beam competition, the event on which the Cyclones will start the regional meet.

“The crowd was really loud, and I think that will help our confidence,” said junior all-arounder Laura-Kay Powell. “[Beam is] of our strongest events; if we start out strong, [our routines] will follow through the rest of the way.”

Starting strong on beam is a definite possibility, said coach K.J. Kindler, as the only senior on the team, Abigail Richey, will be the Cyclones’ first competitor on the beam.

“We couldn’t have a better person to start us off,” Kindler said. “Her success is key to us on that event and in the entire meet.”

Alabama, who is favored to win and ranked fourth in the nation, boasts four national titles and more than 20 consecutive national championship appearances. The Crimson Tide are led by three-time national individual event champion Ashley Miles and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Terin Humphrey.

The Cyclones must remain on their toes as the third seed, No. 16 Utah State, will be nipping at their heels. The Aggies won their first-ever Western Gymnastics Conference title two weeks ago and are making their first regional appearance since 2002.

The Aggies are followed by No. 21 Auburn, which has extra incentive to make the national championships, as the competition will be held in the Tiger’s Coleman Coliseum in two weeks.

No. 23 Kentucky should also put forth a good effort, having topped both Utah State and Auburn earlier in the season. The school provides a sentimental matchup for ISU assistant coach Kristen Hoeferlin, a Kentucky alumna who led the Wildcats as a competitor from 1996-2000.

Richey said she feels this is finally the Cyclones’ time to shine and make a triumphant return to nationals.

“It’s been the goal of the entire team since my freshman year; this team, more than any other, has made it a group effort,” she said, noting that the team’s success this season despite being dealt over a dozen lineup-changing injuries and illnesses this season.

“Someone always stepped up and proved themselves,” Richey said. “We’ve really shown depth; if there was one less person, we couldn’t have done it.”