Saturday’s decisive victory over No. 22 Missouri meant more than just a season-opening victory for the Cyclone gymnasts.

For the team and its fans, the win was a case of deja vu and a omen of greater things to come.

The Cyclone’s 194.925-193.050 victory mirrored last year’s season-opener win over the Tigers, which kicked off one of the most historic seasons in the school’s history.

The 2004 squad went 9-1-1 in the regular season, posted three record-breaking team scores and set various individual records while garnering numerous conference, regional and national honors.

Head coach K.J. Kindler said she was extremely pleased with the team’s performance, which has established the Cyclones’ benchmark for 2005.

“The first meet is always difficult; it’s always about getting the season started off on the right foot, and we did that tonight,” Kindler said.

Team co-captain Kacey Oiness said she felt the team competed with a greater deal of confidence than it had shown in practice during the past few months.

As a result, the Cyclone squad outscored Missouri on each apparatus while also claiming top individual honors as well.

Iowa State started off the first rotation with an explosive vault performance, hitting all six routines and posting the top four individual vault scores of the competition (sophomore Janet Anson, 9.90; juniors Laura-Kay Powell and Erin Dethloff, 9.875; and redshirt freshman Jade Kvach, 9.85).

“I was pleasantly surprised with the vault team,” Kindler said. “They showed me some things I have not been seeing in practice.”

The vault team’s performance put the Cyclones in a commanding lead while the Missouri squad started in a rut by suffering multiple falls on the uneven bars.

The Cyclones kept the momentum going in the second rotation on uneven bars, where all six ISU gymnasts outscored the highest uneven bars score posted by a Tiger (9.65).

Dethloff, the 2004 Big 12 uneven bars co-champion, captured first in the event with a 9.8, followed by Powell (9.75) and Kvach (9.725) in second and third, respectively.

Despite posting the highest individual and team scores, Kindler said her team’s bars routines were far from perfect, but her gymnasts did a great job of hanging on during the problem areas.

In the third and fourth rotations, the Cyclones performed on balance beam and floor, turning in two solid performances, despite falls from both Dethloff and Kvach.

On the beam, Powell finished in a first-place tie with 2003 Big 12 beam champion Lauren Schwartzman (9.825), and were followed in third-place tie by Anson and sophomore Ashley Alden (9.80). On floor, Anson captured first with a 9.825, while Oiness posted a 9.775 to tie for second.

Anson cruised to a 39.225 victory in the all around competition, while Kvach captured third (38.450). The Cyclones next travel to compete against Alabama on Friday.