Crunch time has come for the ISU women’s gymnastics team.

Just two meets remain for the Cyclones before postseason competition begins, giving Iowa State time to finish fine-tuning its routines before beginning its run at a conference title.

Iowa State will face Iowa and Nebraska this weekend, hosting the Hawkeyes on Friday and traveling to Lincoln, Neb., for a Sunday showdown.

“We have a different lineup for the meets than we did at the beginning of the year,” ISU head coach K.J. Kindler said. “Hopefully, we’ve upgraded and are able to put on a good performance.”

Though both Iowa and Nebraska fell to Iowa State earlier in the year, Kindler said teams make adjustments, and she is looking for good fights out of both opponents.

“Teams refine over the year. There are less mistakes from teams, and if a team has a break in their performance, it can make a huge impact,” Kindler said.

A win Friday over Iowa would give Iowa State an in-state sweep for the season, a prospect that appeals to the Cyclones.

“We should go out there and have a good showing,” freshman Janet Anson said. “Beating them would be nice. It would be nice to have a double win over them this year.”

These final two meets come on the heels of the Cyclones’ only loss of the season, to second-ranked Georgia on March 5. The loss has refocused the team, making it hungrier as the season winds down.

“We definitely refocused after the meet,” Kindler said. “We knew we had a challenge [at Georgia], and to even be tied with them toward the end was a great accomplishment. [The loss] grounded us a little and helped us focus on the areas we need to work on.”

The team gained confidence knowing it could compete with the best.

“[The loss] was disappointing because we were undefeated,” sophomore Erin Dethloff said.

After the loss, the team has returned to working on the basics, staying sharp for the homestretch.

“We’re going to stick with our routines and work on little things like sticking our landings,” Dethloff said. “The little things are what it will come down to.”

While these final two meets are important, they are just stepping stones to the team’s next goal — a conference championship.

“It’s what you work for all year,” Kindler said. “In the scope of things, the first meet [of the season] doesn’t mean a lot in the big picture. The big picture says we want that Big 12 Championship trophy.

“We expect to come out the champions, just as does everyone else who walks in. If you expect anything less, then you’re willing to settle, and we’re not willing to do that. [A conference championship] has been one of our goals all year.”

After concluding the regular season, the Cyclones host the Big 12 Championships at the Knapp Center in Des Moines March 20.