Two-tenths of a point is all that kept No. 13 Iowa State from qualifying for the 2003 NCAA women’s gymnastics national championships.

The Cyclones put together one of their best performances of the year with a 196.525. Unfortunately, at the end of the night they were edged out by No. 10 Michigan, who finished with a 196.825 and No. 3 Arizona State who scored 196.725. The top two teams from every region are invited to the national championships on April 24-26.

The night was highlighted with many great individual performances. The most impressive feat was Iowa State hitting 24-of-24 routines, translating into no falls on any of the four events.

“We made no mistakes,” said senior co-captain Courtney Sarrett. “We did the best we could and even though we’re disappointed not to win, we’re extremely happy with the effort.”

Freshman Erin Dethloff tied for first on the floor exercise and Karen Kuplicki finished in a tie for fourth. Chee Chee Calina finished in a tie for second place on the beam, and many other competitors broke career-high marks.

Not all of the gymnasts are done for the year, however. Dethloff, who last week was named Big 12 newcomer of the year, finished fifth in the all-around, which qualified her for the national championships.

The entire team and coaching staff will accompany Dethloff to Lincoln, Neb., for the championships.

“We think she has a great shot to do some great things at nationals,” Sarrett said.

The team is going along to support Dethloff. Head coach K.J. Kindler has high hopes for the freshman.

“She has a huge opportunity to do well in this tournament especially on the bars,” Kindler said. “She is one of the best bar workers in the country.”

Kindler, who is in her third year at the helm for Iowa State, was named 2003 North Central Regional coach of the year.

“The award means a lot to me, but I feel that all the credit should go to my staff and the athletes. We are one person short on the staff, so everyone had to pull together and I give the credit to them,” she said. “The award symbolizes that my peers respect what I’m doing here, and especially our progress with such a young team.”