Two ISU athletes will be looking to add a pair of championships to the trophy case this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala. at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships.

Senior co-captains Sissy Huey and Shelly Kringen both qualified individually to represent Iowa State.

Huey, making her fourth appearance at the NCAA Championships, is the 2002 Big 12 all-around champion and is also the co-Big 12 uneven bars champion. She was all-conference on vault, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and in the all-around competition.

Huey placed third in the all-around at the NCAA Central Region Championships to qualify for this weekend’s competition.

Although Huey is happy with qualifying, she isn’t stopping there and hopes to make a strong showing at the championships.

“My main goal is just try and make All-American,” she said. “I want to try and place in the top 10 in the all-around.”

Qualifying for the individual finals automatically earns the competitors All-American status.

Kringen, making her second appearance at the championships and the first as an individual, will compete in the balance beam event.

She qualified for nationals by winning the NCAA Central Region Championship in the same event.

Kringen has compiled 15 first-place finishes during the 2002 season, although none came on the balance beam.

“It’s kind of odd for me since it’s not my strong event,” she said. “My goal is to have a good beam routine, do the best I can do, and then whatever happens from there.”

Both girls are setting their goals high, but their coach is setting them even higher. Second-year head coach K.J. Kindler wants them to come home with national titles.

“I would love to have national champions,” Kindler said. “I’ve never had a national champion, and I think it’s within their grasp.”

Although both athletes are excited to be competing for individual titles, they had hoped that the whole team would be making the trip.

“It’s going to be a huge difference,” Kringen said. “Usually we get our motivation from each other. It’s like a whole team atmosphere.”

Huey agreed with Kringen and feels that the two will have to support each other even more to get through the weekend.

“It’ll be good that [Kringen’s] there so that we’ll have company for each other,” Huey said.

Kindler says the girls have to be tough, with or without their teammates there to support them.

“Our is sport is rather individual in that every time you go out there, your teammates can’t push you back on the beam,” she said. “It’s all up to you.”