After a week of rest, the ISU gymnastics team will be jumping back into action tonight against Missouri.

The No. 8 Cyclones (0-1 Big 12, 4-1 overall) are looking to advance further up the rankings against the No. 15 Tigers (0-1 Big 12, 3-3 overall). This will be the second Big 12 meet this year for both teams, with each having lost to Nebraska earlier this season.

“We want to score 196-plus and be very consistent,” said ISU head coach K.J. Kindler. “This is our second conference meet. We’re third in the conference right now, and we need to improve to prove dominance in the conference.”

Over the last couple of weeks, both Iowa State and Missouri have been breaking individual and team records.

Two Cyclones, senior Sissy Huey and sophomore Gabby Layne, collected new career-highs at Iowa on Jan. 26. Three new season-highs were established by Huey, Shelly Kringen and Dena Albacker as well.

On the other hand, the young Missouri team hosted the State Farm Cat Classic in Columbia, Mo. over the weekend, where it competed against Brigham Young, Auburn and Pittsburgh.

Though they placed second, the Tigers managed to shred numerous records, three of which were broken by freshman standout Alisha Robinson.

Robinson, who took first in the all-around competition, set a new record for a Missouri freshman and for the Cat Classic with her score of 9.950 on the floor exercise.

Though she hasn’t competed against Iowa State yet, the Cyclones already know what Robinson is capable of, having recruited her heavily before she committed to Missouri.

“[Robinson] is very powerful,” Kindler said. “She is serious all-around competition.”

Kringen agreed.

“Alisha Robinson is a very tough competitor,” she said.

The Cyclones, who reached No. 6 in the rankings last week, the highest ever for an ISU gymnastics team, will get a boost tonight from junior Courtney Sarrett.

Sarrett will be competing in her first home meet of the year after recuperating from an ankle injury. Junior Karen Kuplicki may also rejoin the lineup after pulling her hamstring, along with the possibility of freshman Abigail Richey stepping into the all-around.

For this meet, Iowa State’s main goal is to improve on their scoring average.

“Our goal is to hit 24 of 24 routines,” Kringen said. “We’ll be working on polishing everything, keep in ratings and improve onto what we have already.”

Huey doesn’t see that goal as a problem.

“We improve every meet,” she said. “K. J. [Kindler] sets a score for us before every meet.”

Though the team doesn’t view this as a particularly huge meet, Kindler said every meet is a big one, especially to stay high in the rankings.

“Missouri is much improved from the past,” she said. “It will be a close competition. However, experience works with us.”