The ISU gymnastics team went to unprecedented heights in 2000, reaching the NCAA Championships for the first time in team history.

All the circumstances were pointing the Cyclones in that direction in 2001.

However, the Cyclones finished third at the Region 2 tournament, leaving them out of the national championship picture.

“It [was] devastating,” head coach K.J. Kindler said. “We were expected to go to nationals and had our minds set on it. A couple of mistakes took us right out of [the competition].”

Kindler said the disappointment of that meet will be a key motivator for the 2002 squad.

“This year we’re focusing one day at a time,” she said. “We’re trying to focus on the next meet and individual things.”

While the Cyclones lost three seniors, an experienced group returns to the floor.

Five seniors lead the team this year, including all-around NCAA qualifier Sissy Huey and all-around Big 12 defending champion Shelly Kringen.

“They are definitely the leaders of the team,” Kindler said. “You know that when it comes to the competition. You can tell by the way they perform that they’re on top of what’s going on. They’re leading the younger athletes and pointing them in the right direction.”

Sophomore Chee Chee Calina knows the seniors are looked at to help the underclassmen become accomplished collegiate athletes, even if that help is as small as a word of encouragement on a bad day.

“They’re very good at keeping a great atmosphere in the gym and are very positive people,” she said. “It’s really good for the younger girls to have that.”

The Alaskan native is one of many seasoned youngsters that will compete for the squad this year.

Juniors Karen Kuplicki and Courtney Sarrett join Calina and freshman Abigail Richey as emerging talents for Iowa State.

Tonight, the team will hit the Hilton Coliseum floor to face defending Big 12 champion Nebraska.

The No. 8 Cyclones go into the match with momentum after taking first place last weekend at a four-team meet in East Lansing, Mich.

Entering the meet Iowa State was the No. 20 team in the country, which Kindler pointed out as another key motivator.

“We felt we were being underestimated,” Kindler said. “We were elated to come out and show them that we’re better than this.”

Huey, a three-time Big 12 champion, also said she feels the Cyclones aren’t very appreciated in the world of collegiate gymnastics.

“It seems that we don’t always get the respect that we deserve, but hopefully through this meet coming up, we’ll get even more respect,” she said. “We worked so hard in the off-season and definitely deserve it.”

With a 3-0 record already in the books, the gymnasts feel much better about this year’s start.

“Last year, we didn’t have a very good first meet, so we’re already starting the meet off on the right foot,” Huey said. “I know that our confidence is definitely up for [the Nebraska] meet coming off the big win.”

Now Iowa State will try to improve on their success while winning a very important meet in only their second competition of the year.

“I think it’s good to get [wins] early in the season,” Calina said. “It would be awesome to beat Nebraska early and help our confidence when we meet up with them again later in the season.”

The home opener for the Cyclones takes place at 7 tonight.