Much like the play of the teams they massed to pay tribute, fans at Hilton Coliseum were both startled and excited by fiery eruptions, rafter-shaking booms and exploding streamers of fireworks Sunday as Iowa State celebrated its first-ever Big 12 Championships.

For The Cyclone men, it was their first crown since claiming the Big Six title 55 years ago. The Cyclone women earned a share of the championship with a furious comeback win at Texas last Wednesday.

Hundreds of fans lined Hilton’s entrances prior to the onset of festivities and filled over half the arena for the celebration.

The women were honored first, with Athletic Director Gene Smith and ISU President Martin Jischke delivering the opening remarks.

“This team has really set a standard,” Smith said. “Not only in wins and losses, but the character that this team represents.”

Jischke unveiled the Big 12 trophy, and senior Monica Huelman carried it on a slow procession in front of her teammates.

“How sweet it is!” Jischke said to rousing cheers. “We’ve got the best one-two punch in basketball in the United States!”

The final triumph at Texas was a testament to how hard the Cyclone women had worked to bring home a championship, Fennelly said.

“For our team to go to Texas, in a building reeking with tradition on their senior night and come back from the deficit that we did is truly amazing,” Fennelly said. “Only a championship-caliber team could have done that and that’s what these young ladies did. The true center of the college basketball world today is Ames, Iowa.”

Following Fennelly’s comments, senior point guard Stacy Frese snipped off the first strands of net cord, and one-by-one her teammates ascended the ladder to grab their own pieces of Cyclone history.

Between the women’s and men’s ceremonies, half-filled Hilton Coliseum remained raucous as the cheerleader squad led chants of “let’s go State!” and highlights of some of the season’s spectacular plays shone on the mid-court Diamond Vision screen.

While the women signed autographs on the concourse, the visual entertainment shifted to closed-circuit footage of the men’s team bus rolling into the parking lot to the band’s brassy rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.”

The din reached a roar as a back-tracking cameraman ushered the Cyclone men onto the floor. Junior forward Marcus Fizer, who offered fierce demands for respect throughout the regular season, led the triumphant men to their seats, pumping his fists and waving to the adoring crowd.

Strains of the ubiquitous refrain, “one more year!” rose from the crowd and were repeated when Fizer took his turn cutting away the net later.

Cyclone coach Larry Eustachy did not appear immediately.

As Jischke primed the fans, Eustachy emerged sans trademark turtleneck, donned instead in a bright, crisp red Cyclone oxford shirt.

Chants of “Larry, Larry, Larry” drowned out Jischke, and Eustachy strolled to the podium with his arms raised high.

“If you ever read where I said ‘my team,’ I’ve been misquoted,” Eustachy said. “This is our team. The first people I want to congratulate are the people here and the people who’ve supported us in the Hilton magic.”

More pyrotechnics flared and burst, causing forward Paul Shirley to bristle with mock fear.

Having secured the regular season championship, fear seemed a foreign state to the jubilant Cyclones, who look forward to the Big 12 tournament this week and learning their seed in the NCAA tournament Sunday.

Concerning the Big 12 Tournament, Eustachy minced no words when bellowing his final proclamation:

“We’re gonna go kick some butt down in Kansas City!”