After a second place showing at the Big 12 Championships, the Iowa State gymnastics team traveled to Utah to compete in the Region 2 NCAA Gymnastics Championships on April 10.

Facing off with five other top 20 teams, the Cyclones placed sixth with a score of 194.175.

Head coach Amy Pyle said the competition for the top spots was tight, with three-tenths of a point separating the third and sixth place spots.

“We faced five teams that were ranked in the top 20, so it was tough,” Pyle said. “This meet was definitely a wake-up call that makes you hungrier for next year.”

Pyle said that two major mistakes on the balance beam, a major deduction on the uneven bars as well as an out-of-bounds and fall on the floor exercise cost the Cyclones.

“It was disappointing because you have to do it when it counts,” Pyle said. “You can’t have major mistakes at meets like this and make it through.”

Still, Pyle said that not all the events finished in disappointment.

“Vault was great, and those who hit on floor and bars did very well,” Pyle said. “It was very encouraging to know that we are as good as the best in the nation.”

Pyle said she was especially pleased at the Cyclones’ second-place finish as a team in the vault competition.

“Vault used to be a weak event for us, so to finish that high facing the top teams in the nation is awesome,” Pyle said.

Freshman Shelly Kringen was the top individual finisher for the Cyclones, taking fourth on the vault with a 9.850. Kringen tied her career-high in the event while competing on an injured ankle.

Freshman Sissy Huey finished fifth in the all-around competition with a score of 39.050 and tied for sixth on the uneven bars with a 9.875.

Huey also qualified in the all-around competition for the NCAA National Championships, which begin on Thursday, April 22.

Huey said she was ecstatic to be heading to nationals in her freshman year, thanks in no small part to her strong performance at regionals.

“I thought I did pretty good because I was prepared for it (regionals) and very confident,” Huey said. “But I still had one little error on floor.”

Junior Kelli More tied for fifth on the balance beam with a 9.775 and seventh on the floor exercise with a 9.850.

More said that she was very satisfied with her performance on the balance beam and floor exercise, but that she also needs to work on the uneven bars.

“I was nervous on beam, so I had to keep my composure and then on floor, I had to water down my routine at the last minute, but it worked out,” More said. “I still made the same mistake under pressure on bars that I have all season. I really have to work harder on that.”

Sophomore Angie Umbaugh tied for fifth on the vault with a 9.825.

With the completion of regionals and the season, the Cyclones must look to next season.

Losing just one senior, the nucleus of the team will return in tact.

Pyle said that, even after finishing this season ranked 18th in the nation, next season looks even more encouraging for the Cyclones.

“This season we placed second at the Big 12 [Championships] with a very good score, and a lot of personal bests were set,” Pyle said.

“The problem has been inconsistency, but we have a very young team that has the potential to go further than they did this year,” she said.