Rebounding from a home loss to Oklahoma last weekend was the goal of head coach Amy Pyle and her Iowa State gymnastics team.

On Thursday, the 17th-ranked Cyclones defeated intrastate rival Iowa in a home meet, 194.850 to 189.70.

That score was a season-high for the Cyclones, and the victory was just what the team needed, Pyle said.

“After the last meet, we knew we could do so much better. They were disappointed in themselves, and they decided to get it together,” Pyle said.

The Cyclones claimed the top spots in all four events and the all-around competition, with junior Sarah Stayberg and sophomore Jessy Smith leading the way.

Stayberg took first on the vault with a career-high score of 9.80 and tied the school record on the uneven bars with an impressive first place mark of 9.925. She also placed second in the all-around competition with a score of 39.025.

“That was the best vault she’s done all year, so that was a confidence booster that she needs because she’s a great vaulter in practice and has not really nailed one in a meet,” Pyle said. “She was a little shaky on beams and made a little mistake on floor, but she had a great night.”

Smith placed first in the all-around competition with a career-high score of 39.250, first on floor exercise with a season high score of 9.875 and second on the balance beam with a career-high score of 9.80.

Pyle said that Smith’s performance was a definite confidence booster.

“I think her confidence has been down a little bit and this will help her tremendously,” Pyle said. “She did a great job on every single event.”

After shaky performances last weekend, particularly on the uneven bars and balance beam, Pyle said that her team worked on partner beams and numbers to eliminate the mistakes. This week was a much different story.

“They started off with a bang and didn’t let down in those two events,” Pyle said.

The work paid off as the Cyclones set a new team school record on the uneven bars with a score of 49.25. The Cyclones also set a team season high with a score of 48.725 on the vault, which is also the fifth best score in school history.

On the uneven bars, senior Michelle Hladky tied her career high with a score of 9.875, and junior Kelli More tied her season high with a score of 9.850. Hladky and More finished second and third, respectively, in the event.

More captured first place on the balance beam, scoring her third consecutive score of 9.90, which is her season and career high.

Sophomore Angie Umbaugh also had a strong evening, taking third on the balance beam with a season high of 9.725 and third on the floor exercise with a score of 9.725. Umbaugh also tied her season high for the second time this season on the vault with a score of 9.70.

Also on the vault, sophomore Lauren Goldberg placed second with a score of 9.775, and junior Kelly Cherwien set a season high with a score of 9.650.

So, what exactly caused this eruption of high scores at Hilton Coliseum? Stayberg said it was thanks in large part to teamwork.

“We did a lot of team activities in practice. There was a lot of focusing on staying positive, being aggressive and on the idea that if a mistake happens, then the rest of the team needs to pick it up,” Stayberg said.

One unexpected lift for the Cyclones was the return of top freshman Sissy Huey. Huey, who was expected to miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in her left elbow, returned to compete on the bars, beam and floor exercise.

Huey said it was great to compete again, but the butterflies were still there.

“It felt good. I had a couple of mistakes, but I’ve only done one floor routine in the last three weeks,” Huey said. “I was really confident, but I had some nervous mistakes. Hopefully, I can get back to the gym, do more numbers and I’ll be more consistent.”

Huey also said that her arm felt great, despite the fact that she was sporting a large brace on her left elbow.

“I’ve done three bars with that brace on, and it’s really uncomfortable,” Huey said. “They’re trying to fit me with a new brace on Monday which is much shorter so my grip fits it. Maybe that will work out better.

Pyle was happy to see her freshman star competing once again.

“The brace pushes on her grip a little bit, so she had to make adjustments, like on her dismount, but she still did an awesome job,” Pyle said. “She was a little shaky on beams and same with floor, but for her first meet since dealing with that injury, I couldn’t ask for more.”

The Cyclones won’t compete again until March 5, at a quadrangular event in Gainesville, Florida, against Auburn, Florida and North Carolina State.

Stayberg said that this victory could help propel the Cyclones even further up the rankings.

“We needed a good home score and this will definitely give us confidence going into the other meets,” Stayberg said.