This is a great time to be a Cyclone. Right now, Cyclone athletics are riding a surge of popularity, success and national recognition.

The women’s basketball team is currently ranked in the top 25 in both the Associated Press and coaches’ poll.

The efforts of coach Bill Fennelly and his team have revived Hilton Magic and taken the popularity of women’s basketball at Iowa State to perhaps its highest level ever.

Bobby Douglas and the Cyclone wrestling team are having a typically strong season, ranked No. 6 in the nation with a 19-5-1 record in duals.

The gymnastics team is ranked No. 12 in the nation and coming off of its highest team score of the season in last Friday’s meet against Missouri.

First-year coach Larry Eustachy has led the men’s basketball team to an improved 14-12 record and is coming off of a huge conference win at home against Baylor.

Both the men’s and women’s track teams are also thriving this season. After strong performances at the Iowa State Classic, the teams travel to Manhattan, Kansas, for this weekend’s Big 12 Championship.

The men’s swimming and diving squads have also hit high spots in their seasons. The women, despite a 4-5 dual record, will look to make a major impact at the Big 12 Championship this weekend in Austin, Texas.

Carrying a 6-2 dual meet record, the men will compete in the Big 12 Championship on March 4-6 in Austin.

Cyclone baseball has started strong with a 3-0 record. Despite giving 38 runs thus far this season, the offense has overpowered the opposition, scoring 52 runs in the first three games alone.

Even the football team has gotten into the act. Dan McCarney and company have assembled what has been considered to be the best recruiting class in the state and one of the strongest in school history.

Making this even sweeter, the Cyclones nabbed Valley High School defensive lineman Casey Shelton, perhaps the top high school player in the state.

How many colleges can say that at one time they have three athletic teams ranked in the top 25 of their sports? ISU can and should be proud of the accomplishments of these squads.

However, ISU should be proud of all of its athletic squads’ accomplishments and, through thick and thin, should support these squads with as much vigor and excitement as is humanly possible.

The call to support the athletic squads for all schools everywhere, from junior high and high school to the collegiate level, has existed since the beginning of the sports themselves.

And why shouldn’t we support them with maximum effort? With each game, meet or competition, these athletes give everything they have to win. They entertain, excite and, many times, amaze fans with their efforts.

For all the long hours of practice these athletes have put themselves through in order to be the best, the least we can do is give them a reason to do even better.

However, I’m not advocating jumping on the Cyclone bandwagon just because of the recent success. A school should stand by its teams through good times and bad.

I just hope that the fans and athletes at ISU continue to have fun because having fun is what sports is all about.

And if this recent surge continues, ISU fans and athletes might be having even more fun than usual.

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Justin South is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Ankeny.