After two straight dual meet victories, the 12th-ranked Iowa State women’s gymnastics team lost to the University of Minnesota on Saturday, 193.375 to 191.075.

Junior Sarah Stayberg was the top finisher for the Cyclones in three events. Stayberg set a career-best score of 9.750 on the vault and tied for first place. She also placed second on the uneven bars with a season-high score of 9.775 and second in the all-around competition with a score of 38.150.

Junior Kelli More placed second on the balance beam with a score of 9.825. Sophomore Jessy Smith placed third in the all-around competition with a score of 38.000. The Cyclones were winning the meet until the final event — the balance beam. Head Coach Amy Pyle said that was when things started to fall apart.

“We had a good meet, not a great meet,” Pyle said. “Then our first five girls fell off the balance beam. It was real frustrating and disappointing.”

The squad was forced to compete against the Golden Gophers without a key gymnast, freshman Sissy Huey. Huey was hurt in practice on the Monday before the meet.

Pyle said that Huey tore a ligament in her left elbow and will have to have reconstructive surgery, which will probably end her season.

The previous two weeks, the Cyclones captured two road victories, the first on January 30 at Auburn, by the score of 194.050 to 191.925.

Pyle said that the meet went very well for the Cyclones.

“We had a few problems on the beam, but other than that, it went very well,” Pyle said. “This was a great road score this early in the season for us.”

Freshman Shelly Kringen took first place in all three of her events and was named the Big 12 Conference Gymnast of the Week for her performance.

Kringen won the vault and floor exercise with career-high scores of 9.850 and 9.90, respectively, and the balance beam with a score of 9.825.

Pyle said she is astonished at how quickly Kringen has adjusted to collegiate competition.

“My prediction early on was that she would become a crowd favorite, and she has,” Pyle said. “Her vault [against Auburn] was incredible. She’s only a freshman, but she’s doing so well and will continue to improve with each competition.”

Smith tied for first in the all-around competition with a score of 38.600. On January 22, the squad began their dual season with a 191.925 to 191.675 victory over Missouri.

ISU claimed the top spot in all five events. Stayberg won the balance beam competition with a score of 9.65 and the all-around competition with a score of 38.650.

“We did awesome on vault and floor, which were weak events for us in the opener,” Pyle said. “We still made a lot of mistakes on the other events, but for a second meet, it was a great meet.”

Pyle said that Stayberg gave the Cyclones a boost with her performance.

“She had a strong performance on all four events,” Pyle said. “She was clean, and she stayed on [the equipment].”

Kringen captured the floor exercise with a score of 9.825. Huey tied for first on the uneven bars with a score of 9.700, and Smith won the vault with a score of 9.775.

With early season injuries to key gymnasts like More, sophomore Angie Umbaugh and now Huey, the Cyclones have had to rely upon underclassmen in most events. Pyle said that Kringen, Smith and the other underclassmen have come up big for the Cyclones thus far this season.

“We lost six seniors from last season, and that was a huge loss, and we added six freshman this year,” Pyle said. “And with Kelli and Angie’s injuries, we knew we would have to count on the freshmen heavily. They’ve done a great job.”

Pyle said that More has competed on the uneven bars for Cyclones at every meet this year and on the balance beam against Auburn and Minnesota and has done very well. Pyle said that she hopes to have More competing in the floor exercise in a few weeks.

Next up for the Cyclones is the start of a three-meet homestand at Hilton Coliseum, starting this Friday when Missouri comes to town.