The Cyclones came into the GymQuarters Invitational off of a tough loss in Gainesville, Florida. Although they were not able to claim the top spot, they were able to hit record marks that made it a win in their book. So, coming into this meet, Iowa State was looking to come home with the victory.

Top 20 Competition, Once Again

As usual, Iowa State faced off against some of the best teams in the country, and it held its own. The Cyclones were not quite able to finish ahead of the No. 9 ranked LSU Tigers. However, they were able to beat No. 19 Missouri and unranked Lindenwood Lions. At the end of the night, the Cyclones had a final score of 196.625, which was just enough to hold off Missouri and finish second. Iowa State now moves to 6-6 on the year and sits as the No. 18 team in the country.

Newcomers Making Their Mark

Iowa State was able to get major contributions from newcomers to the program. Freshman Jade Vella-Wright dominated on the bars, finishing with a score of 9.925. Andrea Maldonado and Maddie Diab led the way on the floor, each of them finishing with a score of 9.925. 

Season High on the Floor

Iowa State was able to achieve a new season high score on the Floor, posting a 49.350. This score would not have been possible without the performances from Maddie Diab and Jade Vella Wright. The Cyclones also received solid performances from redshirt senior Sydney Converse, 9.850, sophomore Madelyn Langkamp, 9.825, and senior Cassandra Diaz 9.825.

LSU Posts New Season High

The Tigers had the best meet of their season Friday night, finishing with a final score of 197.875. 

They were able to achieve this new mark aide by No. 1 ranked freshman in the nation, Kiya Johnson. By the end of the night, Johnson had a new all-around career high of 39.750. She was able to do this by posting a perfect 10 on the vault. Johnson also posted 9.95 on the floor and 9.925 on the beam, which were good enough to take home the event titles for both. 

Looking Forward

The Cyclones will gear up to face off against unranked Southern Utah and hold their spot as a top 20 team in the country. They will look to carry some momentum from their last two meets as they compete at 8 p.m. Friday in Cedar City, Utah.