The Cyclones gymnastics team took on the Redbirds from Illinois State this weekend. The team started very strong but had their share of struggles on the beam bringing them to a 194.750-193.875 loss.

To open the weekend, the Cyclones started on the bars. Madelyn Langkamp led the team with a strong 9.850, while Makayla Maxwell and Addy De Jesus followed closely with 9.825 each. Loganne Basuel and Natalie Horowitz both grabbed a score of 9.775, and Jade Vella-Wright rounded out the event with a 9.650. In total the team outscored Illinois State 49.050-48.525 on the bars.

Next event on the schedule would be the vault. De Jesus continued her strong start to the meet with a 9.825. Phoebe Turner notched a solid 9.800. Kelsey Boychuck and Sophia Steinmeyer each tallied a score of 9.750, while Makayla Maxwell received a 9.550 score. After the vault, the Cyclones held onto a 97.900-97.300 lead.

A fantastic showing on the floor exercise was led by De Jesus and Maddie Diab with a 9.875 score for each of them. Ariana Orrego scored 9.825, while Langkamp and Steinmeyer each scored 9.800. The only member of the floor lineup who did not reach a 9.800+ for the Cyclones was Andrea Maldonado, who still scored a strong 9.725. The amazing showing on the floor extended the Iowa State overall lead to 147.075-145.175.

The lead would not be enough as the Cyclones struggled heavily on the beam on Sunday. De Jesus and Steinmeyer had solid performances with a 9.825 and a 9.750 respectively. The Cyclones had four falls however, meaning three would be counted. Kelsey Boychuk and Arriana Orrego each scored 9.175 and Makayla Maxwell scored 8.875. 

The meet had a rough ending for Iowa State as their lead evaporated quickly and ended up receiving their second loss of the season, moving them to a 2-2 record for 2021. Next week they will stay in Ames to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers.