Hilton Coliseum spread its magic times two tonight as the Beauty and the Beast event made its debut after not hosting the event since 2017. The energy was hectic and the crow was roaring for both Cyclone Gymnastics and Wrestling. 

Central Michigan put up a challenge for Iowa State gymnastics as they concluded the night with the victory scoring a 195.600 over 194.800. 

Breaking the ice

The Cyclones started the competition with a strong performance on vault, finalizing the rotation with a 49.050. Considering the competition was within its early developments Iowa State gymnastics felt hopeful of soon acquiring the lead.

The unexpected

The second and third rotations were filled with unfortunate mistakes and in their attempt to uplift the energy the Cyclones found themselves nearly two points behind the Chippewas.

“It is hard to dig yourself out of a hole whenever you have only half the work done,” head coach Jay Ronayne said. “However, we have six more meets to reach what we are looking for.”

According to Jay Ronayne, the factors that weakened the bar lineup is the lack of options within the individuals. Therefore, everyone remains in a difficult position when it comes down to sorting the lineup, they are forced to put up the same routines each time. 

Show time

After having a rocky rotation, the Cyclones managed to perform to the best of their ability in floor exercise. The rotation was led by Maddie Diab, who once more sealed the competition with a 9.950. 

Moreover, Laura Cooke became the highlight of the competition as she was able to maintain her ground and sustain the pressure in three different events. Scoring a 9.775 on vault, 9.800 on bars and 9.85 on floor, Cooke showcased consistency and resilience throughout the competition. 

More to come

As the Cyclones approach the final six competitions of the regular season, another double meet weekend awaits for the team. 

The Cyclones will embark on their third away meet on Thursday and will hit the competition floor to take on Lindenwood on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Right after that the Cyclones head back to Ames to face Alaska on Feb. 19 at 2:00 p.m.