The Cyclones made their way to the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles to take on the UCLA Bruins. After a long season, it was fitting for the Cyclones to wrap up in California before heading to West Virginia for the conference championship.

The competition against UCLA allowed the Cyclones to demonstrate resilience and determination as they had to adjust and conquer to compete with the Bruins. The Cyclones put up a good fight but fell to the Bruins 198.275-195.550.

Self improvement

During the first rotation, the Cyclones were able to maintain their grip against the Bruins. 

With only four-tenths of a difference from the Bruins, the Cyclones were experiencing a strong start at Pauley Pavilion. The lineup was led by Maddy Langkamp as she landed a career-high score of 9.875. 

The calm before the storm

Once more the competition took a turn in the second rotation. The Cyclones fell under the pressure of the Bruins and ended up behind by over a point. However, there was a shift of individuals in the lineup providing variety going ahead to conference championships; new contributors to the lineup were Natalie Horowitz and Madison Matassa. 

The second rotation was led by Ana Irene Palacios with a 9.775. 

As the third rotation unfolded, the Cyclones were able to maintain a steady pace as most of their routines did not fall below 9.700. The rotation was once more led by Maddie Diab with a 9.875. 

Peak time

As the last rotation rolled around, the Cyclones were on a mission to keep the mistakes to a minimum. Having their counterparts score a 10 and several 9.900s, the focus was to finish as they started; strong. 

That task did not seem like too much of a challenge, as the beam became the turning point of the competition for the Cyclones. Searching for their personal best and always “getting a little bit better” as Iowa State head coach Jay Ronayne said, the Cyclones landed their season-high team score on the last rotation with a 49.300. 

Alondra Maldonado and Lauren Thomas were the leaders of the rotation, both scoring 9.900 and marking their career-highs on this event. 

As this competition wrapped up, the Cyclones ended in second place. Their focus now shifts toward the Big 12 Championship, which will be hosted at 6 p.m. March 18, in West Virginia.