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Three Big Takeaways: Cyclones earn first win of the season, tame Cougars

Iowa+State+gymnasts+Madelyn+Manternach+and+Emilie+Hong+embrace+after+a+Cyclone+victory+over+BYU+in+Hilton+Coliseum+on+Jan.+19%2C+2024.
Elizabeth Lane
Iowa State gymnasts Madelyn Manternach and Emilie Hong embrace after a Cyclone victory over BYU in Hilton Coliseum on Jan. 19, 2024.

The Cyclones secured their first win of the season as they rode Hilton Magic into a 196.900-196.125 win over No. 26 BYU.

For the third straight meet, the Cyclones faced off with a ranked opponent. The meet also presented the first in-conference test for either gymnastics squad. Additionally, the meet was also the first Big 12 gymnastics event for BYU.

Prior to the meet, the Cyclones failed to pick up a victory in either of their first two contests, despite finishing within less than a point in both.

Strong vault and bars showings

The Cyclones opened in strong fashion during both the vault and uneven bars events. Junior Josie Bergstrom and senior Lauren Thomas scored 9.900 on vault and bars, respectively.

Thomas also set a new personal best on the bars. Previously, her all-time high had been a 9.8 score. Bergstrom participated in the vault event, where she also recorded her new personal record, beating out her previous top score of 9.825.

Alongside Thomas and Bergstrom, both were accompanied by one other 9.900 scorer with Noelle Adams on the vault and Laura Cooke on the bars.

Noelle Adams dominates two events

Adams opened her night by scoring a 9.900 in the vault event. She then went on to close the meet, secure the win, and earn her second 9.900 score of the night in the floor exercise.

Adams, in the vault portion of the meet, has scored a 9.900 in back-to-back competitions. In the first meet, the freshman scored a 9.850, an impressive feat for any gymnast, not to mention a freshman.

In the floor exercise, she continued the trend of personal records and impressive feats when she beat her previous top score of 9.825. She was also a participant in the balance beam event where she received a 9.875 score. Without the impressive performance of Adams, the Cyclones may not have been primed for their first victory of the season.

Miles Greig’s first Cyclone win

Cyclone gymnastics head coach Ashley Miles Greig joined as the eighth head coach of the team in 2023. As mentioned previously, the first two meets of the season were marred by the final score resulting in a loss. The third meet would arrive with a different result, however.

The first Big 12 meet resulted in the first win in the Miles Greig-era, finally netting the Cyclones what they have been seeking. The Miles Greig-era has already started strong.

In the 2023 season, the gymnastics squad had not earned a 196-point performance until the second half of the season. Through three meets, the 2024 Cyclones have already earned two.

The Cyclones finished with a score of 196.900 points, nearly earning them their first 197 performance. BYU finished with 196.125.

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