Iowa State gymnastics picked up its strongest win thus far in a near two-point victory. Iowa State finished with 196.650 points, while Illinois State recorded 194.825, a 1.825 difference in the end.

Iowa State entered the meet ranked No. 22, averaging 196.292 points per meet, while Illinois State came in ranked No. 30, averaging 195.867 points per meet.

The Cyclones entered off their first win a week prior against BYU and looked to keep their momentum rolling under rookie head coach Ashley Miles Greig.

A full sweep

Across the four events present at the meet, the Cyclones outscored the Redbirds in each one. In each individual event, the Cyclones scored at least 49 points, with a meet-high score of 49.325 points in the floor exercise.

On the opposite end, the Redbirds managed to score 49 only once throughout the meet. Their high of the night also came in the floor exercise with a total score of 49.050.

The Cyclones also boasted a higher top individual scorer than the Redbirds with Kaia Parker’s 9.925 on the floor exercise. The Redbirds’ highest scorer was Alana Laster with a 9.875 in the floor exercise. This also meant Illinois State did not have a single 9.900 individual performance.

Noelle Adams shines again

Noelle Adams started her season off strong through three meets, and the fourth was no different. Her strong performance Friday night was highlighted by a 9.900 in both the floor exercise and on the balance beam.

Adams added an additional 9.825 performance during the vault event. Overall, she impressed yet again and shines a bright spot upon a team that has been experiencing a great season as is.

Ashley Miles Greig era rolls on

In its fourth meet of the season, Iowa State has recorded a third consecutive 196-point performance as a team. The 2023 Cyclone gymnastics team did not earn the first 196-point finish until the second half of the season.

This is a major factor in the strong opening to the new era. After opening on two losses, both the Illinois State and BYU meets resulted in wins for the Cyclones, getting them back to a .500 record.