The Iowa State gymnastics team headed to West Valley City, Utah, to compete in the Wasatch Classic against Arizona State, Boise State and San Jose State. With a final score of 194.575, the Cyclones placed fourth.
Overall performance
Iowa State started the meet on the uneven bars. With a score of 48.400, the Cyclones held the lowest score for the event. Senior Hannah Loyim held the best score for Iowa State in the event with a 9.750 and placed 12th overall.
Moving to the balance beam, the Cyclones received a score of 48.350. Senior Josie Bergstrom-Te Slaa placed third overall on the beam with a 9.850. Bergstrom-Te Slaa has been a solid part of this team throughout the early part of the season.
Following the beam, the Cyclones headed to floor exercise. They finished with a score of 48.900 and the second-best score of the event, which looked to put them in a better position. Freshman Haylee Hardin earned a 9.9 individually to tie for first on the floor.
Iowa State ended the meet in its strongest event, the vault, to earn its only top overall score. That score was 48.925. Hardin earned another 9.9 individually.
Stellar performances despite the loss
Hardin was a bright spot for the Cyclones with her two 9.9 scores on floor and vault. Throughout the season, Hardin has proven to be the one who can step up and present electric performances for the team.
Loyim competed all around and placed second with a personal score of 38.925. Opening the meet with the best score put the Cyclones in a place to continue to perform highly throughout the meet. Despite the loss, Loyim performed well in all events, especially bars, which was the toughest event for Iowa State.
A keystone of the team is Bergstrom-Te Slaa, who holds a vital role as an upperclassman and overall fantastic performer. During the meet, Bergstrom-Te Slaa competed all-around and earned fourth place across all gymnasts with a personal total of 38.225.
With the season progression, the overall performances of the team look to strengthen. Despite the team’s overall struggles, these three have proven to be top performers. This team has the talent to continue to dominate, especially with these three stellar gymnasts.
Next, Iowa State will return to Ames and will try to bounce back. The Cyclones aim to put themselves back in the win column as they host Simpson at 7 p.m. Friday during the Beauty and the Beast meet in Hilton Coliseum.
