The Iowa State gymnastics team (2-7, 0-2 Big 12) travelled to No. 17 Denver (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) on Sunday for another Big 12 clash, as the Pioneers hosted their Big 12 home opener.
Although the Cyclones finished strong with a 192.550 to Denver’s 196.525, numerous falls in the first rotation, including a scary fall for sophomore Frederique Sgarbossa, left the arena in silence early on and proved the difference between the two teams.
The Cyclones started off their first rotation on the uneven bars and finished with a score of 45.925, while the Pioneers took to the vault and ended with a score of 48.975.
After a steady start from junior Paige Wills (9.650) and a new career high from freshman Peyton Nock (9.625), the following four Cyclones gymnasts would fall, including freshman Taylor Sanders (8.850), redshirt junior Kaia Bochow (8.975), Sgarbossa (8.750) and freshman Kennedy Thomas (8.825).
The most significant moment of the meet, however, came as the fifth gymnast, Sgarbossa, lost her grip on the last downswing before her dismount and took a hard fall.
She would not return to the floor, which would challenge head coach Ashley Miles Greig and her team, as the all-arounder was scheduled to compete in all events.
In a complete momentum shift, the Cyclones cooled their nerves in the second rotation, finishing with their highest team score of the season on vault with 48.825, despite only having five gymnasts and no scores to drop.
Their season high score was powered by Wills (9.725), junior Chloe Hammond (9.675) and sophomore Haylee Hardin (9.775), while also seeing a new career high from sophomore Aubree Guinee (9.825) and a season high for junior Noelle Adams (9.825) as they tied to lead the team.
After two rotations, they still trailed Denver, though, after Denver posted a season high of its own of 49.150 on the uneven bars, totaling the scores to 98.125-94.750, favoring Denver.
Rotation three saw Iowa State continue to fight off the nerves and build on its rolling confidence with a strong 49.150, which included many new highs and firsts for the team.
Due to Sgarbossa’s absence, Nock (7.775) filled in for her first career floor routine for ISU and was accompanied by Guinee (9.850), who set a new career high for herself and Hardin (9.950), who anchored the team on floor and tied her career high, continuing her season streak of 9.9 or higher scores to the tune of the Cyclone classic “Juicy Wiggle.”
Other Cyclones to score were Hammond (9.750), senior Madelyn Manternach (9.775) and Adams (9.825), bringing the scores to 147.025-143.900, as Denver posted a 48.900 on beam and led the Cyclones into the final rotation.
Iowa State finished the clash on beam (48.650), led by season-high scores from Hammond (9.800) and junior Lauren O’Brochta (9.825), along with scores from Manternach (9.625), Guinee (8.975), freshman Finley Weldon (9.700) and Adams (9.700).
The Pioneers ended their fourth rotation with a 49.500 on floor and brought the event total to 196.525-192.550 in a loss for the Cyclones.
“I think we have room to improve, and I still want to see them get big under pressure situations,” Denver head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said to ESPN when asked about what she had hoped to see from her team and the goals she had set for them.
“Very proud of the way this team finished this meet,” Miles Greig said to Iowa State Athletics. “With Fred [Sgarbossa], that was very uncharacteristic of her and that was challenging for our team afterwards. But I was so proud of the team after that, and I think we have a lot to be proud of today.”
The Cyclones’ next home event is 6:30 p.m. Friday against West Virginia at Hilton Coliseum
