Iowa State gymnastics suffers second loss of the season

Iowa+State+Sophomore+Molly+Russ+competes+on+beam+during+the+Quad+Meet+against+Yale%2C+West+Virginia+and+Northern+Illinois+Feb.+2.+The+Cyclones+won+the+meet+with+their+highest+team+score+of+the+season+with+a+total+of+196.200+Points.

Iowa State Sophomore Molly Russ competes on beam during the Quad Meet against Yale, West Virginia and Northern Illinois Feb. 2. The Cyclones won the meet with their highest team score of the season with a total of 196.200 Points.

Austin Anderson

The Iowa State gymnastics team led at the halfway point but couldn’t overcome two falls on the uneven bars on the way to the team’s second loss of the season.

The Cyclones opened up the meet with a season high on floor with a 49.000. Senior Kelsey Paz tied her season high with 9.850 and senior Haylee Young had the team’s highest score on the vent with 9.875. 

Iowa State trailed Boise State 49.225-49.000 after the first rotation. 

Junior Meaghan Sievers recorded her season high on vault, with 9.900, and helped the Cyclones bounce back to take the lead at the midway point. Paz and Young each had scores of 9.825 on the way to recording a 49.025.

The third rotation began as well as it could have on bars. Junior M.J. Johnson had the best score of her career. She scored a 9.925, the best of any Cyclone on Friday night. 

Sophomore Laura Burns followed that up with a career high of her own, a 9.825. 

Then the Cyclones began to struggle on the uneven bars, which ultimately led to just their second loss of the season. 

Sievers and Young each suffered falls, forcing Young’s score of 9.125 to count toward the final event score. 

The Cyclones again bounced back by starting on the balance beam by getting or tying career highs on the first three routines. 

Sophomore Molly Russ’ score of 9.900 was the Cyclone’s best of the night on beam and also her career high. 

Iowa State’s season high of 49.225 on beam gave the Cyclones a final score of 195.725. It was good enough to take down San Jose State but couldn’t match Boise State’s 196.400.

The Cyclones have next weekend off and return to action in Ames against Minnesota, Wisconsin-Stout and Michigan State on Feb. 23.