Cyclones take second at West Virginia tri-meet

Meaghan+Sievers+talks+to+Coach+Ronayne+after+she+fell+during+her+bar+routine.%C2%A0The+Cyclones+won+their+tri-meet+on+Feb.+17+against+Illinois+State+and+Gustavus+with+a+score+of%C2%A0195.625.

Meaghan Sievers talks to Coach Ronayne after she fell during her bar routine. The Cyclones won their tri-meet on Feb. 17 against Illinois State and Gustavus with a score of 195.625.

Austin Anderson

The No. 24 Iowa State gymnastics team truly saved its best for last.

The Cyclones sat in third place after the third rotation, trailing West Virginia and Maryland in the first of three straight road meets to end the regular season.

The final event, the vault, proved to be the slam dunk that boosted Iowa State to second place in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Sunday. The Cyclones had trailed after all three prior events but a season high 49.100 lifted the Cyclones to a final score of 195.725.

No. 26 West Virginia took first place with a 195.950 and No. 29 Maryland took third with a 195.450.

Iowa State struggled slightly out of the gate on the uneven bars, an event coach Jay Ronayne has said is difficult to start on.

Hilary Green led the Cyclones with a 9.825, which was good to tie for second place at the meet. The Cyclones started the meet with a 48.825.

After a 48.750 on the balance beam, the Cyclones stepped it up for the second half of the meet.

Meaghan Sievers made her season debut on the floor exercise on Sunday afternoon with a 9.700, the only event she wasn’t already competing in.

Haylee Young earned a 9.875, putting her in second place at the meet. The Cyclones finished the floor exercise with a 49.050 but still trailed heading into the final event of the night.

Sievers came out with a dominant performance to cap off the vault and secure a victory over Maryland with a 9.925, her highest score of the season and a score that tied her career high.

Iowa State will be in Iowa City next Saturday for the annual Cy-Hawk dual. The meet will start at 11 a.m. at Carver Hawkeye Arena.