Iowa State women’s gymnastics began its season in impressive fashion, defeating Arizona State 193.850-191.800 at Hilton Coliseum on Friday in the annual meet combined with the wrestling team, the Beauty and the Beast competition.

The Cyclones, who received votes in the preseason NCAA poll and were one spot ahead of the Sun Devils, got out to a slight lead after their first rotation on vault, 48.500-48.225.

Kelly Martin fell to her knee on the finish of her routine, but teammate Meaghan Sievers made up for it in her vault routine. Sievers, the lone Cyclone to qualify for the NCAA Championships last season, led the team with a score of 9.825.

Sievers led off the second rotation on balance beam, but the Cyclones were led by MJ Johnson, who tied her career high with a score of 9.750, and junior Haylee Young, who led the team with a 9.800.

At the midway point, Iowa State led Arizona State, 97.150-96.300.

The Cyclones continued to increase their lead after the third transition. Young once again was the high scorer with a 9.850. Sievers and freshman Molly Russ, making her collegiate debut, followed right behind on the scoreboard, each recording a score of 9.775.

The Cyclones went into the final rotation, the floor exercise, with a 145.600-143.925.

Young put the finishing touches on a Cyclone victory with a meet-high score of 9.875 on the final routine of the meet.

Young finished with the best all-around score of 39.250 as well as receiving the top score in three of the four events.

Iowa State will be back at Hilton for its second meet of the year next Friday against Towson and Wisconsin-Oshkosh starting at 6:30 p.m.