The Iowa State gymnastics team started the annual Cy-Hawk match on a strong note.

Senior Alex Marasco was the first to start off the entire meet, and stuck her landing on vault giving her a score of 9.725. The Hawkeyes’ Lanie Snyder started off on the uneven bars and fell, giving Iowa State a head start. The Cyclones were in the lead 48.925 to 48.650 after the first rotation.

Sophomore Briana Ledesma started the second rotation off with another stuck landing and earned a 9.65. Senior Sammie Pearsall also had an energetic routine on the bars, stuck her landing, and earned a 9.775. But the stuck landings weren’t enough for the Cyclones to keep their lead, as the Hawkeyes took over 97.775 to 97.575 after two rotations.

Going into the third rotation, Iowa State was on the balance beam while Iowa moved to the floor. Freshman Meaghan Sievers and sophomore Haylee Young earned solid 9.800 and 9.875, respectively. Marasco’s sassy beam routine finished out the event with a stuck landing, and a score of 9.900, the highest score on the beam for the team and her new career-high.

After three rotations, the Hawkeyes still held onto the lead, with a score of 146.800 to 146.725.

The Cyclones moved on to their favorite event to finish off the night. Pearsall had one of her best floor routines of the season, earning a 9.725.

After the music stopped, the team ran to the floor to hug the emotional athlete as she finished competing her last event as a Cyclone in Hilton Coliseum.  The last two floor routines of the night earned the highest scores of the nights. Ledesma earned a 9.900 on her routine, setting a career-high and Young earned the highest score on the event tonight with a 9.925, setting her new career-high.

After Young’s score was posted, the entire Cyclone gymnastics team erupted in cheers and screams as head coach Jay Ronayne told them they had won. The video board then confirmed as the entire cyclone audience in Hilton Coliseum stood up and cheered. It was a Cyclone state.