A tale of two halves

Kevin Horner

If the competition at NCAA Regionals in Ames on Saturday would have concluded after two events, Iowa State would have booked a trip to Fort Worth for the NCAA Championships.

Unfortunately for the Cyclones, their successful start that left them tied with Nebraska for the second spot could not be duplicated in their final two events of the competition. After eclipsing the 49.000 mark in each of its first two events — floor exercise and vault — Iowa State failed to produce the same success on the uneven bars and the balance beam.

Midway through the meet, the standings displayed LSU in the lead with a score of 98.250, closely followed by the Cyclones and Huskers at 98.175 a piece. It was arguably the strongest start for the ISU gymnasts all season. However, this brief moment in the spotlight was short-lived as the strength of Nebraska overpowered the young ISU squad.

Iowa State could not fully meet its potential on the uneven bars, posting a score of 48.825 while Nebraska began to pull away with 49.400. The gap only widened from then on as Iowa State only managed a 48.350 on the beam while Nebraska finished strong on the vault with a 49.375.

Unfortunately, only one half of a solid performance for the Cyclones was not sufficient for a bid to the NCAA Championships. However, based on her all-around performance, senior Caitlin Brown punched her own individual ticket to Fort Worth, Texas. For the majority of the Cyclones, the season has reached its conclusion, but for Brown, more is yet to come.