CYber CYd with Jay Ronayne

In the latest CYber CYd for the gymnastics team, head coach Jay Ronayne lets Cyclone fans in on his goals for the upcoming campaign before Friday's season opener with Missouri. Ronayne sheds light on his excitement for the upcoming campaign as well as this season's motto. Check back next Thursday as junior Megan Barnes will write for CYber CYd.

CYber CYd with Jay Ronayne

It's On!

From the moment we finished the 2008 season a plan was put in place to get the Cyclones back on the NCAA gymnastics map. Fueled by the often painful (physical and emotional) adversity endured during the meet campaign of 2008, we have come back much stronger and ready to be competitive with any team we face this year. That is why our rally cry for this year is “It's on!” We say it because we feel we are up to any challenge that can be thrown at us.

For the past five months in practice, we have been talking about how this is “The Year” for us. We have veterans who are stronger, we have healthier underclassmen, and we have the burning desire to be the best in the Big 12. There has been one date that I have been anxiously awaiting since the season ended last year: Friday, Jan. 9. Well, it is finally here. “The Year” for Cyclone gymnastics is about to begin. The Cyclone team is full of fire and ready to get out in front of the amazing ISU fans and give them something to be proud of.

We enter this season unranked in the coaches' poll. What this means to me is, we are underestimated. I like that. I hope all teams that meet us this year, remember what they saw from us last year and expect the same. We open the season with the Missouri Tigers. Missouri is ranked 19th. Last season I saw the best Missouri team in my coaching career. They appear to be even stronger this year, so we have to be ready to take on one of the best in the Big 12 right out of the blocks.

There are some things I know and some I expect...

I know that we are prepared for this season. I know we will be good. How good? Well, that remains to be seen. We have done a lot of hard work to get to where we are right now, but we still have to get the job done in competition. I have a lot of expectations this year. I expect us to be pretty good in the season opener, get better as the season progresses and I expect the team to be ready to challenge for the Big 12 title. We are hosting the Big 12 Championship this year, which provides us with a little bit of a “home advantage.” I also expect our fans to help propel us from the Big 12 Championship to another NCAA Regional appearance, and another trip to the NCAA National Championship in Lincoln, Neb. The road to the Championship season begins in Hilton Coliseum this Friday night. See you there Cyclone fans, It's On!

GO CYCLONES!

Jay R.