Cyclone Gymnasts Kick Off Practice for 2014

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State gymnastics team held its first practice for the 2014 season on Monday. The Cyclones return several key members from their 2013 campaign, including senior Michelle Shealy, who placed fifth nationally on the beam last season.

“For us coaches, it's very exciting,” Iowa State head coach Jay Ronayne said. “It's been a long time since we've been able to tell the team what they can do. Today is a test to see who has done what through the summer, and I'm very happy to see the end results. I'm pleased with the direction we're headed. As long as we continue to work hard and stay healthy, it'll be a fun year.”

On the first day of practice, Ronayne tested his team by asking them to show what they had done last April and May when they were in mid-season form. The early returns were positive, showing the work that the Cyclones put in during the offseason.

“You want to be picking up from where you were or be better than where you were in May,” Ronayne said. "That's the ultimate goal. A huge majority of the team was able to show us that, and we were actually able to see some upgrades too. They showed us some stuff that they picked up over the summer. That's very encouraging.”

Check back with Cyclones.com for more Iowa State gymnastics updates, including the release of the 2014 schedule.