Cyclone Gymnastics 2016 Season in Review

AMES, Iowa- The Iowa State gymnastics team had an exciting 2016 season, winning their leg of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series and sending an individual competitor to the NCAA Gymnastics Championships. Seven Cyclone gymnasts were selected to compete at the Minneapolis Regional after consistently performing in the regular season. Iowa State also tallied its fourth-consecutive gymnast to be named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. With a young roster and tons of potential moving forward, 2016 was an important year in the building process of the Iowa State gymnastics program.

Best Meet

Iowa State gymnastics hosted their leg of the annual Cy-Hawk Corn Series this season, competing with No. 17 Iowa for the top spot in the state. Five Cyclone gymnasts earned or tied individual career-highs to help the team gain an edge over the Hawkeyes. Their efforts helped earn Iowa State team season-high scores on beam, floor, and overall. Three Cyclones earned scores above 9.900, Alex Marasco with a 9.900 on beam, Briana Ledesma with a 9.900 on floor, and Haylee Young with a 9.925 on floor.

The competition came down to the final rotation as the Cyclones earned the team's highest score on any event this season, a 49.300, to defeat the Hawkeyes 196.025-196.000.

>/p>>

Season-High Routines

Two Cyclones gymnasts earned 9.925's in competition this season, both being underclassman. Iowa State's first individual-high score came from freshman Meaghan Sievers. The Gary, South Dakota native performed a break-out routine at No. 24 Illinois with a 9.925 on vault. Her score helped lift the team to a 49.050 on the event, the highest team score on the event this season.

Only a week later in Hilton Coliseum, Haylee Young anchored the Cy-Hawk meet on floor. After Briana Ledesma's 9.900 on the event, Young needed to score at least a 9.900 to tie or a 9.925 to win the meet for Iowa State. The sophomore went out and performed a strong routine to earn her career-high with a 9.925 and to win the meet for the Cyclones.

Career-high #4 on the floor tonight for the Cyclones! Haylee Young with 9.925! It is a Cyclone State! https://t.co/1GZKWhKXdl
— Cyclone Gymnastics (@CycloneGYM) March 5, 2016

Looking Ahead

The Cyclones head into the 2017 season with a roster full of potential. Eleven gymnasts from this season will be returning in 2017, ten of which have had experience competing for the Cyclones in the past two seasons. The returning gymnasts include six NCAA Regional qualifiers, a Big 12 Champion, and an NCAA Championship qualifier. Four of the gymnasts have a career-high of 9.900 or better, covering all four events.

The Cyclones brought in five new faces to the roster this season, with true freshmen contributing in every meet. Meaghan Sievers made a name for herself in her first collegiate season by being the third Iowa State gymnast ever to make it to the NCAA Championship as an event specialist as a freshman. Sievers led the team on vault in eight regular season meets, earning a team season-best 9.925 on the event at No. 24 Illinois. The freshman also shined on the uneven bars, where she tied the team season-best with a 9.900. Sievers earned her way to the Minneapolis Regional as an all-around competitor, where her 9.900 on vault tied for first, earning her a spot at the NCAA Championship, where she earned a 9.775.

Congratulations to Meaghan Sievers for making it to the NCAA Championships on vault!

A photo posted by Cyclone Gymnastics (@cyclonegym) on Apr 2, 2016 at 5:55pm PDT

Sophomore Haylee Young proved to be an important competitor for the Cyclones yet again this season. In 2016, Young tallied numerous honors, including being named to the All-Big 12 team in the All-Around. This season, the Des Moines native didn't disappoint as she competed for the Cyclones in 13 regular season meets, qualified for the Minneapolis Regional in the all-around, and was named as Iowa State's first Big 12 Gymnast of the Week since 2012.

Other sophomores recording 9.900's this season included Hilary Green and Briana Ledesma. Green continued to be an incredible competitor on the uneven bars, tying her personal best from her freshman season with a 9.900 against Lindenwood and NC State. The Madison, Alabama native earned her way into an event specialist slot at the Minneapolis Regional. On floor, Ledesma was a break-out performer this season, contributing to the team event total in every meet she competed in. Her outstanding performances on floor, including a career-high 9.900 against No. 17 Iowa, earned her a spot as an individual event specialist at the Minneapolis Regional.

The senior class was also very important to the 2016 season, not just as competitors, but as leaders to the young team. Alex Marasco earned her way to the Minneapolis Regional with her strong consistency on beam, including a career-high 9.900 on the team's senior night against No. 17 Iowa. Sara Townsend has an impressive senior meet as well, earning her career-high on vault. Sammie Pearsall led the team academically, being named the 2016 Big 12 Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Nominated with a 3.83 GPA in marketing, Sammie Pearsall is the #Big12GYM Scholar-Athlete of the Year. pic.twitter.com/bVCo0JJJwS
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) April 14, 2016

Gymnast Honors

Sydney Converse

NCAA Regional Qualifier (Vault, Balance Beam)

Kristen DeCosta

Academic All-Big 12 First Team

Hilary Green

NCAA Regional Qualifier (Uneven Bars)

Academic All-Big 12 First Team

Briana Ledesma

NCAA Regional Qualifier (Vault, Floor Exercise)

Alex Marasco

NCAA Regional Qualifier (Balance Beam)