Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclone Gymnastics: Looking Ahead - Upperclassmen
04.29.2019 | Gymnastics
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State's gymnastics roster will look a little different next season. The Cyclones will say goodbye to three key senior contributors. Kelly Martin, Madeline Johnson, and two-time NCAA Gymnastics Championships qualifier Meaghan Sievers will be graduating after their four seasons as Cyclones. ISU will return the services of 17 gymnasts, many of whom made massive contributions to this year's team.
Sydney Converse, who came in with the class that is leaving, will exercise her redshirt option and will be coming back next year for her redshirt senior season. After tearing her Achilles in 2018, Converse had a stellar comeback season. She tied her personal best on vault (9.850) in her home state of Georgia during the NCAA Regionals earlier this month, appeared in a bars lineup for the first time, and recorded her first collegiate 9.900 on beam to help the team record its highest beam score of the year against Oklahoma. Converse also earned a 9.850 during her first official bars routine on Feb. 2. Her 9.850 was the highest official bars score in a debut since Jan. 15, 1999 when Sissy Huey posted the same score.
Laura Burns was a huge bright spot for the Cyclones and made major strides jumping from her sophomore to junior season. After only competing on bars during her sophomore campaign, Burns made her debut on floor and beam during the season. Not only did Burns record the highest uneven bars score this year (9.925), she also made 11 floor appearances, six of which she scored a 9.800 or higher.
Like Burns, Molly Russ made massive strides this year. She appeared every Cyclone lineup on floor and beam this season. Russ also ended the year on a hot streak scoring a 9.800 or higher during her final six floor routines. She even tied her career high 9.875 on floor twice over the course of the year.
Like the other seniors returning, Cassie Diaz also played a role in multiple lineups this year. Diaz competed on bars for the first time in her career, continued to compete on beam and ended the year on a strong note on floor. Even though Diaz missed some time due to an injury, she ended the year scoring a 9.825 on floor at the Georgia Regional.
As for ISU's juniors, Sophia Steinmeyer will be back with Iowa State and could potentially fill the void of Meaghan Sievers leaving the vaulting lineup. Steinmeyer is the only returning Cyclone that has a 9.900 on vault to their name. Not only did Steinmeyer play a vital role in the vaulting lineup, she competed on floor in every meet and saw time on the balance beam in 10 of 13 meets. Since consistently competing on three events this year, Steinmeyer added career highs on vault and floor and tied her career high on beam.
Natalia Ros Vaquer is a returning Cyclone who could be one of the best bars competitors in the conference next year. After sitting out most of the season with an injury, Ros Vaquer came on strong during the last four meets of the season posting a 9.850, a 9.875 at the Georgia Regional, and two 9.900s.
2016 Olympian Ariana Orrego also took steps in the right direction competing on three of four events this year. Orrego made her way into the vaulting lineup multiple times and ended the year on a high note tying a career high 9.800 on vault at the Athens Regional. Annie Johnson also competed in an exhibition before suffering a season ending injury halfway through the year.
Players Mentioned
