ISU With Two at Pan American Games Gymnastics

AMES, Iowa – Two of Iowa State's gymnasts will be representing their homelands at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, beginning this weekend. Junior Ariana Orrego will be representing her home country of Peru in her native Lima, while junior newcomer Andrea Maldonado will be representing Puerto Rico.

Both will be competing in the team competition on Saturday and the all-around contests on July 29. Depending on results, they could potentially advance to the individual apparatus finals on July 30 and 31.

Orrego has been a frequent representative of Peru, reaching a pinnacle in 2016 when she became the first Peruvian female gymnast to the qualify for the Olympic Games. Orrego was an important contributor to the Cyclones last season, competing in 10 meets and finishing the season by tying her career-high on vault with a 9.800 at the Athens Regional.

Maldonado will come to Iowa State in the fall with an already deep background of international gymnastics experience and competition. Five of the last six years, Maldonado has competed for Puerto Rico and this will be her second-straight Pan American Games, as she also competed in 2015. Last year at the Central American & Caribbean Games, Maldonado brought home the silver medal in the all-around and the bronze medal on floor exercise.