Vella-Wright Named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week

AMES, Iowa - Freshman Jade Vella-Wright has been named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week. Her personal-best uneven bars score was pushed to 9.925 at the GymQuarters Invitational last Friday after she had matched her previous high 9.900 in the previous three meets.

Vella-Wright becomes the fourth Cyclone to earn a Big 12 weekly award this season and third to be dubbed the Newcomer of the Week. She joined the Cyclones at the start of the spring semester and immediately joined the bars lineup. Iowa State has never had multiple gymnasts win the Newcomer of the Week award and is the first team since Oklahoma in 2015 to have three different gymnasts earn the award.

After a couple of tough meets initially, she has shined in her last five meets. Following a 9.875 at Georgia, Vella-Wright went on to post three-straight 9.900s, then scoring the 9.925 at the GymQuarters Invitational. She became the first Cyclone freshman to tally four-straight 9.900s or better on bars and the second to earn a 9.925 on the apparatus.

Vella-Wright and the No. 17 Cyclones will be back in action this weekend, traveling to Cedar City, Utah for a battle with No. 19 Southern Utah. The meet between Iowa State and the Thunderbirds will begin at 8 p.m. Central Time and streamed on Pluto TV.