Cyclone Gymnastics Leaving Their Mark In 2020

AMES, Iowa - The 2020 Cyclone gymnastics team has been an incredibly special rendition. As a group, the team has already eclipsed the best team and bars total from any other Jay Ronayne-coached Iowa State team. Individually, a number of student-athletes have stood out from the pack, achieving feats done only by All-American Cyclone gymnasts. Not only are the Cyclones doing well comparatively to other Cyclone teams, but the nation is beginning to take notice with Iowa State rising as far as No. 12 in the RoadToNationals Top 25 and earning numerous Big 12 weekly awards.

The depth of the team has proven to be a strength. The Cyclones have seen one of their senior leaders have her season come to an early end due to injury, and when someone has missed a meet with a minor injury or illness, someone has been ready when the coaching staff has counted on them to go out and perform.

"The personnel we have on the team is heavily specialized and because of that, we are able to create a more diverse lineup," Ronayne noted. "Our quality of depth is amazing; there is not a steep drop off in the seven, eight and nine spots. It does not matter who goes in. We have a team that wants to compete and is really hungry for success and they have a belief that they could be really good."

The recruitment of this group of student-athletes has been a factor, but the team has an overwhelming sense of confidence in one another. This has instilled a culture that creates a hunger for success with a team-driven approach to constantly perform for the person next to them.

"This year it is really clicking for them," assistant coach Kristin White commented. "They are always willing to go above and beyond for the team, and when you are willing to do that, it is because you believe you are good enough to do it and you want to be successful."

"My senior year we had bits and pieces of people who felt confidence and trusted in themselves and their teammates to make a routine and do it well," volunteer coach and former Cyclone gymnast Haylee Young said. "The difference this year is the whole team is confident in themselves and everyone that competes. The depth helps so much. There is a lot of talent on this team and all of them bring something that is really great."

Certain individuals have played significant roles in breeding the success, be it by posting high-level scores or through finding consistency in key spots of the lineup. Newcomers Andrea Maldonado, Jade Vella-Wright, and Makayla Maxwell (debuting for ISU after missing 2019 due to injury) have all earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards this season. Maldonado has been a force on floor and vault, tallying five scores at or above 9.925 between the two events, earning four Big 12 weekly honors. Vella-Wright has had amazing consistency on bars, as she became the first freshman in Cyclone history to score four-straight 9.900s or better on bars, and one of two to hit 9.925 on the apparatus.

Meanwhile, many of the returning Cyclones have held things together when the team has started to bend. Madelyn Langkamp has led off both bars and floor in every meet this season, a demanding role for a sophomore. In that position, she has just two scores below 9.775, constantly giving the team a solid start. Junior Sophia Steinmeyer has continued to fill that role on the other two events, beam and vault. The two leaders have strong support of both the team and coaching staff.

"No one has any fear when Maddy is out there," Ronayne said. "It's like you don't have to watch her."

"Everyone on the team has 100-percent confidence in Maddy and Sophia," White said. "It is really special for us to have those two in leadership roles."

The senior class has made incredible improvements in their leadership skills to take command of this Cyclone team. Between typical growth from freshman to senior year to sitting down before the season to define their role on the team and focus on positivity, this senior class has played a key role in revitalizing Cyclone gymnastics.

"The seniors on our team are different people than they were four or five years ago," Ronayne commented. "Their experiences has led them to believe they can be really good and they don't have to be afraid of anything. They are different people in a great way. If they were not who they are right now, our team would not be what it is today."

Another defining trait of the 2020 Cyclones is how they have handled adversity in numerous way. Be it travel delays, falls or injuries, this team is battle-tested and ready for anything that comes their way.

"Every day in the gym we are trying to push the same thing; that it is ok to make a mistake," Ronayne said. "You learn from that. There are good mistakes in pursuit of excellence because you are attacking, but if you are holding back and making mistakes, that is not acceptable and a huge majority of the team is in on that. They are going after it and not holding back and that is the message we are sending them all the time is to go after it and keep chasing your personal greatness."

Everyone involved with Cyclone gymnastics has been committed to making this team at another level. The coaches see the staff diving in and giving everything they have to support this group of student-athletes.

"Everyone on our staff has been so committed to everyone on this team," White said. "That is something that is pretty special. We are all in this together and if they were not all in, this would not be working."

This team has embodied that they belong in the national spotlight and can compete with anybody. The mantra 'We Belong' was proudly written in the practice facility at Beyer Hall, and each day, the team continues to push forward to finally achieve something that was once a dream seemingly out of reach.

"The belief that we belong is growing and you can tell," Ronayne stated. "It inspires me to help them get to where they want to go. The difference for this team is that while other teams had the dream, this team has the knowledge. They know it is happening and that belief is growing and improving over the whole season. When we go to the first round of the NCAAs, we just have to beat two teams to move on. I know we can do that. They have trained for it and all the right pieces are in place. As long as we are healthy and the team we are right now, we can do this."

The Cyclones will battle in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, hosting the Hawkeyes on Friday at Hilton Coliseum, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Iowa State will have two more home meets, including the Cy-Hawk meet, before heading to Morgantown, W. Va. for the 2020 Big 12 Gymnastics Championships.

Cyclone Gymnastics Leaving Their Mark In 2020

Players Mentioned

Madelyn Langkamp

Andrea Maldonado

Makayla Maxwell

Sophia Steinmeyer

Jade Vella-Wright

Haylee Young

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Cyclone Gymnastics Leaving Their Mark In 2020

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Players Mentioned

Madelyn Langkamp

Andrea Maldonado

Makayla Maxwell

Sophia Steinmeyer

Jade Vella-Wright

Haylee Young

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