Iowa State Falls to Nebraska in Season-Opener

AMES, Iowa – The No. 20 Iowa State gymnastics team (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) began its season Friday night at Hilton Coliseum, falling to Nebraska (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten), 194.350-194.425. Iowa State was assessed a .10 deduction for performing out of order on floor.

The Cyclones saw two dominant performances on floor from veteran gymnasts Laura Cooke and Maddie Diab. Both earned scores of 9.900, with Cooke setting a new career high on the event. Iowa State also saw a strong start from Maya Ford in her collegiate debut, who earned a 9.800 on her first-ever bars routine.

"We left a lot of room for growth," head coach Jay Ronayne said. "We are still chasing the perfect landings and that will come as the year goes on. We'll be upgrading difficulty throughout the season as well. We made a few mistakes that we didn't anticipate, which is something we'll have to iron out in practice. We have some work in front of us, but we're excited to get back to work."

Floor Exercise

Iowa State saw their strongest performances of the night on the floor, earning a team score of 48.900. Laura Cooke and Maddie Diab both earned scores of 9.900, with Cooke setting a new career high. Kaia Parker and Kelsey Boychuk followed with scores of 9.775 and 9.750, respectively. Ariana Orrego rounded out the scoring with a 9.675.

Uneven Bars

The Cyclones kept the momentum rolling with a team score of 48.675 on the uneven bars. Maya Ford led the way in the second rotation for Iowa State, scoring a 9.800 in her first-ever appearance on bars. Addy De Jesus posted a 9.750 while Maxwell added a 9.725 from the lead-off spot. Loganne Basuel and Loyim each added a score of 9.700.

Vault

Iowa State started their season strong with an event score of 48.575. The Cyclones opened the meet on vault where Makayla Maxwell scored a team-best 9.775 on the event. Emilie Hong followed closely behind with a 9.750. A pair of freshmen, Josie Bergstrom (9.725) and Hannah Loyim (9.700), made their Iowa State debuts. Ariana Orrego closed out the scoring for the event with a 9.625.

Balance Beam

The Cyclones notched a total score of 48.200 on the beam. Meixi Semple started the third rotation hot for the Cyclones with a 9.800 on beam while Loyim continued her collegiate debut with her highest score of the night, a 9.725. Sophia Steinmeyer added a score of 9.650. Loganne Basuel made her first career appearance on the beam, earning a 9.575. Ana Palacios contributed a score of 9.450 to finish out the Cyclone lineup.

Up Next

No. 20 Iowa State is back in action taking on Temple in Chow's Winter Classic in Des Moines. The meet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15.

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Players Mentioned

Loganne Basuel

Josie Bergstrom-Te Slaa

Kelsey Boychuk

Laura Cooke

Addy De Jesus

Maddie Diab

Maya Ford

Emilie Hong

Hannah Loyim

Makayla Maxwell

Ariana Orrego

Ana Palacios

Kaia Parker

Meixi Semple

Sophia Steinmeyer

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