No. 16 Cyclones Defeat Pioneers With A 196.125

DENTON, Texas – The No. 16 Iowa State gymnastics team (3-3, 1-1 Big 12) scored a 196.125 to top a 191.875 by Texas Woman's on Sunday at Kitty Magee Arena. Iowa State's score is its second-highest mark of the season.

The Cyclones floor team highlighted the visitors' day, scoring a season-high 49.325 on the apparatus. The last two Iowa State competitors on floor, Sydney Converse and Andrea Maldonado, each earned 9.900s in the event.

"We bounced back from a meet on Friday that we weren't entirely happy with," head coach Jay Ronayne said. "I am entirely happy about this meet. I'm really happy with the way they responded and came in ready to perform. We had 90 percent of the team focused on the controllables, and that's why they were able to get the job done today. We've got some big meets coming up, and if we control what we can control, we'll be in the game with anybody."

Floor Exercise
A pair of 9.900s led the way for the Cyclones as they posted a season-high 49.325 on floor. The score is Iowa State's highest since facing Arkansas in 2018. Sydney Converse and Andrea Maldonado each hit 9.900s, with freshman Maddie Diab not far behind at a career-best 9.875. Maldonado and Converse each took a piece of the event title. Casandra Diaz and Madelyn Langkamp both posted 9.825s to finish out the scoring quintet.

Senior Sydney Converse
"I have been out on floor for so long; I haven't done floor in four years. Everything I have done and everything I've trained for is for my team. I wasn't supposed to do floor today, but I woke up this morning and felt it on my heart to go out there and do everything I could for my team. I went out there and was able to do it for them. Everyone has so much love for each other, and no matter what happens at the end of the day, we have each other's backs and we love one another. That's what sets us apart from other teams."

Uneven Bars
The Cyclones scored a 49.050 on bars, exceeding the 49.000 mark in all five meets this season. Freshman Jade Vella-Wright led the Cyclone effort with her second-straight 9.900 on the apparatus. She is the first freshman with back-to-back 9.900s on bars since Camille Santerre-Gervais in 2011, and her routine earned her the event win on the day. Madelyn Langkamp matched a career-high with a 9.850, while Casandra Diaz also tallied a nice 9.800. Laura Burns and Laura Cooke had matching scores of 9.750 to round out the scorers.

Freshman Jade Vella-Wright
"The team believed in me, and they had my back no matter what. They always have my back and they're always pushing me to the best that I can."

Balance Beam
The Cyclones recovered after scoring falls in their last meet to post a 49.000 on the apparatus. Three Cyclones scored 9.825s; Laura Burns, Meixi Semple and Sophia Steinmeyer, with Ana Palacios scoring a 9.775 and Phoebe Turner posting a 9.750.

Assistant Coach Kristin White
"We did not talk about last meet, but I could not be more proud of them to have the focus and confidence to know that they can put up a big score. They all dug deep and knew they were better than the performance they showed on Friday. All of them took in that confidence and knew they were going to go out and do a great job today."

Vault
Iowa State's vault squad posted a 48.750, led by the event winner Sophia Steinmeyer. She tied a career high, recording a 9.900 for her third time as a Cyclone. Behind her, no other Cyclone surpassed a 9.750, with Makayla Maxwell scoring a 9.750, Phoebe Turner a 9.725 and Ana Palacios grabbing a 9.700. Both Kelsey Boychuk and Sydney Converse scored a 9.675.

Head Coach Jay Ronayne
"They had really good vaults, but one stick out of six is not what we're chasing. We need to keep working on that; we need to get in the gym and keep pursuing sticks and make that happen. We need to take care of that right away."

Up Next
The Cyclones are back in action next weekend against Florida and Denver. The meet, hosted by the Gators in Gainesville, will be on Friday and start at 5:30 p.m. Central.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kelsey Boychuk

Laura Burns

Sydney Converse

Laura Cooke

Maddie Diab

Casandra Diaz

Madelyn Langkamp

Andrea Maldonado

Makayla Maxwell

Ana Palacios

Meixi Semple

Sophia Steinmeyer

Phoebe Turner

Jade Vella-Wright

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