Hardin Nabs Third-Straight Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State first-year gymnast Haylee Hardin has earned her third consecutive Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor, the league office announced Tuesday.

Hardin, a Wichita Falls, Texas native, competed in two events and had a pair of top-two finishes this weekend on the road at West Virginia, as she helped Iowa State claim its first Big 12 win of the season. In Morgantown, Hardin took second on vault (9.825) and first on floor (9.925).

Both her vault and floor score slot in as her second-highest on each event all season. Haylee now has five top-two finishes on vault and a quartet of event titles on floor. She leads all Cyclones in event wins with six (four FX, two VT) and has scored over 9.9 on each of her last two floor exercises.

Hardin joins teammate Noelle Adams (2024) and Michelle Shealy (2011) as a three-time winner of the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week award. No Cyclone has ever won the award four times in a single season. She is the only Cyclone to ever win the award three or more weeks in a row.

Haylee is one of just nine athletes to ever win Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for at least three straight weeks. She joins Rachel Updike (2012 - MU), Brenna Dowell (2015 – OU), Kirah Koshinski (2016 – WVU), Nicole Lehrmann (2016 – OU), Maggie Nichols (2017 – OU), Anastasia Webb (2017 – OU), Olivia Trautman (2019 – OU) and Faith Torrez (2023 – OU).

Iowa State will be back in action this Friday, February 14, when it heads West for a meeting with Big 12 newcomer Arizona. Friday's meet is set to begin at 8 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Big 12 Weekly Award Winners (2/11)
Gymnast: Grace McCallum (Utah)
Event Specialist: Jada Mangahas (ASU)
Newcomer: Haylee Hardin