State of the Cyclones: Gymnastics will be senior led this season
By Doug Winkey
We are sadly nearing the end of our series on Cyclone athletics. This week we are entering the world of college gymnastics.
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Last season was solid for the team as they went 8-13 overall with a 2-2 mark in conference play. The overall record could have been a few games different, however, as several meets were lost by what seems to be a small margins. I’ll be upfront though, I have very little knowledge regarding how to judge margins of victory in this sport, so those losses may have been relative blowouts.
As far as single meets are concerned, the team managed to defeat the rival Iowa Hawkeyes 195.925-192.775 and West Virginia 196.650 – 196.375. The latter victory was part of Iowa State’s second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in March, which was held in Morgantown, WV.
The roster is very top-heavy, with five of the eight gymnasts listed as juniors, one as a senior, and just two as sophomores. This is a fine situation, because it means that the core of the squad has at least two years of experience to lead the few younger members. The world of gymnastics recruiting is another complete mystery, but it looks like the team is set for at least one more solid year.
The current head coach of the team, Jay Ronayne, has been at the helm for nine years. He has coached two Big 12 Gymnasts of the Year and has lead his team to a regional berth in each of his nine seasons. Prior to his time in Ames, Ronayne was a top assistant at both Auburn and West Virginia, and has experienced high levels of success at each juncture.
It is easy to look at the strong run of Iowa gymnasts that have participated in the Olympics recently with Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas. Gymnastics in central Iowa look strong thanks to their accomplishments as well as the steady leadership of the current crop of coaches.
Join us next week when we’ll be entering the home stretch of State of the Cyclones with our look at the wrestling team.