The Iowa State Cyclones lost their season home opener to No. 12 Utah State on Sunday. Red Rock won the event with 195.725 points, followed by the Cyclones with 192.300 points. The game was broadcast to a national audience on ESPN and was the first game on the network to be held at Hilton Coliseum. The loss moved the Cyclones to 0-1, 0-1 at home, and 2-6 overall. Iowa State will return to action on February 1st when they travel to the University of Denver. The Cyclones will return home on Feb. 6 when West Virginia comes to town. Utah improves to 6-3 overall and has won four straight. The Red Rocks will host No. 25 Arizona State on Jan. 30.
“It was really fun to finally open our season tonight at the Hilton, we had a great crowd and Cyclone Nation really put on a show for these girls. The whole season was full of highlights, I mean Haylee Hardin, it was a great way to end the game. Finley Weldon had an unbelievable beam. Having a freshman anchor and doing what she does is huge. Looking forward, it only starts from here,” Head Coach Ashley Miles Gregg Greig said in a review on Cyclones.com.
advertise
Utah State scored 48.750 on bars, ahead of Iowa State, which scored 48.400 on vault in the first round. Iowa State is led by Noelle Adams (9.750) and Aubree Guinee (9.725), while Utah State is led by three scorers of at least 9.8 points, including Avery Neff (9.875), Ella Zirbes (9.85) and Abbi Ayssman. (9.85) leads Utah.
Red Rock scored a 49.350 in the second round to lead 98.100 to 96.450 on vault and Iowa State on bars. The Cyclones’ second rotation score was 48.050. Utah had four players score at least 9.8, led by Ella Zirbes and Avery Neff, who both scored 9.875. Iowa State was led by scores from Paige Willis and Finley Weldon, both scoring 9.750s.
In the third round, Utah’s floor score was 48.125, while the Cyclones’ beam score was 47.675. The team’s scores after three rotations were 146.225 for Utah State and 144.125 for Iowa State. Ella Zirbes and Makenna Smith scored 9.85 and 9.75 for the Red Rocks. Iowa State was led by Finley Weldon at 9.750 and Lauren O’Brochta at 9.650, with a rotation score of 47.675.
In the final round, Red Rock scored a 49.500 on beam, while Iowa State scored a 48.175 on floor. Two Red Rock runners posted career-high scores to lead Utah State. Abbi Ryssman led the way with a 9.925 and Ana Padurariu tied her career-high score of 9.95, the highest score in the event. Iowa State was led by two high scorers, Haylee Hardin with a 9.925 and Noelle Adams with a 9.875. Harding and Adams both hit season highs in scoring.
advertise
The Cyclones posted new career highs in the last meet with Aubree Guinee scoring on floor, Ella Roberts on vault and Frederique Sgarbossa posting a second-best time in the all-around.
Utah State has a packed schedule at home against No. 15 Minnesota and No. 22 Iowa State. The Red Rocks also had a game against then-No. 1 ranked UCLA on January 10th. Utah has three games in the first 11 days of the 2026 season. These two teams last met in 2024 as part of the Gainesville Regionals. The Cyclones are 0-10 against the Red Rocks since their first meeting in 1980. Sunday’s game is the Cyclones’ first home game against Utah State in Ames.
Utah 195.725, Iowa 192.300
NCAA Women’s Gymnastics
January 25
Ames-Hilton Arena
Iowa State’s various event results (event results-running team scores):
Vault – 48.400
1. Page Wills 9.650; 2. Ella Roberts 9.600; 3. Aubrey Guinea 9.725; 4. Frederick Sgarbosa 9.625; 5. Noelle Adams 9.750; 6. Haley Harding 9.650.
advertise
Bar – 48.050 (96.450)
1. Page Wills 9.775; 2. Tyler Sanders 9.650; 3. Ella Schell 9.125; 4. Kennedy Thomas 8.375; 5. Kaia Bojo 9.725; 6. Frederick Sgarbosa 9.775.
Beam – 47.675 (144.125)
1. Lauren Obrohta 9.650; 2. Chloe Hammond 9.050; 3. Aubrey Guinea 9.625; 4. Frederic Sgarbosa 9.050; 5. Noelle Adams 9.600; 6. Finley Weldon 9.750.
Floor – 48.175 (192.300)
1. Chloe Hammond 9.500; 2. Madeleine Mantenach 9.400; 3. Aubrey Guinea 9.476; 4. Noelle Adams 9.875; 5. Hayley Harding 9.925.
Utah’s various event results (event results – running team scores):
Bar – 48.750
1. Makena Smith 9.325; 2. Abby Eisman 9.85; 3. Anna Padulariu 9.85; 4. Ella Zilbus 9.85; 5. Bailey Stroud 9.000; 6. Avery Neff 9.875.
advertise
Vault – 49.350 (98.100)
1. Clara Raposo 9.775; 2. Ella Zilbus 9.875; 3. Ashley Greene 9.85; 4. Makena Smith 9.925; 5. Zoe Johnson 9.825; 6. Avery Neff 9.875.
Floor – 48.125 (146.225)
1. Kami Winger 8.925; 2. Zoe Johnson 9.70; 3. Ella Zilbus 9.85; 4. Avery Neff 9.075; 5. Poppy Grace Stickler 9.625; 6. Makena Smith 9.875.
Beam – 49.500 (195.725)
1. Elizabeth Gant 9.85; 2. Makena Smith 9.875; 3. Abby Risman 9.925; 4. Anna Padulariu 9.95; 5. Kami Winger 9.90; 6. Avery Neff 9.825.
Top 12 league rankings
As of January 25 (Sunday)
School, Big 12, Overall
Denver, 1-0, 4-0
Arizona State University, 1-0, 3-1
Utah, 1-0, 6-3
Brigham Young University, 0-1, 3-3
advertise
Arizona, 0-0, 2-2
Iowa State University, 0-1, 2-6
West Virginia, 0-1, 1-5
Upcoming schedule:
Friday, January 30
West Virginia – University of Pittsburgh West Virginia
West Virginia – Cornell University West Virginia
at Brigham Young University – Arizona at Brigham Young University
Utah – Utah, Arizona
Sunday, February 1
Denver – Iowa State University Denver