Sports

SPRINGING INTO HISTORY

Story by Brock Bierman and Matt Van Winkle  Images by Matt Van Winkle and ISU Athletics

Practice is about to begin inside Beyer Hall on the Iowa State campus. The Cyclone gymnastics team is just days away from its season opening meet. Hip-hop music pulses and is in the air. On the wall, a sign reads “We are Cyclones” lined with flags – each one representing a student athlete’s home country: Spain, Peru, Canada, Puerto Rico, England, Italy, the U.S., and Australia. A stretching line forms under the flag of Peru – home to redshirt senior Ariana Orrego. It’s a simple reminder of the country she made history for on the world stage before her Cyclone journey even began. “When she is determined to do something, she will do it,” says Jay Ronayne, who is in his sixteenth season as the head coach for the Iowa State gymnastics team. “It is just part of her DNA.” Orrego grew up in the coastal South American city of Lima, the capital of Peru. From a young age, her parents encouraged her to be active and get involved in an after-school activity. “They made me try all different kinds of sports,” says Orrego. “I think I tried everything. The one I liked the most was gymnastics – and I stuck to it.”

As she grew older, practice became more frequent, and the competition elevated. “At first it was twice a week,” Orrego says, “then it became three times a week, and then it started being every day.” At 8 years old, Orrego began competing in gymnastics competitions and coaches noticed her talent. When she reached high school, Orrego was invited to train at Excalibur Gymnastics, an elite club in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “Gymnasts there went through home school, they trained twice a day, and I was obviously not doing that back at home,” Orrego says. It was in the United States where she realized the amount of work it would take to reach her ultimate goal – competing in the Olympics. Just two years later, Orrego had racked up eight Virginia State Championship titles, and at age 17, reached the 2015 World Championships where she qualified to compete in the individual all-around at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. “That was a relief because my dream came true,” says Orrego. “Seeing all the hard work pay off made me really happy.” In the 80 years Peruvians have competed in the Olympics, Orrego made history by becoming the first gymnast ever to represent the country. “Honestly, it didn’t even go through my mind,” says Orrego. “But after qualifying, since that many people repeated that to me, I was like ‘Wow. I just made history.’” During her pursuit to qualify for Rio, Orrego met Nilson Medeiros, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for Iowa State gymnastics. “He talked to me about Iowa State and the opportunity to do college gymnastics and get a degree here. That all sounded amazing. I came to visit the school, the campus, met the team, and I just fell in love with the place. I really liked it here and I committed,” she says. Right away Orrego earned the trust of the coaches, competing as a freshman for the Cyclones in the allaround. “She is probably the most likable person you have ever met,” says Ronayne. “And not so coincidently, she is the most coachable gymnast I have ever had. There have been far more accomplished NCAA gymnasts that have been through our program, but no one as special as she is.” In 2020, Orrego once again had a dream fulfilled, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. This time making history for her school, becoming the first female gymnast from Iowa State to qualify for the Olympic games. Orrego took an Olympic redshirt, training at Iowa State to get ready for the games. “The things you have to go through, the amount of effort and time you have to put in is pretty unimaginable,” says Ronayne. “Imagine eight or nine hours a day of physical activity – like all out physical activity – every day for four years. There’s all these peaks and valleys along the way, and the valleys are really rough physically and emotionally. It takes a toll on you, and she’s bounced back from all of them.” Orrego finished 74th in the all-around of the COVIDdelayed Tokyo Olympics. “You think about everything and everyone you are representing,” says Orrego. “You are not only representing yourself, but also your teammates here (at Iowa State), your country, your family, your coaches … just everyone.” Orrego is working to earn her degree in management information systems. After graduation she plans to find an internship back in Peru. As her Cyclone career comes to a close, it’s the relationships with her teammates and coaches Orrego will cherish the most. “This feels like family.”

ONLINE EXTRAS:

Visit www.ISUalum.org/VISIONS or scan this QR code to check out scenes from Cyclone gymnastics practice and watch Ariana Orrego compete online.

CHEEZ-IT BOWL 2021

Images by Brock Beirman Traveling Cyclones in Orlando

Cyclones everywhere swarmed Orlando to cheer on Iowa State football in the Cheez-It Bowl Dec. 29 vs. Clemson. The ISU Alumni Association and ISU Athletics partnered with Anthony Travel to offer an exclusive travel package to fly Cyclones south, complete with spirit rallies harnessing the collective power of Cyclone Nation. With the end of this football season, the association appreciatively welcomes this special group of Cyclone football seniors to the Iowa State alumni family!

In the finale to "The Perfect Storm" series, Cyclone superfan Kyle The Perfect Storm: Journeying with Cyclones Everywhere “ … The Cheez-It Bowl was a microcosm of the entire season. High hopes. Exciting moments. Unexpected setbacks. A few plays that make you scratch your Oppenhuizen* ('09 journalism) wrote about his trip to the Cheez-It head. A never-give-up attitude. A few plays away from Bowl in Orlando, and the lifelong memories made while celebrating achieving special results. Cyclone fandom with thousands of other bowl travelers. Oppenhuizen They always kept it interesting. They always made me will be publishing a book about his Iowa State fan experience in 2022. care. I'm not sure I could ask for much more. Learn more at www.APerfectStormCycloneFootball2021.com. When I think back on the Cheez-It Bowl loss, my first thoughts won't be about the loss. I'll think about watching Iowa State fans dance on a warm Florida evening. Those moments encapsulate the fun of fandom. Scan this QR code for a link to photos highlighting the bowl trip captured by ISU Alumni Association staff. Who will you spot that you know? ONLINE EXTRAS: Thousands of us made the trip. We soaked up the sun. We made new friends. We shared drinks and stories. We analyzed the team and the season and the future… “