Iowa State University has announced it is cancelling the remainder of its 2026 gymnastics season, citing the health and safety of its athletes as its top priority. The decision, made by the athletic department after an internal review, comes less than 72 hours after Iowa State was forced to cancel its scheduled February 6 meet against West Virginia due to not having enough gymnasts to safely compete.

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Services Shamaree Brown said in the release that “after a careful and thoughtful review of the program over the last week, it became apparent that we do not have enough student-athletes available to safely compete, and thus have made the painful decision to cancel the remainder of our gymnastics season.” The statement emphasized that “the health, safety and overall welfare of our student-athletes is paramount,” a factor that ultimately drove the difficult choice.

The West Virginia meet was cancelled at the last minute after the Cyclones determined they could not field a team that met safety standards. The Mountaineers subsequently competed in a tri-meet at Northern Illinois alongside Western Michigan instead.

Iowa State entered the season with a full slate of meets, including the West Virginia dual and several future Big 12 contests against Western Michigan, Arizona State, Arizona, BYU, and rival Iowa, plus the Big 12 Gymnastics Championships in March. All remaining competitions have now been called off.

At the time of the cancellation announcement, the Cyclones held a 2-8 record on the year. This marks a disappointing end to a season that opened with a 191.325 – the program’s first 191 since 2013. In the four meets since, the team mostly hovered in the 192 range with a season-high 193.425.

In recent days, many team members have begun posting new videos on their old college recruiting Instagram pages – a way for athletes to get seen by coaches at other NCAA programs.

Iowa State is currently led by Ashley Miles Greig. She is assisted by Jazmyn Estrella, Mary Wise, and Ragan Smith.

Gymnastics Now asked about next steps for the program looking forward and whether there would be a review of the coaching staff. Brown responded saying, “At this time, our primary focus has been on addressing the needs of this season and, most importantly, supporting the members of our gymnastics team. We have not yet shifted our attention beyond caring for these young women during this period.

“In the near future, we will take the appropriate time to review all areas of the gymnastics program and evaluate the future moving forward.”

A group of over 100 alumni have joined together to support the student-athletes on the team, demand leadership, call for transparency, and fight for the future of the Iowa State program.

The alumni are sharing a post across their pages that says, in part, “We are deeply disappointed by the cancellation of the gymnastics season. Our hearts break for the student-athletes who dedicated themselves to Iowa State. We believe they deserve strong leadership, transparency, and the opportunity to compete.”

One alum told Gymnastics Now that the group wants answers. They don’t have many details yet, but they want to support the women on the team and the program, in general. The group has sent emails to the Iowa State administration and reiterated that they want transparency from the university.

The Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) issued the following statement on February 10:

“The Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) wants to express full support for the student athletes of the Iowa State gymnastics program following the cancellation of their competitive season. We recognize that prioritizing the health and safety of student athletes is a necessary responsibility, and we commend the commitment to their long-term welfare as university leadership navigates this difficult decision.

“Our association has contacted the Iowa State administration and shared our willingness to partner with them to support the program. The WCGA is committed to ensuring Iowa State returns to full strength.

”We ask the gymnastics community to rally around the Cyclones, their student athletes, and everyone who has given their all to the program. We support them and want to make sure they come back stronger than ever, ready to compete at the highest level.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.