Iowa State has a gymnastics problem. The Cyclones recently decided to cancel the remainder of their season due to safety concerns.
It seems like there is more to the story than they are leading on.
There are a number of unanswered questions surrounding the gymnastics program in Ames. Head coach Ashley Miles Greig is unlikely to survive the controversy.
Why did Iowa State cancel its gymnastics season?
The 2026 season got underway on Jan. 4. Iowa State competed in five meets so far this year with an overall record of 2-7.
- No. 7 Missouri — L
- No. 10 Iowa — L
- Illinois — L
- Illinois State — W
- New Hampshire — L
- Air Force — L
- Bridgeport — W
- No. 13 Utah — L
- No. 17 Denver — L
Although the Cyclones were not expected to be very good, nobody expected what happened next.
Friday’s home meet against West Virginia was suddenly canceled just a few hours before it was set to begin. Head coach Ashley Miles Greig cited a lack of athletes.
“At this time, we do not have enough student-athletes available to safely field a team against West Virginia, and regrettably must cancel this competition.”
And then, two days later, came the news that shook college gymnastics. Iowa State canceled the remainder of its gymnastics season with five meets still left on the schedule before the postseason.
“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,” Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Services Shamaree Brown said. “The health, safety and overall welfare of our student-athletes is paramount, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are able to safely train and compete at the highest level.”
The Cyclones list 18 athletes on their roster. Each team typically features a lineup of six gymnasts per event, but there were not enough gymnasts to go out and compete safely.
What is really going on?
Iowa State continues to cite health, safety and overall welfare concerns for its decision to cancel first the meet against West Virginia and then the rest of the season. That is obviously valid.
You do not want to put the athletes at risk of an injury and/or catastrophic result.
However, there seems to be something deeper going on behind the scenes. Haylee Hardin, Peyton Nock and Noelle Adams are some of the best gymnasts on the team. They, among others like freshman Finley Weldon, recently started to post on their previously inactive recruiting accounts on social media. They even started to follow other coaches at other programs.
These accounts have been dark for months, if not years. The core contributors to the Cyclones team appear to be planning their exits.
And it’s not like this is a tiny program with zero history. Iowa State reached the Super Six with previous head coach KJ Kindler. It is far cry from an SEC powerhouse but winning is possible. It has been done.
Current head coach Ashley Miles Greig is firmly on the hot seat. If this many girls are planning to hit the portal, a large number of incoming recruits are also likely to run the other way.
How does she come back from this? I don’t know.
I would be surprised if the Cyclones do not make sweeping changes to their staff in the coming weeks. They need to make a big-splash hire to get their gym program back on track. Maybe… Simone Biles?!