(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Sunday evening, the No. 19 Arizona State Gym Devils traveled up North to the Bay where they competed in a tri-meet with No. 14 BYU and No. 18 California at the Haas Pavilion. This was the tightest matched competition yet, as each team came into the meet closely ranked on each event. While California took home the win with a 196.700, Arizona State defeated BYU 195.700 to 194.975 for their second top-25 win this season.
ASU began their night on the uneven bars where Oakland native, Cairo Leonard-Baker delivered another strong bar routine to anchor the Gym Devils with a 9.875 for a tied first place finish. Anne Kuhm also performed a solid routine to earn a 9.850 along with Justine Callis who posted a 9.775 tying her career-high. Lead-off Morgan Hart and Morgan Wilson added a pair of 9.750s giving the Gym Devils a 49.000 event total.
As the home team, the California Bears started their night on the vault where they came into the meet as the No. 6 vault team in the country. The Golden Bears posted with a 49.075 led by fifth-year senior Toni-Ann Williams’s season-high 9.90 along with freshman standout Milan Clausi’s 9.875 and Talitha Jones’s career-high 9.80.
BYU opened up on the balance beam where they scored a 48.950. Abby Boden led the Cougars with a 9.850 followed by Natasha Marash’s 9.825.
ASU moved to the balance beam in the second rotation where they avoided an early fall from Belkoff to earn another 49.000. Last week against Utah, the Gym Devil had made some uncharacteristic mistakes. However, they looked like they were back to their normal as Callis anchored the lineup with a 9.875 along with Leonard-Baker who posted a 9.825.
Cal moved to the uneven bars where they posted a 49.100. Following a fall from Emi Watterson, Nina Schank highlighted the Golden Bears rotation with a 9.875 tying Leonard-Baker for the individual event title.
The Cougars moved to the floor where Shannon Evan’s Super Mario Bros. inspired routine earned a 9.875 for a second-place finish.
At the halfway point, the teams were still very close with Cal continuing their lead at 98.175 followed by BYU totaling a 98.050 and 98.000.
Moving to the floor, ASU struggled to find their landings with three gymnasts recording scores of 9.675. However, Corrine Belkoff posted a season-high 9.850 while Leonard-Baker’s dynamic floor routine added 9.825 giving the Gym Devils a 48.750 team total.
Cal went to the balance beam where they posted a program record 49.425. Sofie Seilnacht highlighted the rotation scoring a season-high a 9.925. Willians and Maya Bordas contributed a pair of 9.90s followed by Clausi who had a career-high of her own with a 9.850.
BYU headed also struggled on their landings on the vault as they suffered a 9.60 and a 9.650 at the top of their lineup. However, Evans stuck yurchenko 1.5 earned a 9.925 giving Evans the event title and the Cougars a 48.825 finish.
The close contest continued into the final rotation as Cal kept their lead at 147.600 while Arizona State tied with BYU for second with a 146.750.
ASU ended their night on the vault where they posted a 48.950. Leonard-Baker led the Gym Devil effort with a 9.825 followed by Wilson’s 9.80. Belkoff, Kuhm, and Kaitlyn Szafranski contributed a set of 9.775s to round out the rotation.
Cal finished on the floor where Willians’s 9.90 first-place routine led the Golden Bears’ to a 49.100 event total. Clausi and Kyana George added a 9.850 and 9.825 respectively.
BYU struggled on the uneven bars as they had to suffer back-to-back falls forcing them to count a 9.075. Evans closed out the rotation with a 9.875 bringing the Cougars team score to a 48.225.
In the all-around, Leonard Baker scored a 39.350 to finish second behind Evans who put up a career-high 39.475. Clausi posted a 39.300 in her all-around debut followed by Kuhm with a 39.125 and George with 39.075.
The Gym Devils will be back in Wells Fargo Arena Sunday afternoon to face the No. 24 Stanford Cardinal in the Salute to Service meet. The meet is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be airing live on the Pac-12 Network.
