(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
On Friday, the No. 15-ranked Arizona State Gymnastics traveled to northern California to challenge the No. 20 Stanford Cardinal.
Heading into the meet, ASU was looking for its fourth-straight win and its third straight score of 197.000 or better.
The Cardinal looked to rebound from their lowest score of the season suffered in part due to the absence of fifth-year senior Kyla Bryant, who did not compete against Oregon State due to a personal family matter.
Both teams sported their own version of a tribute to Katie Meyer, a Stanford soccer player who recently passed away, and came out ready to compete.
On the bars, the Sun Devils kicked things off with a rotation that saw every gymnast score at least a 9.800 on the uneven set. With a pair of 9.875s by juniors Gracie Reeves and Hannah Scharf, ASU scored a 49.250 to open the meet.
Stanford, however, wouldn’t let the Sun Devils get too far ahead that early on. The Cardinal presented a strong opening rotation of their own from the vault table. After a leadoff 9.900 by junior Jade Chrobok, the rest of the Stanford lineup managed to deliver on their vaults to bring the event total to 49.200, giving ASU a slight lead.
On the next rotation, Stanford looked to continue to hit its solid routines, and posted a 49.125.
ASU used its vault prowess to increase its lead. On the vault, sophomore Jordyn Jaslow posted a leadoff 9.900 of her own to set a new career-high and get the rest of the lineup fired up. Jaslow would be joined at the 9.900 threshold by fellow sophomore Jada Mangahas, who also reached a new personal best. The Sun Devils’ total event score of 49.300 would extend their lead to 0.225 at the halfway point.
It was the third rotation that helped decide this meet.
With the Sun Devils taking the floor in enemy territory, the first four competitors posted solid scores – all at least a 9.825 – with sophomore Sarah Clark putting up a 9.875. The final two competitors, however, stole the show, as Mangahas and Scharf scored back-to-back 9.925s to end the rotation. The big numbers started flashing as the Sun Devils finished with a mark of 49.400.
While ASU found its stride, Stanford struggled to find its balance. The rotation looked promising after senior Wesley Stephenson scored a 9.900 to get things started, but just two routines later, fifth-year Lauren Navarro would fall in her return to the lineup after taking some time off due to injury.
Stanford freshman Brenna Neault tried to get things back on track for her team with a 9.925 to follow up Navarro’s fall, but both Bryant and freshman Anapaula Gutierrez would suffer major balance issues, failing to score above 9.750 to close out the event.
With ASU up by 0.550, Stanford had one last chance to try for the comeback on what has been its best event throughout the season: floor.
After a bit of a slow start, senior Madison Brunette posted a 9.900 to give her team some energy. Senior Morgan Hoang and fifth-year Taylor Lawson would build on Brunette’s score with a pair of career highs at 9.925 and 9.950, respectively.
To close things out, Bryant, who struggled throughout the night in her return to competition after a week off, scored another 9.925, securing a huge 49.575 and allowing the Cardinal to end the meet with a final score of 196.975.
That score wouldn’t be enough, though, as the Sun Devils also saved their best performance for last on the balance beam. Senior Megan Thompson kicked off the rotation with yet another leadoff 9.900 and another career high. Later on in the rotation, sophomore Emily White joined Thompson in the 9.900-plus beam score club with a routine that was awarded a 9.925 by the judges. Scharf closed out ASU’s night with a 9.900 to put the final nail in the coffin on the Cardinal.
The final score was 197.375 to 196.975 as ASU took home the titles in three out of four events in addition to Scharf winning the all-around. This was ASU’s best score away from home this season, allowing the Sun Devils to add to their win streak and post another score above 197.000.
ASU will look to bring this energy with them one last time in Tempe as Thompson and fellow senior Jasmine Gutierrez say goodbye to Desert Financial Arena next week.
The Sun Devils will compete in their first multi-team meet of the season when they host No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 23 Boise State in a tri-meet on March 11 at 7 p.m. MST.
