No. 15 and co-Pac-12 conference champion Arizona State gymnastics returns home for their final week of competition and last time at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils will be one of three Sun Devil teams to move into the new multi-purpose facility on campus next year, alongside ASU hockey and wrestling.
The Sun Devils were named Pac-12 co-conference champions for the first time this week on March 6. They will share the crown with three other teams, No. 10 California, No. 12 Oregon State and No. 4 Utah.
“The team is in a really confident spot in general with the way they have been competing over the last five, six weeks,” co-head coach Jay Santos said. “It’s been building and building. Obviously, earning that (Pac-12 co-conference Champs title) … is definitely some validation toward everything they have been doing.”
The Sun Devils play host Friday, March 11 to No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 21 Boise State for their senior night tri-meet. Arizona State will bid farewell to two seniors this year: Jasmine Gutierrez and Megan Thompson. Along with the athletes, two student managers will also say goodbye to the program: seniors Kaelynn Nadonza and Kaitlin Harvey (a former ASU gymnast turned student manager this year).
Both Gutierrez and Thompson are seasoned veterans with the Sun Devils; Gutierrez has been with ASU for four years, while Thompson has been with the team for three. Gutierrez has yet to score below a 9.800 on beam this season and has tied a personal best, scoring two 9.900s on beam. Thompson scored her career-high this year on beam, notching a 9.900 against No. 20 Stanford.
Arizona State has competed against Boise State and Oklahoma before, but lost to both teams on the road last year. They lost a nail biter to Boise State, 196.750 to 196.700, and were blown out by Oklahoma, the number two team at the time, 197.450 to 194.725. The last time the Sun Devils beat the Broncos was the 20005-06 season, where they won, 193.150 to 189.950, but they have never beaten the Sooners.
The Broncos are 7-4 this year and 3-3 in the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference. They come in off a second-place finish at the Illinois Quad Meet, beating Central Michigan 196.550 to 196.275 and Northern Illinois 196.550 to 194.475, but losing to Illinois 197.125 to 195.550.
The Boise State Broncos boost a No. 12 ranked bars routine, along with No. 24 vault, No. 32 beam, and No. 49 floor routines. After a close loss to the Broncos last year, the Sun Devils will look for a different result.
“Boise always been a really strong team,” stated co-head coach Jess Santos. “We saw them last year, and that competition was really, really close … I think we lost by a quarter tenth, and our team remembers that. They are a strong opponent as well.”
This season, the Broncos have not hit a perfect ten but are led by sophomore Emily Lopez, who has competed on every event but floor this year. Lopez holds the highest overall score with a 206.575. Lopez also ranks in the top 20 in the nation for bars. Behind her is senior Hope Masiado, who has a total score of 194.625 and is tied for the best beam score on the team with a 9.925. Masiado is also the only competitor from Boise State to have competed at least once in each event.
Sophomore Courtney Blackson sits behind them with a score of 185.575 while being the lone holder of the team-high floor score with a 9.925. Fifth year Emily Muhlenhaupt is the only one to be ranked in the top 20 nationally. Muhlenhaupt is tied for No. 5 on bars.
The Oklahoma Sooners on the other hand come in as the team to beat. Ranking No. 1 on beam and bars, No. 4 on vault, and No. 5 on floor. The Sooners have an NQS score of 198.080 and an average score of 197.810. The tables have turned as the No. 1 ranked team is now coming to Tempe, and the Sun Devils are ready.
“Being at home is just different, it’s so much fun to have more of your friends and family there. We’ve been really confident at home so far, (and) we are undefeated at home so far. … I just think it will be a really great competition,“ Santos this afternoon during a press conference.
The Sooners are led by sophomore Audrey Davis, who has the highest team score, posting a 365.300. Davis is in a three-way tie for No. 20 on beam nationally, tied for No. 2 on bars, and ranks No. 9 in the all-around. Next is freshman Jordan Bowers is second with a total score of 344.626. Bowers is the top vault competitor in the nation and holds a perfect 10 in that event. Bowers is also in a three-way tie of bars at No. 11. These two women are the only two to have competed at least once in every event.
Behind them is junior Ragan Smith. Smith has a total score of 295.95 and has competed in everything but vault. Smith is tied for first nationally on beam while also being in a five-way tie for No. 10 on the floor. Fourth is sophomore Katherine Levasseur, who holds an overall score of 246.200 but has not competed on the floor this season. Levasseur is tied for No. 6 on the vault and No. 16 on the beam. Carly Woodard is fifth with an overall score of 187.650 and is tied for No. 7 on beam.
These three teams will square off in Tempe Friday, March 11, at 7:00 P.M. MST.
