(Photo via Marina Williams/WCSN)
The Arizona State women’s gymnastics team came into this season with high expectations, looking to make it seven consecutive years of finishing the season as a top 25 team in the country.
The Gym Devils (1-0) opened the season at home on somewhat of a historic note by scoring 195.725 points, which, to date, is the third-highest team score to open a season in program history.
ASU used that dominant offensive output to best Central Michigan (0-1) and get some much-needed meet reps in before the schedule becomes stacked, as several clashes against ranked teams are on the horizon.
The Gym Devils won’t have much time to clean up the miscues from their meet against Central Michigan, as No. 6 Denver (3-0) awaits ASU this Sunday at Magness Arena, the Pioneers’ home floor.
The Gym Devils come into the meet with Denver leading the all-time series between the two schools 13-9, but the Pioneers have captured the last seven meetings, with the last matchup taking place back in 2020.
Denver is led by four key gymnasts, all of whom are nationally ranked in at least one event. Senior Jessica Hutchinson and freshman Madison Ulrich come in ranked at No. 8 and tied for No. 21, respectively, in the all-around. They are also both tied at No. 9 in the rankings on vault.
Senior Bella Mabanta enters this week nationally ranked for the first time at No. 6 on beam, while Hutchinson and senior Rylie Mundell are ranked on bars, as Hutchinson is tied for No. 13 and Mundell comes in tied at No. 21.
In order for the Gym Devils to rival one of the best teams in the country on the road in Denver and have a chance to win, they will need to rely on the wealth of experience they have returning from last season. In all, the team only lost two routines from the 2023 campaign going into 2024. Six of the seven top performers from last year who all won event titles are returning, so ASU should have plenty of depth and experience to lean on.
Graduate Hannah Scharf won 11 event titles last year, senior Emily White had seven, and seniors Anaya Smith and Sarah Clark tied with four each.
Against Central Michigan, Smith and Clark picked right back up where they left off last season, with Smith winning an event title on vault with a 9.850 score, while Clark secured an event title on beam with a mark of 9.875.
Scharf, meanwhile, looked every bit of one of the top gymnasts on the team, recording two event titles of her own. She tied Smith’s score on vault with a 9.850, while also scoring a 9.875 en route to a floor title.
A win against Denver would be a crucial step forward for the Gym Devils in taking a step forward from last season’s 15th-ranked finish and advancing past the regional finals come when the time comes.
