The Gym Devils gear up to face the Pioneers head-to-head Friday

(Photo credit: Marina Williams/WCSN)

Arizona State Gymnastics is preparing for its second home meet of the season against the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers on Friday night. After a slow start to the season, the Gym Devils were able to secure a win against the Iowa State Cyclones last Friday, marking their highest score of the season with a 195.950 and their first-ever Big 12 Conference win.

Last time the Sun Devils (5-4, 1-1 Big 12 Conference) competed at home, they lost to their rivals, the Arizona Wildcats, for the first time in eight years. This was due to multiple slip-ups, especially on floor and beam. With a fall and many wobbles on beam and some hesitant tumbling passes, the Gym Devils failed to secure the win.

However, they made up for it last week and received five scores on floor above 9.800, which gave them a season-high score of 49.250. To end the night on a high note, they had three beam scores of 9.875 and secured a tight win on the road and a chance to redeem themselves early in the season.

The Pioneers (4-2) were also able to secure a win and stay undefeated last weekend with a 194.075 against Air Force. The Pioneers have yet to surpass a score of 195.000 this season, but just like the Devils, they received their highest floor score of the season, a 49.025.

Graduate student Kaitlyn Hoiland is one of the Pioneers’ stars this season. With a 9.800 on floor and a 9.775 on beam, she’s expected to shine bright at Desert Financial Arena this Friday. Another standout competitor for TWU is freshman Bailey Upton, whose beginner status in the NCAA didn’t stop her from scoring a career-high of 9.775 on beam.

The Gym Devils have a few stars of their own this season. Graduate student Emily White is a prominent all-around competitor with a season-high score of 39.400. She’ll likely be one of the gymnasts leading ASU in scoring Friday. Another all-around star for the Gym Devils is junior Kimberly Smith who got a career-high score of 39.175 last week. Many underclassmen are making their way into the lineups too. Against Iowa State, sophomore Lilia Purler received a career-high score of 9.850 on floor, and freshman Halle Braaflat did the same with a 9.750 on vault.

The Sun Devils will have to take on the Pioneers and the rest of the season without senior Alex Theodorou, who announced on Thursday via Instagram that she will be out the rest of the season due to an ankle injury. Theodorou held the Devils’ anchor spot on vault and was a crucial competitor on the bars. This loss could be tough for the Gym Devils as they take on their second home meet of the season.

Both teams were able to prove themselves worthy last week with victories. This upcoming meet could be a tight competition with solid floor routines for the Sun Devils’ home crowd.