March 16, 2001
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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State's eighth-ranked women's gymnastics team picked up wins over No. 12 Iowa and unranked Kentucky, but could not overcome No. 7 Nebraska, falling at home for the first time in over five years in front of a crowd of 1,040 at Wells Fargo Arena Friday.
Nebraska's 197.1 defeated all-comers, with ASU taking second in 195.575, Kentucky earning third in 194.35 and Iowa rounding things out at 193.425.
The loss was ASU's first at home since Feb. 2, 1996, breaking a 25-meet winning streak in which the Sun Devils had turned back 39-straight opponents at Wells Fargo Arena. Only ASU's third loss in its last 44 home meets, Nebraska became the first team other than Utah to defeat the Sun Devils in Tempe since Oregon State clipped ASU 192.7-192.55, Feb. 2 1992.
"This is tough, but better now than in a week (at Pacific-10 Conference Championships)," ASU head coach John Spini said. "That's when it matters. The post-season is when it counts. This doesn't really mean anything."
The Sun Devils (10-5) actually led after the first rotation, in which they scored a season-high 49.175 on vault. Freshman Maggie Germaine led the way with an ASU season-high 9.925 that also stands as her career-best. Senior Kelly Cowley added a career-high-tying 9.9 and freshman walk-on Jada Cox scored for the first time of her career with a 9.75.
However, on uneven bars disaster struck the Sun Devils when Cowley and fellow senior Kim Skinner took falls. Sophomore Margaret Wojciak and junior Laura Moon closed with scores of 9.9 and 9.925, respectively, but the Sun Devils finished with only a 48.825.
Moving to beam in the third rotation, ASU was hit with another pair of falls resulting in their second-worst score of the year on the apparatus at 48.65.
"We let the momentum get away from us," Spini said. "We just had people go down today who don't normally go down. But I think it's a good lesson for us and it will make us stronger as a team."
It would have taken a strong effort to top Nebraska, which won the team and individual titles in every event. Among the Huskers' wins was a 10.0 vault by sophomore Jess Wertz.
With the regular season complete, its on to the post-season, starting with the Pacific-10 Conference Championships, March 24 in Seattle, Wash.
Complete results/box score available above in PDF format.