March 23, 2002
STANFORD, Calif. - On a night when it opened with four falls on balance beam, Arizona State's women's gymnastics team finished the Pac-10 Championships with a 194.125 team total en route to a sixth-place finish at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, tied for the Sun Devils' worst conference finish ever.
National No. 1 UCLA won the team crown with a score of 197.625. Arizona finished runner-up at 197.050, followed by meet host and 2001 Pac-10 Champion Stanford at 196.150. Oregon State (196.125), Washington (195.425), ASU (194.125) and California (189.700) rounded out the seven-team field.
Ranked 16th in the nation overall, the Sun Devils have struggled on beam all season, completing only 35 of 60 routines while suffering at least three falls in six meets. Saturday's four-fall performance marked the second time ASU has been tagged with that dubious distinction this season.
Only junior Ashley Ellsberry and freshman Kari Muth completed their routines without leaving the apparatus prematurely. Ellsberry earned a 9.85 that put her in a five-way tie for eighth individually. Muth scored a 9.775.
After sitting out the second rotation with their first of three byes, the Sun Devils rallied on floor exercise with a 49.100 team score, tied with Stanford for the fourth-best in that event. Ellsberry earned a team-best 9.875, followed by Muth's 9.85 and sophomore Jada Cox's 9.825.
On vault, sophomore Maggie Germaine earned ASU's highest score of the night with a 9.925, good enough to place her in a five-way tie for third-place individually. Cox and sophomore Carla DeMartini provided a 9.85 and 9.8, respectively, as ASU scored a 49.000 event total despite competing only five athletes.
Germaine also led the way on the uneven bars with a 9.85. Senior Laura Moon and junior Margaret Wojciak earned 9.8s.
If its any consolation, ASU's finish at the Pac-10 meet has been a poor indication of its national finish over the years. In 1997, the only other time ASU finished sixth at the conference championships, the Sun Devils went on to finish runner-up at the NCAA Championships. Likewise, a season ago, ASU placed fifth at Pac-10s, but ended the year with a ninth-place showing at nationals.
The Sun Devils were hoping to at least score better than 194.800, which would have boosted their Regional Qualifying Score just before the deadline. Monday, March 25, the NCAA will announce its six NCAA Regional fields. The top-18 teams in the nation will be seeded out three apiece to the six sites, with the remaining three spots in each six-team meet being filled from within the corresponding region.
As meet hosts, the Sun Devils are assured of competing at home in their attempt to earn ASU's 20th team bid to the NCAA Championships by finishing in the top-two at the NCAA South Central Regional, April 6, at Wells Fargo Arena. The meet will begin at 6:00 p.m. For ticket information call (480) 965-2381.
ASU Scores:
Vault (49.000) - Cox 9.85, DeMartini 9.8, Germaine 9.925, Vreeke 9.725, Wojciak 9.7
Bars (48.950) - Ellsberry 9.725, Germaine 9.85, Moon 9.8, Muth 9.4, Robinette 9.775, Wojciak 9.8
Beam (47.075) - Ellsberry 9.85, Giorgianni 9.075, Moon 9.225, Muth 9.775, Robinette 9.15, Vreeke 9.025
Floor (49.100) - Cox 9.825, DeMartini 9.8, Ellsberry 9.875, Germaine 9.725, Muth 9.85, Vreeke 9.75