Jan. 22, 2006
TEMPE, Ariz.--Senior co-captain Ashley Kelly won the 16th all-around title of her career, as Arizona State University made its 2006 home debut defeating instate rival, the University of Arizona, 195.300-195.150, Sunday in front of 1,095 at Wells Fargo Arena. This increases the Sun Devil's all-time lead against the Wildcats 72-23-2. Arizona State's season record is 2-0.
Kelly won the all around with a score of 39.475. Arizona's Karin Wurm took second (39.250) and Aubrey Taylor took third (39.075). ASU's freshman Nicole Harris placed fourth in the all-around with a score of 38.950 and junior April Boone finished the meet, taking fifth with a score of 37.900.
The Sun Devils started the meet on the vault. ASU won the event with a season high 49.175, which coming into this weekend is the third best score in the nation. Freshman Tia Orlando won the event with a 9.900, the team's best score of the year. Senior co-captain Kelly placed second with a 9.875. Boone, senior co-captain Lauren Powell and Arizona's Wurm each posted 9.825, good for third. Harris tied for seventh on the vault with Arizona's Bree Workman with a score of 9.750. The Wildcats posted a 48.775.
The Sun Devils continued performing their season best on the second rotation by winning the uneven bars with a combined team score of 49.225. Coming into this week, this score places the Sun Devils with the second best uneven bars score in the country, tied with University of Georgia and University of Michigan. Senior co-captain Kelly posted the team's season best of the event with a 9.900, good to tie for first with Arizona's Taylor. Posting a 9.875, Harris tied for third with Arizona's Wurm. Orlando and Powell tied for fifth with a score of 9.825. Arizona's combined score on the uneven bars was 48.825.
On the balance beam, the team again posted a season high combined score with a 48.825. Kelly, the 2004 NCAA champion on the beam, looked impressive in her 2006 home debut, posting a 9.925 to win the event. Her score on the beam is tied for best in the nation this year, entering the weekend. Arizona's Briana Bergeson placed second with a 9.800. Harris and Orlando each posted a 9.750, good enough to tie for third with Arizona's Wurm. Powell and Ashlee Hinkle finished seventh behind Arizona's Danielle Hicks with scores of 9.700. The Wildcats finished the beam with a combined score of 48.675.
The floor exercise was where the Sun Devils ran into some trouble. Having a very difficult time sticking their landings, ASU posted a 48.075 on the floor. Arizona took first place with Alexis Greene and Wurm each scoring 9.800. Ashley Kelly posted a 9.775 to tie for third with Erin Muirhead and Taylor. Junior Cassandra Jusino stepped out after having an almost flawless routine, lowering her score to 9.650 to finish sixth. The Wildcats won the floor with a score 48.875.
"I'm really happy with the team," says head coach John Spini who is in his 26th year. "We competed very well on the bars, beam and vault. We need to work on our landings on the floor, but overall I felt like we competed well. It was nice to win the home debut."
The Sun Devils travel to Seattle, Wash., to take on the University of Washington and Seattle-Pacific University on January 27.
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