TEMPE, Ariz.--After competing in the last three meets on the road, the Arizona State gymnastics team (1-6, 0-3 Pac-12) returns to Wells Fargo Arena this week to host No. 16 California (8-2, 3-1 Pac-12) in its annual Pink Meet on Monday at 7 p.m. MT.
The meet will air on the Pac-12 Networks.
Fans can also follow along on Twitter by following @ASUGymnastics. Fans are encouraged to tweet with #EmbraceExcellence in support of the 2016 Gym Devils.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA
The Bears posted their second-highest team total in program history last week at Arizona, winning the meet 196.875 to 196.000. The high marks Cal’s third straight improvement, including a 49.350 on floor, the fourth-highest event mark in program history.
Sylvie Seilnacht won vault with a 9.90, while Toni-Ann Williams won bars, floor, and all-around. Amber Takara also tied for the bars victory, while Jessica Howe won beam.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sun Devils posted yet another season high last week with a 194.425 on the road at Stanford.
Heather Udowitch achieved new season-high scores in three rotations and freshman Corinne Belkoff competed in all four rotations for the first time in her career, also scoring season bests in three events. Katelyn Lentz’s all-around score of 38.975 also marks a team-high for the season.
ASU posted a season high bars score at 48.375, surpassing 48-points for the first time in three meets. The Sun Devils also posted a season best on floor at 48.975.
The Gym Devils finished strong on beam and Katelyn Lentz and Heather Udowitch tied with a team high score of 9.775. Allie Salas also tied her high score of 9.725
UP NEXT
ASU remains at the friendly confines of Wells Fargo Arena next week, hosting Pac-12 rival Arizona on Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. MT. The meet will air on the Pac-12 Networks.
ASU’S 2016 EVENT LEADERS
Vault
In ASU’s Pac-12 opener, at home against Washington, Taylor Allex matched her career best score on vault, winning the event with a 9.900. The score marked the first time Allex has won vault this season.
Bars
Carissa Kraus matched her season high on bars last week at Stanford with a 9.750. She also talled the same score in ASU’s season opener against Bowling Green and Nebraska.
Beam
Freshman Katelyn Lentz set a new season best score for the Sun Devils on beam at Oregon State, taking third with a 9.825. The score improves from her previous high, a 9.800, which is the second-highest mark set by a Sun Devil so far this season.
Floor
On the same night that Allex tied her career best on vault with a 9.900, she scored the same on floor, a career best, which also gave her the individual title for that event. Allex has also scored the second and third highest Sun Devil scores on floor with a pair of 9.875.
All Around
Katelyn Lentz placed second at Stanford as she posted a personal best and Sun Devil season best with her score of 38.975. Allie Salas, who previously set the best mark in the Oregon State meet, improved her all-around score for the fourth week in a row at Stanford with a 38.925. Salas currently owns three of the top-five Sun Devil scores this season.
Gym Devils Post All-Time High Team GPA In Fall 2015
The Fall 2015 semester was a time of academic success for the GymDevils as the team achieved its all-time highest cumulative and semester GPA, it was announced this week.
Last spring, the team ended with a GPA of 3.27 for the semester, which improved after the 2015 fall semester to a GPA of 3.51. In addition to the team’s collective achievements, seniors Taylor Allex (3.65 GPA) and Kristine Levin (3.27 GPA) and junior Beka Conrad (3.67 GPA) all earned their highest semester GPA.
Freshman Corinne Belkoff had the team’s highest semester GPA at 3.93. Belkoff, as well as freshmen Katelyn Lentz, Heather Udowitch and Eileen Imbus are all students in Barrett, the Honors College.
THE 2016 RETURNERS
ASU returns five gymnasts from last year’s lineup, with seniors Taylor Allex, Carissa Kraus, Kristine Levin, and Allie Salas ready to lead the program. Also back is beam and floor specialist Beka Conrad.
Last season, Allex competed in just her second all-around of the season at the NCAA Regional in Norman, Okla.
THE 2016 NEWCOMERS
The Gym Devils are set to field a young roster in 2016, with six freshmen expected to contribute to the lineup: Corinne Belkoff (Tucson, Ariz./Arizona Dynamics), Justine Callis (Chesapeake, Va./Oaktree Academy), Eileen Imbus (San Antonio, Texas (Aerial Athletics), Katelyn Lentz (Brisbane, Calif./Head Over Heels Athletic Arts), Heather Udowitch (Spring Creek Academy), and Morgan Wilson (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Diamond Gymnastics Academy).
THE 2016 SCHEDULE
ASU takes on the rival Arizona Wildcats on Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. MT.
ASU will return to the road for the final time in the Pac-12 regular-season slate on Saturday, Feb. 27 at UCLA before rounding out the home schedule on Friday, March 4.
During the home finale, ASU will host both Penn State’s women’s and men’s program in a double-dual with the Arizona State men’s gymnastics team.
The final regular-season meet is slated for Friday, Match 11 at Auburn, and on the following Saturday, March 19, ASU will make the trek up to Seattle, Wash., for the 2016 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships.
GYM DEVILS ON THE PAC-12 NETWORKS
Each of ASU’s three home conference meets (vs. Washington, vs. California, and vs. Arizona) will air on the Pac-12 Networks. The Gym Devils’ meet at UCLA will also be televised on the Pac-12 Networks, as will the sessions of the 2016 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships.
THE 2015 CAMPAIGN
Despite being plagued by injuries throughout most of the 2015 season, the Sun Devils bounced back in their regular season finale with a 195.175-191.050 victory over Air Force.
Following competition at the Pac-12 Championships, then-senior Natasha Sundby (floor) and then-junior Taylor Allex (all-around) qualified to compete at the NCAA Regional championships.
DR. RENE LYST
Rene Lyst was named head coach of the Arizona State women’s gymnastics team in May of 2014, and enters her second season at the helm of the Sun Devil program in 2016. Lyst helped the Razorbacks have qualified for 11 NCAA Regionals as a team, seven NCAA Championship appearances, five top-10 finishes, and two NCAA Super Six appearances.