TEMPE, Ariz.—The Arizona State women's gymnastics team (2-5, 0-2 Pac-12) heads north to face the No. 17 Washington Huskies (2-5, 0-3 Pac-12) on Saturday, Feb. 11 in Alaska Airlines Arena.
The meet is slated for a 3:00 p.m. MT start and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. Ari Wolfe and Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller will be on the call.
Fans can follow along on Twitter by following @ASUGymnastics. Fans are encouraged to tweet with #WeWill in support of the 2017 Gym Devils.
ABOUT WASHINGTON
The Huskies hit a 195.825 Sunday but ultimately fell in a close match-up with Stanford. The Huskies won both the beam and floor title, posting a season high 49.250 on floor.
On vault, the Huskies recorded a 48.925, led by freshman Haley Roy's career high 9.850. Junior Joslyn Goings and senior Alexandra Yacalis both scored a pair of 9.800s. The Huskies scored a total 48.475, highlighted by senior Kaitlyn Duranczyk's 9.850, who has scored a 9.825 or higher on bars all four meets this season.
The Huskies hit a 49.175 on beam, paced by junior Zoey Schaefer, sophomore Malory Rose, and Goings all posted scores of 9.875. The season high score on floor tied the Huskies highest event score of any meet so far. Sophomore Kristyn Hoffa led the Huskies with a 9.875.
Junior Haley Burleson claimed her second all-around title of the season with a 39.050.
LAST TIME OUT
An afternoon full of season full of season and career highs for the Gym Devils helped them hit a 194+ for the first time in 2017. ASU ultimately fell to No. 5 UCLA, 197.150-194.600.
Floor proved to be the best event for the Gym Devils, scoring a season high 48.950. Sophomores Corinne Belkoff and Justine Callis paced the team with a pair of 9.850s, a season high for Belkoff and a career high for Callis. Junior Nichelle Christopherson hit a season high 9.800 and freshman Mekayla Jones tied her career high 9.775.
On bars, freshman Ashley Szafranski had a career high day with a 9.875 to lead the Gym Devils to a season high 48.650. Szafranski's score was enough to tie for second place with UCLA's JaNay Honest. Sophomore Morgan Wilson hit a career high 9.775 while sophomore Katelyn Lentz posted a season high 9.750.
Vault proved to be another solid rotation for ASU with a season high 48.675, counting five scores of 9.700 or better. Belkoff, Lentz, and freshman Jessica Ginn all recorded scores of 9.750 while Wilson scored a 9.725.
Szafranski had another career high on beam with a 9.800. Lentz also posted a 9.800 for a season high and senior Beka Conrad scored a 9.725 to contribute to the Gym Devils' 48.325 event total.
Lentz's 38.950 in the all-around was good enough for a season best and a second place finish behind the Bruin's Madison Kocian.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils return to Wells Fargo Arena for a two-week home stretch facing Stanford on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1:00 p.m. MT and No. 4 Utah on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5:00 p.m. MT.
Both meets will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network.
ASU'S 2017 EVENT LEADERS
Vault
Freshman Jessica Ginn scored a career high 9.800 in the Denver Quad Meet to lead the Gym Devils. Sophomores Katelyn Lentz, Morgan Wilson and Corinne Belkoff, and freshman Jessica Ginn all share the second highest score for ASU with a 9.750.
Bars
Freshman Ashley Szafranski scored a career high 9.875 against UCLA to position herself at the top of the Gym Devils' bars leaderboard. Junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson holds the next two highest bars scores for the Gym Devils with a season high 9.825 in Denver and a 9.800 at home against UC Davis.
Beam
Junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson leads the Gym Devils with a career high and team high 9.850 on beam. Christopherson along with freshman Ashley Szafranski and sophomore Katelyn Lentz all share the second highest score with 9.800s.
Floor
Sophomores Corinne Belkoff and Justine Callis hold the highest floor score for the Gym Devils with a pair of 9.850s. Freshman Morgan Hart and junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson share scores of 9.800s for the number two spot.
THE 2017 RETURNERS
ASU returns seven gymnasts from last year's lineup, with senior Beka Conrad ready to lead the program. Also back are six sophomores who made immediate impact in last season's squad: Corinne Belkoff, Justine Callis, Eileen Imbus, Katelyn Lentz, Heather Udowitch, and Morgan Wilson.
THE 2017 NEWCOMERS
The Gym Devils will field another young roster in 2017 with seven freshman expected to contribute to the lineup: Averie Brook (Houston, Texas/World Champions Centre), Jessica Ginn (Chandler, Ariz./Desert Lights Gymnastics), Morgan Hart (Las Vegas, Nev./Browns Gymnastics), Mekayla Jones (Birmingham, Ala./JamJev Gymnastics), Graycee Rushton (Gilbert, Ariz./Arizona Dynamics Gymnastics), Ashley Szafranski (Orefield, Pa./Parkettes), and Alex Wilson (Denver, Colo./Tigar Gymnastics). The 2017 squad will also feature junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson (Michigan), who brings high-level experience from both club and college.
THE 2017 SCHEDULE
ASU is set for another rigorous schedule this year, which will include nine teams that finished in the top-25 in 2016.
The Gym Devils open the 2017 season on the road for the first two weeks at Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 6 and at Denver on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. MT.
The Sun Devils will compete at home five times this season, opening on Saturday, Jan. 21 against UC Davis. ASU will also host meets against three Pac-12 foes in February: reigning conference champion UCLA on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. MT, Stanford on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. MT, and Utah on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. MT.
Other 2017 road matches include the Pac-12 opener at California on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. MT, at Washington on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. MT, and the annual rivalry match at Arizona on Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. MT.
ASU will cap the home slate and the regular season on Friday, March 10, hosting a tri-meet with Bridgeport and Sacramento State before traveling to Stanford, Calif. for the 2017 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships on March 18.
Gym Devils ON THE PAC-12 NETWORK
Each of ASU's six conference match-ups during the regular season (at California, vs. UCLA, at Washington, vs. Stanford, vs. Utah, at Arizona) will air on the Pac-12 Network. The sessions of the 2017 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships in Stanford, Calif. will also be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
THE 2016 CAMPAIGN
Despite injuries through most of the 2016 season, the Gym Devils finished their season at the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships. Their season-high team score of 194.725 was posted against then-No. 15 California on Feb. 16.
Following the conference championship, the then-senior duo of Taylor Allex (vault, floor) and Allie Salas (all-around) qualified to compete as individuals at the NCAA Regional championships. Allex won the vault NCAA Regional title and finished her career at the NCAA Championship.