TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State women's gymnastics team celebrated the 2017 season Sunday morning at the ASU Karsten Golf Course with family and the Gym Devils' support staff in attendance.
Freshman Mekayla Jones and sophomore Katelyn Lentz tied for the 2017 Most Improved Award voted on by their teammates. Jones was consistent in the floor line-up for the Gym Devils, hitting a career high 9.800 twice this season, as well as competing an exhibition routine on every event at least once. Lentz finished the 2017 season as a steady competitor for the Gym Devils, posting two scores of 39+ in the all-around at the end of the season. In the rivalry match-up against Arizona, Lentz was crucial in the Gym Devils' eventual win, posting career highs that day on every event that she competed.
Lone-senior Beka Conrad won two 2017 team awards Sunday: Sparky's Spirit Award and the Outstanding Leadership Award. Head coach Jay Santos noted that Conrad took on the leadership role with full embrace and her motivation the week of the Arizona meet can be attributed to the win.
Junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson received the 2017 Most Valuable Gymnast Award for her contribution to the season. Christopherson competed in the line-up more than any other Gym Devil in 2017 and her scores counted to the team total more than any of her teammates. She hit a career high 39.150 in the all-around at Arizona with an impressive 9.900 on beam to seal the victory for the Gym Devils. Christopherson hit six 9.8+ scores on bars and seven 9.8+ scores on beam through 11 meets. She represented the Gym Devils at NCAA Regionals on beam, putting up a solid 9.800.
Under first-year head coach Jay Santos, the Gym Devils finished the 2017 season 3-10 and 1-5 in conference play. The team saw a lot of growth on the season, hitting a season high team score in five of six consecutive meets including a season high 195.700 at Arizona. The Gym Devils scored 195+ in four separate meets, the first time that has happened since the 2014 season. The team showed significant improvement on bars and beam from the 2016 season. Their bars regional qualifying score increased from a 48.24 in 2016 to a 48.8 in 2017 while beam improved from 48.57 to 48.93. The Gym Devils finished the season ranked 29th in the country on beam.
The Gym Devils also bested then-No. 23 Arizona for the program's first Pac-12 win since 2014 and the coveted Territorial Cup series point. At the Pac-12 Championship, the Gym Devils completed the season with a 195.600, their second highest team score of the season, plus a season-high 49.275 on beam in the final rotation, the highest team beam score since March 13, 2009. It was the second highest team total for the program at a championship meet since 2004 when they scored a 196.775.
Freshman Mekayla Jones and sophomore Katelyn Lentz tied for the 2017 Most Improved Award voted on by their teammates. Jones was consistent in the floor line-up for the Gym Devils, hitting a career high 9.800 twice this season, as well as competing an exhibition routine on every event at least once. Lentz finished the 2017 season as a steady competitor for the Gym Devils, posting two scores of 39+ in the all-around at the end of the season. In the rivalry match-up against Arizona, Lentz was crucial in the Gym Devils' eventual win, posting career highs that day on every event that she competed.
Lone-senior Beka Conrad won two 2017 team awards Sunday: Sparky's Spirit Award and the Outstanding Leadership Award. Head coach Jay Santos noted that Conrad took on the leadership role with full embrace and her motivation the week of the Arizona meet can be attributed to the win.
Junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson received the 2017 Most Valuable Gymnast Award for her contribution to the season. Christopherson competed in the line-up more than any other Gym Devil in 2017 and her scores counted to the team total more than any of her teammates. She hit a career high 39.150 in the all-around at Arizona with an impressive 9.900 on beam to seal the victory for the Gym Devils. Christopherson hit six 9.8+ scores on bars and seven 9.8+ scores on beam through 11 meets. She represented the Gym Devils at NCAA Regionals on beam, putting up a solid 9.800.
Under first-year head coach Jay Santos, the Gym Devils finished the 2017 season 3-10 and 1-5 in conference play. The team saw a lot of growth on the season, hitting a season high team score in five of six consecutive meets including a season high 195.700 at Arizona. The Gym Devils scored 195+ in four separate meets, the first time that has happened since the 2014 season. The team showed significant improvement on bars and beam from the 2016 season. Their bars regional qualifying score increased from a 48.24 in 2016 to a 48.8 in 2017 while beam improved from 48.57 to 48.93. The Gym Devils finished the season ranked 29th in the country on beam.
The Gym Devils also bested then-No. 23 Arizona for the program's first Pac-12 win since 2014 and the coveted Territorial Cup series point. At the Pac-12 Championship, the Gym Devils completed the season with a 195.600, their second highest team score of the season, plus a season-high 49.275 on beam in the final rotation, the highest team beam score since March 13, 2009. It was the second highest team total for the program at a championship meet since 2004 when they scored a 196.775.