Arizona State University Athletics

TEMPE, Ariz.—The Arizona State women's gymnastics team (2-8, 0-5 Pac-12) travels south this weekend to face in-state rivals the No. 23 Arizona Wildcats (6-5, 1-4 Pac-12) on Sunday, March 5 in the McKale Center.
 
The meet is slated for a 1:00 p.m. MT start and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. Brian Webber and Tim Daggett 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 ARIZONA
The Wildcats scored a season high 196.275 Saturday against the then-No. 6 UCLA Bruins, but ultimately fell to their total 197.725.
 
The Wildcats posted a total 49.200 on bars to start the meet, led by junior Victoria Ortiz's 9.900, her fourth consecutive 9.9+ this season. Senior Selynna Felix-Terrazas returned to the line-up for the first time since early January and hit a season high 9.875.  On vault Arizona scored a 48.800. Sophomore Lauryn Mattson posted a 9.825 for the third week in a row and senior Gabrielle Laub recorded a season high 9.775.
 
Junior Kennady Schneider paced the Wildcats on floor with a 9.900 while Mattson added a 9.825. Arizona earned a season high 49.300 in the final rotation on beam. Senior Krysten Howard hit a career best 9.925 and junior Madison Cindric returned to the line-up after an injury kept her out and posted a career best 9.900.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gym Devils lost a tough one in Wells Fargo Arena Saturday, scoring a 194.850 to the No. 5 Utah Utes' 197.600 total.
 
The Gym Devils hit a season high 48.725 on vault, led by freshman Jessica Ginn's career high 9.825. Sophomore Morgan Wilson recorded a 9.775 while sophomores Katelyn Lentz and Corinne Belkoff both added scores of 9.750.
 
The Gym Devils went six-for-six on beam with all scores at 9.750 or better for a total 48.875. Junior Nichelle Christopherson paced the team with a 9.825. Freshman Ashley Szafranski and sophomore Heather Udowitch added a pair of 9.775s, a season high for Udowitch.
 
On bars, Szafranski stuck her landing and hit a 9.850 to lead the Gym Devils to a cumulative 48.675 event total. Christopherson and freshman Morgan Hart each recorded scores of 9.800.
 
On floor, Lentz led the Gym Devils with a 9.825. Belkoff posted a 9.750 while Ginn added a 9.725 for her first time back in the line-up since the season opener.
 
In the all-around, Christopherson posted a 38.850 behind Utah's Baely Rowe and Mykayla Skinner.
 
UP NEXT
The Gym Devils return to Wells Fargo Arena for the final time in 2017 in a tri-meet with the Sacramento State Hornets and the Bridgeport Knights on Friday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. MT.
 
The meet will be livestreamed on TheSunDevils.com. ASU will honor lone-senior Beka Conrad at the conclusion of the meet.
 
ASU'S 2017 EVENT LEADERS
Vault
Freshman Jessica Ginn hit a career high 9.825 against Utah to put herself in the leader spot on vault for the Gym Devils. Sophomore Morgan Wilson posted a career high 9.800 at Washington and Ginn also recorded that same score in Denver.
 
Bars
Freshman Ashley Szafranski holds the highest beam scores for the Gym Devils including a career-high 9.875 which she scored against UCLA and a 9.850 which she has hit twice against Stanford and Utah. Junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson and freshman Morgan Hart each have posted a 9.825 this season for the next best score.
 
Beam
Junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson holds the highest beam score for the Gym Devils with a career-high 9.875. Senior Beka Conrad has the next best score with a career-high 9.850 while freshman Ashley Szafranski posted a career-high 9.825 against Stanford for the third highest score.
 
Floor
Sophomores Corinne Belkoff, Justine Callis and Katelyn Lentz hold the highest floor scores for the Gym Devils each with a 9.850. Lentz also has scored a 9.825 against Stanford for the number-two spot. Freshman Morgan Hart, junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson, and freshman Mekayla Jones all share scores of 9.800 for the third best scores.
 
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.