No. 14 Arizona State at No. 16 West Virginia
Sunday, Jan. 14 | 11 a.m. MST
Live Stream: http://wvusports.com/watch/?Live=1189&type=Live
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=201094
Gym Devils Primed for First Road Test of the Campaign
The No. 14 Gym Devils (2-1) trek to Morgantown, West Virginia, for their first road meet of the season on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 11 a.m. MST. Arizona State's meeting with the Mountaineers constitutes its third this season against an opponent who concluded the 2017 season ranked in the Top-25, its previous two coming against Auburn and Iowa on Jan. 6.
Follow Along On Social
Fans can also follow the action on Twitter @SunDevilGym and on Instagram @SunDevilGymnastics. Fans are encouraged to tweet with #SunDevilPower in support of the 2018 Gym Devils.
Scouting The Opposition | No. 16 West Virginia (0-1)
Jason Butts enters his fifth year as the head coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers … Coming off a year in which the Mountaineers finished No. 20 in the final national rankings, West Virginia is ranked No. 16 after the first week of the NCAA gymnastics season … In front of their sixth-largest crowd in program history, the Mountaineers lost their home opener against the No. 3 Florida Gators on Jan. 5 … Last season, West Virginia finished with three consecutive high scores capped by a 196.325 in front of its home crowd at the NCAA Morgantown Regional … The Mountaineers' talented roster features returning veterans Zaakira Muhammad, Kirah Koshinski, Jordan Gillette and Robyn Bernard.
In The Rankings
By virtue of their season-opening 194.674, the Gym Devils concluded Week 1 of the collegiate gymnastics season ranked at No. 14 in the Road To Nationals team standings and fourth in the Pac-12, respectively. On an event basis the Gym Devils rank 18th on vault (48.725), 12th on bars (48.850), 23rd on beam (48.375) and 19th on floor (48.725).
Arizona State checked in at No. 31 in the NACGC/W preseason coaches poll released in December, jumping 10 slots from its 2017 postseason ranking of No. 41. The 10-spot move constituted the most significant rise in the rankings over that span. Collectively, the Pac-12 Conference proved well-represented in the rankings as six of its eight programs appear within the Top-25.
Arizona State is positioned in eighth in the preseason Pac-12 women's gymnastics poll. Reigning conference champion UCLA tops the league list, announced in mid-December.
Last Time Out
The Gym Devils kick-started the 2018 campaign in impressive fashion, edging out preseason No. 14 Auburn and No. 20 Iowa while falling to No. 30 Iowa State in an Arizona State-hosted quad meet on Jan. 6. The squad posted its best Opening Day team tally since 2005, concluding the meet with a 194.674 to its credit. Starting the meet on vault, the Gym Devils earned a respectable 48.725 led by junior Morgan Wilson's 9.800. Freshman Cairo Leonard-Baker made her debut for the Gym Devils with a 9.750. Sophomore Jessica Ginn also posted a solid 9.750. ASU showed improvement on bars with its clean lines and stuck landings for a team total 48.850. In her debut as a Gym Devil, junior transfer Anne Kuhm led the team with a 9.825, enough for a second-place finish in the meet. Sophomore Morgan Hart notched a 9.800, while Leonard-Baker added a 9.775. The Gym Devils were led on beam by sophomore Ashley Szafranski, who notched a 9.800. Junior Justine Callis earned a 9.775, while Leonard-Baker and junior Katelyn Lentz added a pair of 9.750s. Senior Nichelle Christopherson led ASU off on floor with a powerful routine, earning her a 9.775. Ginn earned a career-high 9.825, notching a second-place finish for the Gym Devils. Leonard-Baker anchored the lineup with a 9.725.
Season Prospectus
Announced in October, Arizona State's gauntlet of a 2018 slate sees the Gym Devils take on five programs — Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, Denver and Oregon State — who all advanced to compete in the 2017 National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships. In addition to the aforementioned teams, the Gym Devils will face off with five other squads that capped the 2017 season ranked nationally in the Top-25 including Auburn, California, Iowa, Arkansas and West Virginia. Following their season-opening quad-meet on Jan. 6, the Gym Devils will hit the road to face off against Big 12 member West Virginia on Jan. 14.
Arizona State will then kick-start Pac-12 play with a visit to the Bay Area to take on Stanford on Jan. 20. The Gym Devils will return home the following weekend for their Pac-12 home opener, hosting California on Sunday, Jan. 28. The meet is set to be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
The team will follow their brief home stay with consecutive road weekends, starting with Oregon State and defending 2017 Pac-12 Champion Utah on Feb. 3 and Feb. 9, respectively. Both meets will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Arizona State will host back-to-back home meets the following weekends, welcoming Washington on Saturday, Feb. 17, followed by Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Gym Devils' outing with Washington will be televised on Pac-12 Networks, while Arizona State's matchup with in-state rival Arizona represents a rematch of the teams' 2017 meet that saw the Gym Devils capture a 195.700-195.375 over the then-No. 23 Wildcats.
ASU will again hit the road for a Saturday, March 3 meet against Minnesota before traveling to Norman, Okla., for another quad-meet against Oklahoma, Denver and Arkansas on March 9. The meet will be hosted by two-time defending national champion Oklahoma. Denver is also coming off an impressive season in which it qualified for the NCAA National Championships. Additionally, Arkansas finished last season ranked in the Top-25.
Arizona State will then cap the 2018 non-conference slate by competing in a Sacramento State-hosted quad-meet with UC Davis and Pac-12 counterpart Oregon State on Friday, March 16.
The Pac-12 season will conclude on Saturday, March 24 with Arizona set to host the 2018 Pac-12 Championships.
Returners
The Gym Devils return 22 routines and 12 letterwinners from 2017. Senior leader Nichelle Christopherson constitutes the lone senior on the roster while juniors Corinne Belkoff, Justine Callis, Heather Udowitch, Katelyn Lentz and Morgan Wilson return for their respective third seasons with the program. The Gym Devils also return six sophomores in Averie Brook, Jessica Ginn, Morgan Hart, Mekayla Jones, Graycee Rushton, and Ashley Szafranski.
Newcomers
The offseason proved generous for the Gym Devils, who welcomed a pair of high-caliber collegiate transfers in Anne Kuhm (University of Paris-Dauphine/Junior) and Kaitlyn Szafranski (Louisiana State University/Junior) and trio a freshmen — Cairo Leonard-Baker (Oakland, Calif.), Molly McNamara (Pearland, Texas) and Maya Williams (Reistertown, Md.) — expected to elevate the program immediately.
Olympic Flair
Junior Gym Devil Anne Kuhm joins the Arizona State program with international competition experience to her credit. A member of the French national team since 2009, she competed in the 2012 London Olympics for Team France, which finished in 11th place. Kuhm was selected as a reserve for the all-around final. She participated in the 2012 & 2016 Olympic Test Event, helping France qualify a full team to the Olympics on both occasions. Most recently, Kuhm was selected as an alternate for France in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also earned further international experience competing for France at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. Kuhm is a two-time French national all-around champion (2011 and 2012). She also finished second at the National Championships on bars and floor. In 2011, Kuhm was the French Junior National Champion in the all-around.
2018 Sun Devil Gymnastics Remaining Home Schedule
Sunday, Jan. 28 — California — 12 p.m. MST (Wells Fargo Arena)
Saturday, Feb. 17 — Washington — 11:30 a.m. MST (Wells Fargo Arena)
Saturday, Feb. 24 — Arizona — 4 p.m. MST (Wells Fargo Arena)
Baskett Joins #GymDevil Staff
Arizona State gymnastics head coach Jay Santos announced in August the addition of former national champion and 12-time All-American Kristina Baskett to the Sun Devil coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2018 season. Baskett compiled a prolific career as a gymnast at the University of Utah. She competed as a member of the Red Rocks program from 2006-09, helping to pace the squad to three consecutive second-place national finishes. She most notably won the 2006 NCAA uneven bar title as a freshman. She also received second-team All-America honors on vault at the 2006 NCAA Championships. A highly-decorated competitor for the Red Rocks, Baskett also earned silver medals on vault in 2008 and in the all-around in 2009. Baskett comes to Tempe after recently serving as a stunt double in a number of renowned TV series and blockbuster movies. Baskett has accumulated 63 total credits in her professional acting career, while making appearances in popular films such as Jason Bourne and Olympus Has Fallen.
2017 In Retrospect
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 tremendous 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. The team's 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 the Gym Devils scored a 196.775.
Sunday, Jan. 14 | 11 a.m. MST
Live Stream: http://wvusports.com/watch/?Live=1189&type=Live
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=201094
Gym Devils Primed for First Road Test of the Campaign
The No. 14 Gym Devils (2-1) trek to Morgantown, West Virginia, for their first road meet of the season on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 11 a.m. MST. Arizona State's meeting with the Mountaineers constitutes its third this season against an opponent who concluded the 2017 season ranked in the Top-25, its previous two coming against Auburn and Iowa on Jan. 6.
Follow Along On Social
Fans can also follow the action on Twitter @SunDevilGym and on Instagram @SunDevilGymnastics. Fans are encouraged to tweet with #SunDevilPower in support of the 2018 Gym Devils.
Scouting The Opposition | No. 16 West Virginia (0-1)
Jason Butts enters his fifth year as the head coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers … Coming off a year in which the Mountaineers finished No. 20 in the final national rankings, West Virginia is ranked No. 16 after the first week of the NCAA gymnastics season … In front of their sixth-largest crowd in program history, the Mountaineers lost their home opener against the No. 3 Florida Gators on Jan. 5 … Last season, West Virginia finished with three consecutive high scores capped by a 196.325 in front of its home crowd at the NCAA Morgantown Regional … The Mountaineers' talented roster features returning veterans Zaakira Muhammad, Kirah Koshinski, Jordan Gillette and Robyn Bernard.
In The Rankings
By virtue of their season-opening 194.674, the Gym Devils concluded Week 1 of the collegiate gymnastics season ranked at No. 14 in the Road To Nationals team standings and fourth in the Pac-12, respectively. On an event basis the Gym Devils rank 18th on vault (48.725), 12th on bars (48.850), 23rd on beam (48.375) and 19th on floor (48.725).
Arizona State checked in at No. 31 in the NACGC/W preseason coaches poll released in December, jumping 10 slots from its 2017 postseason ranking of No. 41. The 10-spot move constituted the most significant rise in the rankings over that span. Collectively, the Pac-12 Conference proved well-represented in the rankings as six of its eight programs appear within the Top-25.
Arizona State is positioned in eighth in the preseason Pac-12 women's gymnastics poll. Reigning conference champion UCLA tops the league list, announced in mid-December.
Last Time Out
The Gym Devils kick-started the 2018 campaign in impressive fashion, edging out preseason No. 14 Auburn and No. 20 Iowa while falling to No. 30 Iowa State in an Arizona State-hosted quad meet on Jan. 6. The squad posted its best Opening Day team tally since 2005, concluding the meet with a 194.674 to its credit. Starting the meet on vault, the Gym Devils earned a respectable 48.725 led by junior Morgan Wilson's 9.800. Freshman Cairo Leonard-Baker made her debut for the Gym Devils with a 9.750. Sophomore Jessica Ginn also posted a solid 9.750. ASU showed improvement on bars with its clean lines and stuck landings for a team total 48.850. In her debut as a Gym Devil, junior transfer Anne Kuhm led the team with a 9.825, enough for a second-place finish in the meet. Sophomore Morgan Hart notched a 9.800, while Leonard-Baker added a 9.775. The Gym Devils were led on beam by sophomore Ashley Szafranski, who notched a 9.800. Junior Justine Callis earned a 9.775, while Leonard-Baker and junior Katelyn Lentz added a pair of 9.750s. Senior Nichelle Christopherson led ASU off on floor with a powerful routine, earning her a 9.775. Ginn earned a career-high 9.825, notching a second-place finish for the Gym Devils. Leonard-Baker anchored the lineup with a 9.725.
Season Prospectus
Announced in October, Arizona State's gauntlet of a 2018 slate sees the Gym Devils take on five programs — Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, Denver and Oregon State — who all advanced to compete in the 2017 National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships. In addition to the aforementioned teams, the Gym Devils will face off with five other squads that capped the 2017 season ranked nationally in the Top-25 including Auburn, California, Iowa, Arkansas and West Virginia. Following their season-opening quad-meet on Jan. 6, the Gym Devils will hit the road to face off against Big 12 member West Virginia on Jan. 14.
Arizona State will then kick-start Pac-12 play with a visit to the Bay Area to take on Stanford on Jan. 20. The Gym Devils will return home the following weekend for their Pac-12 home opener, hosting California on Sunday, Jan. 28. The meet is set to be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
The team will follow their brief home stay with consecutive road weekends, starting with Oregon State and defending 2017 Pac-12 Champion Utah on Feb. 3 and Feb. 9, respectively. Both meets will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Arizona State will host back-to-back home meets the following weekends, welcoming Washington on Saturday, Feb. 17, followed by Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Gym Devils' outing with Washington will be televised on Pac-12 Networks, while Arizona State's matchup with in-state rival Arizona represents a rematch of the teams' 2017 meet that saw the Gym Devils capture a 195.700-195.375 over the then-No. 23 Wildcats.
ASU will again hit the road for a Saturday, March 3 meet against Minnesota before traveling to Norman, Okla., for another quad-meet against Oklahoma, Denver and Arkansas on March 9. The meet will be hosted by two-time defending national champion Oklahoma. Denver is also coming off an impressive season in which it qualified for the NCAA National Championships. Additionally, Arkansas finished last season ranked in the Top-25.
Arizona State will then cap the 2018 non-conference slate by competing in a Sacramento State-hosted quad-meet with UC Davis and Pac-12 counterpart Oregon State on Friday, March 16.
The Pac-12 season will conclude on Saturday, March 24 with Arizona set to host the 2018 Pac-12 Championships.
Returners
The Gym Devils return 22 routines and 12 letterwinners from 2017. Senior leader Nichelle Christopherson constitutes the lone senior on the roster while juniors Corinne Belkoff, Justine Callis, Heather Udowitch, Katelyn Lentz and Morgan Wilson return for their respective third seasons with the program. The Gym Devils also return six sophomores in Averie Brook, Jessica Ginn, Morgan Hart, Mekayla Jones, Graycee Rushton, and Ashley Szafranski.
Newcomers
The offseason proved generous for the Gym Devils, who welcomed a pair of high-caliber collegiate transfers in Anne Kuhm (University of Paris-Dauphine/Junior) and Kaitlyn Szafranski (Louisiana State University/Junior) and trio a freshmen — Cairo Leonard-Baker (Oakland, Calif.), Molly McNamara (Pearland, Texas) and Maya Williams (Reistertown, Md.) — expected to elevate the program immediately.
Olympic Flair
Junior Gym Devil Anne Kuhm joins the Arizona State program with international competition experience to her credit. A member of the French national team since 2009, she competed in the 2012 London Olympics for Team France, which finished in 11th place. Kuhm was selected as a reserve for the all-around final. She participated in the 2012 & 2016 Olympic Test Event, helping France qualify a full team to the Olympics on both occasions. Most recently, Kuhm was selected as an alternate for France in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also earned further international experience competing for France at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. Kuhm is a two-time French national all-around champion (2011 and 2012). She also finished second at the National Championships on bars and floor. In 2011, Kuhm was the French Junior National Champion in the all-around.
2018 Sun Devil Gymnastics Remaining Home Schedule
Sunday, Jan. 28 — California — 12 p.m. MST (Wells Fargo Arena)
Saturday, Feb. 17 — Washington — 11:30 a.m. MST (Wells Fargo Arena)
Saturday, Feb. 24 — Arizona — 4 p.m. MST (Wells Fargo Arena)
Baskett Joins #GymDevil Staff
Arizona State gymnastics head coach Jay Santos announced in August the addition of former national champion and 12-time All-American Kristina Baskett to the Sun Devil coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2018 season. Baskett compiled a prolific career as a gymnast at the University of Utah. She competed as a member of the Red Rocks program from 2006-09, helping to pace the squad to three consecutive second-place national finishes. She most notably won the 2006 NCAA uneven bar title as a freshman. She also received second-team All-America honors on vault at the 2006 NCAA Championships. A highly-decorated competitor for the Red Rocks, Baskett also earned silver medals on vault in 2008 and in the all-around in 2009. Baskett comes to Tempe after recently serving as a stunt double in a number of renowned TV series and blockbuster movies. Baskett has accumulated 63 total credits in her professional acting career, while making appearances in popular films such as Jason Bourne and Olympus Has Fallen.
2017 In Retrospect
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 tremendous 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. The team's 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 the Gym Devils scored a 196.775.