No. 14 Arizona State vs. California
Sunday, Jan. 28 | Noon MST
Watch: https://pac-12.com/womens-gymnastics/event/2018/01/28/california-arizona-state
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=205282
Gym Devils Primed For Pac-12 Home Opener With Cal
The No. 14 Gym Devils (4-1) return home for their Pac-12 home opener with California on Sunday, Jan. 28 at noon MST. The meet will be broadcast live via Pac-12 Networks with Jim Watson and Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden on the call.
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.
Through three weeks of competition Arizona State checks in at No. 14 in the Road to Nationals team standings. On an event basis the Gym Devils rank 21st on vault (48.867), 15th on bars (48.975), 15th on beam (48.975) and 20th on floor (48.983). Week 2 of the collegiate gymnastics season constituted the team's highest rank of the season coming in at No. 11 after the Gym Devils defeated then No. 16 West Virginia By virtue of their season-opening 194.674, the Gym Devils concluded. Week 1 of the collegiate gymnastics season ranked at No. 14. 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 was selected to finish 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
Opening its 2018 Pac-12 slate the No. 11 Arizona State women's gymnastics team (4-1) earned its fourth victory over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 20 Stanford, 196.250-195.650, Saturday afternoon in Burnham Pavilion. Recording event scores of 48.875 (vault), 48.950 (bars), 49.325 (beam), 49.100 (floor), respectively, the team's 196.250 effort places them in the record books as the 30th best team total in program history. Having posted a 196.475 at West Virginia on Jan. 14, the Gym Devils have surpassed the 196+ mark in consecutive road meets for the first time since 2006. Leading the Arizona State effort was reigning Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week Cairo Leonard-Baker with an all-around score of 39.450. Leonard-Baker ultimately finished second in the all-around behind Stanford's Elizabeth Price, who currently leads the nation in the category. The Oakland native also placed second on bars and floor.
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.
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 pair a freshmen — Cairo Leonard-Baker (Oakland, Calif.) 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. 28 | Noon MST
Watch: https://pac-12.com/womens-gymnastics/event/2018/01/28/california-arizona-state
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=205282
Gym Devils Primed For Pac-12 Home Opener With Cal
The No. 14 Gym Devils (4-1) return home for their Pac-12 home opener with California on Sunday, Jan. 28 at noon MST. The meet will be broadcast live via Pac-12 Networks with Jim Watson and Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden on the call.
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. 29 California (4-2, 1-1 Pac-12)
The California Golden Bears are led by head coach Justin Howell, who enters his sixth season with the Golden Bears, and Associate Head Coach Elisabeth Crandall-Howell, who enters her fourth season... In June 2012, J. Howell took the helm of the Cal Women's Gymnastics program and made an immediate impact, propelling the Golden Bears into the national spotlight as a gymnastics powerhouse… J. Howell has also racked up many honors since becoming the head coach of Cal, including: 2016 NACGC/W National Coach of the Year, Four-time NACGC/W Regional Coach of the Year (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), and Two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2013, 2016)… Coming off a year in which the Golden Bears finished No. 16 in the national rankings, California is ranked No. 29 after the third week of the NCAA gymnastics season… The Golden Bears experienced roster features returning veterans Tori-Ann Williams, Alicia Gallarzo, Sofie and Sylvie Seilnacht, Yuleen Sternberg, and Arianna Robinson. Cal also welcomes talented newcomers Kyana George, Alma Kuc, Nina Schank, and Victoria Salem.
Meetday Promotions
- Princess/Prince: ASU's "Princess/Prince" Meet, features Disney favorites Cinderella, and Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." Fans are invited to arrive early to take pictures with the princesses starting at 11:15 a.m. near the East Entrance of the arena. The first 200 fans to arrive will receive light-up crowns commemorating the event. Fans are encouraged to attend the meet donning their favorite princess/prince attire.
- Flip Out Cancer: ASU's "Flip Out Cancer" Meet, honors cancer survivors. The Gym Devils invite all cancer survivors to be recognized at the meet. If you are a cancer survivor who's planning on attending the meet, ASU asks that you please complete the questions found HERE. This will count as your RSVP. You will receive one complimentary ticket to the meet. The ticket will be held at will call at the ticket booth near the South Entrance of the arena. More information and details will be communicated to those who RSVP through that link on Sunday, the day of the meet.
Raising The Bar
- Arizona State has ranked in the top-15 nationally for three consecutive weeks, checking in at No. 14 in this week's Road to Nationals standings. The Gym Devils are currently ranked third in the Pac-12 Conference with Washington at a season average of 195.800. The squad also ranks in the top-25 nationally in each event, sitting at 15th on bars (48.975), 15th on beam (48.975), 20th on floor (48.983) and 21st on vault (48.867). Prior to the 2018 season the Gym Devils had not ranked in the top-25 since the 2013 season (24th) and not appeared in the top-15 since 2006 (9).
- Arizona State is one of seven Pac-12 programs ranked nationally. Joining the No. 14 Gym Devils in the honor is No. 3 Utah, No. 4 UCLA, No. 14 Washington, No. 18 Oregon State, No. 21 Arizona and No.23 Stanford.
- Recording team totals of 196.475 at No. 16 West Virginia on Jan. 14 and 196.250 at No. 20 Stanford on Jan. 20, the Gym Devils have surpassed the 196 mark in consecutive meets for the first time since 2014. They have also eclipsed the mark in back to back road meets for the first time since 2006. Arizona State's 196.745 team total at West Virginia marks its 26th-best in program history, while its 196.250 at Stanford constitutes its 30th-best.
- The Gym Devils have knocked off four ranked opponents on the season - No. 14 Auburn, No. 20 Iowa, No. 14 West Virginia, No. 20 Stanford - marking the first time since 2006 that the squad has accomplished the feat.
- Freshman Cairo Leonard-Baker ranks in the top-50 nationally in a trio of categories including the all-around (16th, 39.308), bars (22nd, 9.867) and floor (46th, 9.842). Also appearing in the top-50 on an individual basis is junior Katelyn Lentz who currently ranks at 41st on beam at an average mark of 9.842.
Back-To-Back: Leonard-Baker Repeats as Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week
Gym Devil freshman standout Cairo Leonard-Baker defended her title as Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week, earning the honor for a second consecutive week as announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon. Leonard-Baker provided the Arizona State lineup a major spark in its, 196.250-195.650, victory over No. 20 Stanford this past Saturday afternoon. Helping propel Arizona State to it's fourth victory over a ranked opponent just three weekends into the season, Leonard-Baker recorded scores of 9.900 (Bars), 9.900 (Floor), 9.875 (Beam), and 9.775 (Vault), respectively. The Oakland native notably netted second-place honors on bars and floor courtesy of a pair of quality routines. By virtue of garnering the award in consecutive weeks, Leonard-Baker becomes the first Sun Devil since Ashley Kelly in 2006 (5 times) to win multiple Conference Player of the Week awards. She also becomes the first gymnast in program history to earn conference honors in back-to-back weeks. Preceding this past weekend's outing, Leonard-Baker posted a stellar all-around score of 39.475 at then No. 16 West Virginia on Jan. 14. The impressive tally constitutes the best all-around score for Arizona State since Mary Atkinson notched a 39.500 on Feb. 19, 2010. In the victory over the Mountaineers, she captured the bars (9.925) and floor (9.900) crowns while helping elevate the Gym Devils to a team score of 196.475, their highest since March 2, 2007 when Arizona State recorded a 196.525 against Washington.
Through three weeks of competition Arizona State checks in at No. 14 in the Road to Nationals team standings. On an event basis the Gym Devils rank 21st on vault (48.867), 15th on bars (48.975), 15th on beam (48.975) and 20th on floor (48.983). Week 2 of the collegiate gymnastics season constituted the team's highest rank of the season coming in at No. 11 after the Gym Devils defeated then No. 16 West Virginia By virtue of their season-opening 194.674, the Gym Devils concluded. Week 1 of the collegiate gymnastics season ranked at No. 14. 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 was selected to finish 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
Opening its 2018 Pac-12 slate the No. 11 Arizona State women's gymnastics team (4-1) earned its fourth victory over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 20 Stanford, 196.250-195.650, Saturday afternoon in Burnham Pavilion. Recording event scores of 48.875 (vault), 48.950 (bars), 49.325 (beam), 49.100 (floor), respectively, the team's 196.250 effort places them in the record books as the 30th best team total in program history. Having posted a 196.475 at West Virginia on Jan. 14, the Gym Devils have surpassed the 196+ mark in consecutive road meets for the first time since 2006. Leading the Arizona State effort was reigning Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week Cairo Leonard-Baker with an all-around score of 39.450. Leonard-Baker ultimately finished second in the all-around behind Stanford's Elizabeth Price, who currently leads the nation in the category. The Oakland native also placed second on bars and floor.
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.
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 pair a freshmen — Cairo Leonard-Baker (Oakland, Calif.) 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.