By Diana Ly, SDA Media Relations Student Assistant
TUCSON, Ariz. -- After entering Saturday's Pac-12 Championships slotted as the second seed in the afternoon session, the No. 17 Gym Devils finished second in their session and sixth overall with an impressive 196.425 at the McKale Center in Tucson. This effort marked the Maroon and Gold's best finish at conference championships since 2012.
Arizona State netted a pair of conference recognitions at the conclusion of the outing as Gym Devil freshman standout Cairo Leonard-Baker was named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, while second-year head coach Jay Santos earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
"We had a good day today," said Santos. "I'm really proud of the performance that the team put together today. The team did a terrific job of staying focused on what we needed to do while still keeping the energy high and having fun. We did a lot of the things that have been alluding us over the last couple weeks; so it was exciting to see them execute so well in a championship setting.
UCLA garnered the conference team title with a 197.500, while Utah followed close behind with a 197.350. California finished third with a 196.950, followed by Washington (196.750), Oregon State (196.575), Arizona State (196.425), Stanford (196.350), and Arizona (195.825).
The Gym Devils recorded event scores of 49.100, 49.125, 49.075, 49.125 on vault, bars, beam and floor, respectively. Leading the effort once again was the 1-2 all-around punch of Leonard-Baker and Anne Kuhm. Leonard Baker and Kuhm finished sixth and ninth in the all-around with a 39.425 and 39.400, respectively. Leonard-Baker also tied for third on vault, seventh on bars, and joined Kuhm for a tie for fourth on floor, while Sophomore Ashley Szafranski tied for ninth on beam.
"Cairo and Anne were both outstanding today and it was awesome to see both of them preforming at a high level," noted Santos. "And of course Cairo receiving freshman of the year honors is fantastic; we are so happy for her and proud of everything she has done so far this season."
Overall Team Totals:
1. UCLA: 197.500
2. Utah: 197.350
3. California: 196.950
4. Washington: 196.750
5. Oregon State: 196.575
6. Arizona State: 196.425
7. Stanford: 196.350
8. Arizona: 195.825
First Rotation: Bars - 49.125
The Gym Devils swung into the lead following the afternoon's first rotation, recording a 49.125 on bars. Courtesy of the tally, the Gym Devils have surpassed the 49+ mark on bars seven times this season. Spearheading the effort Leonard-Baker posted an exceptional score of 9.875. A. Szafranski followed closed behind with a 9.850, while lone-senior Nichelle Christopherson and Kuhm added a pair of 9.825s.
"It was great to have Nichelle back in the bar line-up and that was a big spark when she landed her dismount," said Santos.
Rounding out the event, Junior Morgan Wilson contributed a 9.750.
Second Rotation: Beam - 49.075
In a close competition, the Maroon and Gold posted a 49.075 on beam, moving into second place after the second rotation. A. Szafranski led the way with an impressive 9.875, while Kuhm followed closely behind with a 9.850. Juniors Heather Udowitch and Justine Callis added a pair of 9.800s. Udowitch's 9.800 marked a season-high for the Allen, Texas native.
Third Rotation: Floor - 49.125
Continuing to maintain their second-place positioning, the Gym Devils had an impressive tally of 49.125 on floor. Spearheading the effort was the dynamic duo of Leonard-Baker and Kuhm, who both scored a 9.900. A steady force the Gym Devils on the season, junior Kaitlyn Szafranski posted a 9.825.
Fourth Rotation: Vault - 49.100
With much improvement on their landings, the Maroon and Gold posted a 49.100 on vault to close the session. Leonard-Baker once again led the charge with a career-high 9.900. Kuhm also added a 9.825, while Sophomore Jessica Ginn and Wilson added a pair of 9.800s to round out the rotation.
"I want to give a big thank you and shout out to the 942 crew and all the Sun Devils fans that traveled down for the meet," said Santos. "They were loud and full of energy from start to finish. It was so loud for us at times it almost felt like a home meet. They helped create an awesome atmosphere for our athletes to compete in and I really feel the team built off that energy all day."
Up next, the Gym Devils will await their postseason regional assignment. The NCAA Women's Gymnastics selection show is slated for Monday, March 26 at 1 p.m. MST and will be streamed on NCAA.com. Regional qualifiers will compete at one of the six regional sites with each featuring six teams, four all-around competitors, and two individual specialists per event. The six regional sites in 2018 include: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Alabama), Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota), Raleigh, N.C. (North Carolina State), Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State), University Park, Pa. (Penn State), and Salt Lake City, Utah (Utah).
TUCSON, Ariz. -- After entering Saturday's Pac-12 Championships slotted as the second seed in the afternoon session, the No. 17 Gym Devils finished second in their session and sixth overall with an impressive 196.425 at the McKale Center in Tucson. This effort marked the Maroon and Gold's best finish at conference championships since 2012.
Arizona State netted a pair of conference recognitions at the conclusion of the outing as Gym Devil freshman standout Cairo Leonard-Baker was named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, while second-year head coach Jay Santos earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
"We had a good day today," said Santos. "I'm really proud of the performance that the team put together today. The team did a terrific job of staying focused on what we needed to do while still keeping the energy high and having fun. We did a lot of the things that have been alluding us over the last couple weeks; so it was exciting to see them execute so well in a championship setting.
UCLA garnered the conference team title with a 197.500, while Utah followed close behind with a 197.350. California finished third with a 196.950, followed by Washington (196.750), Oregon State (196.575), Arizona State (196.425), Stanford (196.350), and Arizona (195.825).
The Gym Devils recorded event scores of 49.100, 49.125, 49.075, 49.125 on vault, bars, beam and floor, respectively. Leading the effort once again was the 1-2 all-around punch of Leonard-Baker and Anne Kuhm. Leonard Baker and Kuhm finished sixth and ninth in the all-around with a 39.425 and 39.400, respectively. Leonard-Baker also tied for third on vault, seventh on bars, and joined Kuhm for a tie for fourth on floor, while Sophomore Ashley Szafranski tied for ninth on beam.
"Cairo and Anne were both outstanding today and it was awesome to see both of them preforming at a high level," noted Santos. "And of course Cairo receiving freshman of the year honors is fantastic; we are so happy for her and proud of everything she has done so far this season."
Overall Team Totals:
1. UCLA: 197.500
2. Utah: 197.350
3. California: 196.950
4. Washington: 196.750
5. Oregon State: 196.575
6. Arizona State: 196.425
7. Stanford: 196.350
8. Arizona: 195.825
First Rotation: Bars - 49.125
The Gym Devils swung into the lead following the afternoon's first rotation, recording a 49.125 on bars. Courtesy of the tally, the Gym Devils have surpassed the 49+ mark on bars seven times this season. Spearheading the effort Leonard-Baker posted an exceptional score of 9.875. A. Szafranski followed closed behind with a 9.850, while lone-senior Nichelle Christopherson and Kuhm added a pair of 9.825s.
"It was great to have Nichelle back in the bar line-up and that was a big spark when she landed her dismount," said Santos.
Rounding out the event, Junior Morgan Wilson contributed a 9.750.
Second Rotation: Beam - 49.075
In a close competition, the Maroon and Gold posted a 49.075 on beam, moving into second place after the second rotation. A. Szafranski led the way with an impressive 9.875, while Kuhm followed closely behind with a 9.850. Juniors Heather Udowitch and Justine Callis added a pair of 9.800s. Udowitch's 9.800 marked a season-high for the Allen, Texas native.
Third Rotation: Floor - 49.125
Continuing to maintain their second-place positioning, the Gym Devils had an impressive tally of 49.125 on floor. Spearheading the effort was the dynamic duo of Leonard-Baker and Kuhm, who both scored a 9.900. A steady force the Gym Devils on the season, junior Kaitlyn Szafranski posted a 9.825.
Fourth Rotation: Vault - 49.100
With much improvement on their landings, the Maroon and Gold posted a 49.100 on vault to close the session. Leonard-Baker once again led the charge with a career-high 9.900. Kuhm also added a 9.825, while Sophomore Jessica Ginn and Wilson added a pair of 9.800s to round out the rotation.
"I want to give a big thank you and shout out to the 942 crew and all the Sun Devils fans that traveled down for the meet," said Santos. "They were loud and full of energy from start to finish. It was so loud for us at times it almost felt like a home meet. They helped create an awesome atmosphere for our athletes to compete in and I really feel the team built off that energy all day."
Up next, the Gym Devils will await their postseason regional assignment. The NCAA Women's Gymnastics selection show is slated for Monday, March 26 at 1 p.m. MST and will be streamed on NCAA.com. Regional qualifiers will compete at one of the six regional sites with each featuring six teams, four all-around competitors, and two individual specialists per event. The six regional sites in 2018 include: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Alabama), Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota), Raleigh, N.C. (North Carolina State), Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State), University Park, Pa. (Penn State), and Salt Lake City, Utah (Utah).