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No. 12 Gym Devils Travel to Norman for Star-Studded Quad Meet

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No. 12 Gym Devils Travel to Norman for Star-Studded Quad MeetNo. 12 Gym Devils Travel to Norman for Star-Studded Quad Meet

No. 12 Arizona State vs. No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 10 Arkansas, No. 15 Denver
Friday, March 9 | 5:45 p.m. MST

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No. 12 Gym Devils Travel to Norman for Star-studded Quad Meet 
The No. 12 Gym Devils (6-5, 3-3 Pac-12) remain on the road for a star-studded quad meet with No 1 Oklahoma, No. 10 Arkansas and No. 15 Denver. The Oklahoma-hosted outing is slated for a 5:45 p.m. start on Friday, March 9 in Lloyd Noble Center. The meet will be televised on Fox College Sports Central (FCSC) and streamed on FOX Sports Go.

Raising The Bar

  • Arizona State has ranked in the Top-20 nationally for nine consecutive weeks, moving up to No. 12 (RQS) in this week's Road to Nationals standings. The Gym Devils currently rank fifth among Pac-12 squads. ASU also ranks in the Top-20 nationally in each event, sitting at 14th on beam, 15th on bars, 18th on floor, and 20th on vault. Prior to the 2018 season, the Gym Devils had not ranked in the Top-25 since the 2013 season (No. 24) and had not appeared in the Top-15 since 2006 (No. 9).
  • The Gym Devils have knocked off four ranked opponents this season — No. 14 Auburn, No. 20 Iowa, No. 14 West Virginia, and No. 20 Stanford — marking the first time since 2006 that the squad has accomplished the feat.
  • Arizona State is one of six Pac-12 programs ranked nationally — the No. 12 Gym Devils are joined in the rankings by No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Utah, No. 9 Washington, No. 11 Oregon State, , and No. 20 California.
  • Recording team totals of 196.475 at No. 16 West Virginia on Jan. 14, 196.250 at No. 20 Stanford on Jan. 20 and 196.800 vs. California on Jan. 28, the Gym Devils surpassed the 196+ mark in three consecutive meets for the first time since 2006. After recording a 196.575 vs. No. 10 Washington on Feb. 17, a 196.725 vs. Arizona on Feb. 24 and a 196.525 at Minnesota on Mar. 3, the team has now recorded six 196+ marks in a season for the first time since 2006.
  • Arizona State has scored 49.000 or higher in 24 event rotations on the season, after eclipsing the mark only four times in 2017.
  • Arizona State's 196.800 effort in its Pac-12 home opener against California on Jan. 28 constitutes the program's best team tally since the Gym Devils recorded a 197.750 vs. Iowa State on March 10, 2006. It also accounts for the 19th best team total in Gym Devil history.
  • Standout Gym Devil freshman and five-time Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week Cairo Leonard-Baker currently ranks in the top-15 nationally in three event categories including the all-around (10th, 39.455), bars (12th, 9.905) and floor (14th, 9.905). Her RQS in the all-around and on bars and floor mark collegiate bests among freshmen. On a conference basis, Leonard-Baker sits in fourth on bars, fourth in the all-around, and seventh on floor.
  • French Olympian Anne Kuhm has made great strides this season and has made an immediate impact to the team. She currently ranks in the top-50 nationally in two event categories including the all-around (32nd, 39.235) and floor (49th, 9.870).

Scouting The Opposition 
No. 1 Oklahoma (9-1, 2-0 Big 12): The Oklahoma Sooners are led by K.J. Kindler, who is entering her 12th season as head coach... Kindler has racked a plethora of honors throughout her head coaching career, including: three-time National Head Coach of the Year, eight-time Regional Coach of the Year, and 11-time Big 12 Coach of the Year… Last season OU won their second straight and third overall NCAA National Championship title… Coming off a year in which the Sooners recorded the first undefeated season in program history (33-0) and topped the final national rankings, Oklahoma remains on top after the ninth week of the NCAA gymnastics season... The Sooners talented roster is led by former international elites and 3x All-Americans, Maggie Nichols and Brenna Dowell, along with veterans Nicole Lehrmann (3x All-American), A.J. Jackson (4x All-American), and Natalie Brown (All-American). Underclassmen Brehanna Showers, Anastasia Webb, and Evy Schoepfer also add depth to the squad.

No. 10 Arkansas (3-8, 2-5 SEC): The Arkansas Razorbacks are led by Mark Cook, who is entering his 17th season as head coach... Cook has garnered many honors throughout his time at Arkansas, including: two-time SEC Co-Coach of the Year, Regional Co-Coach of the Year.. Since the inception of Razorback gymnastics, Cook has led the team to seven NCAA Championship appearances and 14 straight NCAA Regional appearances… Coming off a year in which Arkansas battled through injuries, the Razorbacks finished No. 19 in the final national rankings and are ranked No. 10 after the ninth week of the NCAA gymnastics season… The Razorbacks young roster is led by veterans Amanda Wellick, Braie Speed, and Sydney McGlone. Sophomore sensations Jessica Yamzon, Michaela Burton, and Hailey Garner; along with Freshman Sarah Shaffer (redshirt), Sophia Carter, and Sydney Laird also provide depth to the Razorback squad. 

No. 15 Denver (12-3-1, 1-0 Big 12): The Denver Pioneers are led by Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, who is entering her 20th season as head coach... Under her tenure, the Pioneers have appeared in 19 consecutive NCAA Regionals, along with four NCAA National appearances…. Kutcher-Rinehart is a two-time Regional Coach of the Year…  Last season was the most successful season in program history as the Pioneers returned to the NCAA National Championships after 6 years and finished ninth overall in the record books… Coming off a year in which the Pioneers (9th) finished in the top-10 of the final national rankings, Denver is ranked No. 15 after the ninth week of the NCAA gymnastics season… The Denver Pioneers experienced roster features returning veterans, Nikole Addison, Diana Chesnok, and Kaitlyn Schou. Sophomore sensation, Maddie Karr, and newcomers, Mia Sundstrom, Emily Glynn, and Lynzee Brown also add depth. 

Season Event Bests

  • Vault: Team - 49.125 vs. Arizona on Feb. 24 (highest since 2/22/14 against Arizona (49.125)) | Individual - 9.900, Anne Kuhm vs. Arizona on Feb. 24
  • Bars: Team - 49.325 vs. California on Jan. 28 (highest since 2/24/06 at UNO's Classic (49.500)) | Individual - 9.950, Cairo Leonard-Baker vs. California on Jan. 28 and vs. Washington on Feb. 17
  • Beam: Team - 49.325 at Stanford on Jan. 20 (highest since 3/13/09 at UNO's Classic (49.350)) | Individual - 9.900, Justine Callis vs. Arizona on Feb. 24/Katelyn Lentz at Stanford on Jan. 20/Ashley Szafranski at West Virginia on Jan. 14
  • Floor: Team - 49.400 vs. Arizona on Feb. 24 (highest since 3/10/2006 against Iowa State (49.425)) | Individual   9.950, Cairo Leonard-Baker vs. Arizona on Feb. 24
  • All-Around: Team - 196.800 vs. California on Jan. 28 (highest since 3/10/06 against Iowa State (197.750)) | Individual - 39.575, Cairo Leonard-Baker vs. California on Jan. 28 

Individual Event Titles

  • Cairo Leonard-Baker (12): Bars at West Virginia, Jan. 14; Floor at West Virginia, Jan. 14; All-Around at West Virginia, Jan. 14; Bars vs. California, Jan. 28; All-Around vs. California, Jan. 28; Bars at Oregon State, Feb. 3; Bars vs. Washington, Feb. 17; Floor vs. Washington, Feb. 17; All-Around vs. Washington, Feb. 17; Bars vs. Arizona, Feb. 24; Floor vs. Arizona, Feb. 24; All-Around vs. Arizona, Feb. 24
  • Anne Kuhm (1): Vault vs. Arizona, Feb. 24.
  • Justine Callis (1): Beam vs. Arizona, Feb. 24
  • Morgan Wilson (1): Vault at Oregon State, Feb. 3.
  • Ashley Szafranski (1): Beam at West Virginia, Jan. 14.

One For The Thumb; Leonard-Baker Nets Fifth Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer Of The Week Honor
Gym Devil standout freshman Cairo Leonard-Baker yet again garnered Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week honors, as announced by the league office Feb. 27. The accolade constituted her fifth this season, after the Oakland native nabbed the recognition in three consecutive awards cycles earlier this season.
By virtue of the recognition, Leonard-Baker joined prestigious company - Utah's MyKayla Skinner and California's Toni-Ann Williams - as just one of three gymnasts in conference history to garner the award five or more times. The Oakland, Calif. native also became just the second Gym Devil in program history to earn league honors on five separate occasions, joining 2004 national champion and five-time all-american Ashley Kelly in the feat.

In The Rankings
Through nine weeks of competition, Arizona State continues its rise in the collegiate rankings, pulling to No. 12 on an RQS On an event basis, the Gym Devils rank 20th on vault (49.035), 15th on bars (49.145), 14th on beam (49.135) and 18th on floor (49.175). Week 8 marked the squad's highest jump in the rankings since Week 2 as the Gym Devils moved up four spots to No. 13. In Weeks 5-7 of the season, the Gym Devils ranked No. 17. During Week 4 of the collegiate gymnastics season, the Gym Devils ranked No. 12 as they tallied a 196.800 in their Pac-12 home opener against California, constituting the program's best team tally since it recorded a 197.750 vs. Iowa State on March 10, 2006. It also accounts for the 19th-best team total in Gym Devil history. During Week 3 of the season, the Gym Devils ranked at No. 14. Week 2 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 ranked at No. 14. ASU 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 appeared 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.

Road Warriors
The Gym Devils will cap the regular season with three consecutive road meets - at Minnesota (March 3), at Oklahoma with Denver and Arkansas (March 9), at Sacramento State with Oregon State and UC Davis (March 16) - before traveling south to Tucson for the 2018 Pac-12 Championships, to be held on March 24. Over the course of the four-week stretch the squad with log a total travel mileage of 6,990.2 miles. 

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. 

Up next, Arizona State will  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 a pair of 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 com- peted 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 and 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.

Academic Excellence
Academic excellence has become an integral standard within the Gym Devil program. In 2017, Arizona State placed seven student-athletes on Pac-12 All-Academic teams, while ten members of the squad garnered Scholastics All-American recognitions (NACGC/W). As a contingent, Arizona State gymnastics was one of seven Sun Devil programs recognized as an APR (Academic Progress Report) Top-10 percent performer in 2017. Exemplifying the team's academic excellence, the Gym Devils managed a perfect score of 1000.