TEMPE, Ariz. — Head coach Jay Santos and the Arizona State gymnastics team announced the addition of Kaitlin Harvey and Jasmine Gutierrez to the Gym Devil roster for the impending 2019 campaign on Wednesday afternoon. The duo of Gym Devil newcomers cement an Arizona State class that saw recent JO National Qualifier Stephanie Tripodi of North Stars Gymnastics Academy sign her national letter of intent in November.
"We are very excited to announce the addition of Kaitlin and Jasmine to our 2019 squad," said Santos. "In addition to Stephanie who signed in the Fall, we believe this freshman class will be very impactful as we look to build upon the successes of 2018. After losing only one Senior to graduation we will be adding several routines that will help us continue to improve in the Pac 12 standings as well as Nationally."
In staying true to Arizona State, Harvey, a product of Mesa, Ariz., joins the Maroon and Gold having prepped at valley-based Gold Medal Gymnastics. Under the guidance of 1996 Olympic gold medalist and Arizona State graduate Amanda Borden, Harvey, six years a level 10 gymnast, excelled on the national club scene. A three-time JO National qualifier, Harvey twice earned second-place finishes on beam in 2017 and 2014, respectively. Her efforts at nationals in 2017 culminated in the Gym Devil newcomer capturing an 18th-place finish in the all-around. Harvey impressed at the 2017 Valley of the Sun Challenge netting top-5 finishes in each event, while notably earning the beam title and silver honors in the all-around. Of recent, Harvey posted a second-place finish on beam and finished fifth in the all-around at the 2018 Arizona Grand Invitational.
"Kaitlin brings in a wealth of National competition experience and she has proven that she is able to compete at a very high level," noted Santos. "She is absolutely beautiful on balance beam and we expect her to contribute immediately on that event."
Harvey looks forward to her collegiate experience ahead, "I am excited to experience new things, meet new people, build great relationships with my teammates and thrive academically at Arizona State."
Hailing from Murrieta, Calif., Gutierrez comes to Tempe from SCEGA Gymnastics where she competed under Kathy Strate and Terry Grey. A steady performer on the apparatuses of beam and floor, Gutierrez boasts a plethora of strong placements in the events. On the national stage, Gutierrez captured the bars and all-around titles, while also earning second-place finishes on vault and beam at the 2016 Level 9 Western Championships. As a level 10 gymnast, Gutierrez notably notched a third-place finish on floor at the 2018 Level 8-10 Regional Championships. The effort was preceded by a second-place beam finish at the Spirit of the Flame Challenge. Posting a trio of silver medal finishes on vault, bars and beam, respectively, Gutierrez garnered a third-place finish in the all-around at the 2018 Nashville Lights.
"Jasmine really excelled in her senior season as a level 10 and we believe she will only continue to learn and improve in the college setting," said Santos. "She has a solid skill set across all four events which will greatly increase the depth of the team overall next season."
The Gym Devils are coming off a milestone 2018 season. Boasting arguably one of the most substantial turnarounds in recent collegiate gymnastics history, Santos' squad improved 18 spots from their 2017 national finish of 41, capping the 2018 season ranked at No. 23 nationally (highest finish since 2007). Ranking in the top-20 of the national standings for 12 consecutive weeks, Arizona State made its first team NCAA regional appearance since 2014 while sending individual all-around qualifier Cairo Leonard-Baker to nationals.
"We are very excited to announce the addition of Kaitlin and Jasmine to our 2019 squad," said Santos. "In addition to Stephanie who signed in the Fall, we believe this freshman class will be very impactful as we look to build upon the successes of 2018. After losing only one Senior to graduation we will be adding several routines that will help us continue to improve in the Pac 12 standings as well as Nationally."
In staying true to Arizona State, Harvey, a product of Mesa, Ariz., joins the Maroon and Gold having prepped at valley-based Gold Medal Gymnastics. Under the guidance of 1996 Olympic gold medalist and Arizona State graduate Amanda Borden, Harvey, six years a level 10 gymnast, excelled on the national club scene. A three-time JO National qualifier, Harvey twice earned second-place finishes on beam in 2017 and 2014, respectively. Her efforts at nationals in 2017 culminated in the Gym Devil newcomer capturing an 18th-place finish in the all-around. Harvey impressed at the 2017 Valley of the Sun Challenge netting top-5 finishes in each event, while notably earning the beam title and silver honors in the all-around. Of recent, Harvey posted a second-place finish on beam and finished fifth in the all-around at the 2018 Arizona Grand Invitational.
"Kaitlin brings in a wealth of National competition experience and she has proven that she is able to compete at a very high level," noted Santos. "She is absolutely beautiful on balance beam and we expect her to contribute immediately on that event."
Harvey looks forward to her collegiate experience ahead, "I am excited to experience new things, meet new people, build great relationships with my teammates and thrive academically at Arizona State."
Hailing from Murrieta, Calif., Gutierrez comes to Tempe from SCEGA Gymnastics where she competed under Kathy Strate and Terry Grey. A steady performer on the apparatuses of beam and floor, Gutierrez boasts a plethora of strong placements in the events. On the national stage, Gutierrez captured the bars and all-around titles, while also earning second-place finishes on vault and beam at the 2016 Level 9 Western Championships. As a level 10 gymnast, Gutierrez notably notched a third-place finish on floor at the 2018 Level 8-10 Regional Championships. The effort was preceded by a second-place beam finish at the Spirit of the Flame Challenge. Posting a trio of silver medal finishes on vault, bars and beam, respectively, Gutierrez garnered a third-place finish in the all-around at the 2018 Nashville Lights.
"Jasmine really excelled in her senior season as a level 10 and we believe she will only continue to learn and improve in the college setting," said Santos. "She has a solid skill set across all four events which will greatly increase the depth of the team overall next season."
The Gym Devils are coming off a milestone 2018 season. Boasting arguably one of the most substantial turnarounds in recent collegiate gymnastics history, Santos' squad improved 18 spots from their 2017 national finish of 41, capping the 2018 season ranked at No. 23 nationally (highest finish since 2007). Ranking in the top-20 of the national standings for 12 consecutive weeks, Arizona State made its first team NCAA regional appearance since 2014 while sending individual all-around qualifier Cairo Leonard-Baker to nationals.