LOS ANGELES – Three Sun Devils earned career highs as No. 19 Arizona State gymnastics scored their highest score of the season, 196.125, in a second-place finish at No. 2 UCLA on Monday afternoon.
"I think we started the meet really well and ended the meet really well," Arizona State head coach Jay Santos said. "We still need to work on a couple of things on vault, landings especially. Obviously, starting out on floor with Katelyn's injury set us back, but the back half really stepped it up. They handled the atmosphere really well today. I'm really excited because we did what we've been working on and we improved."
The Sun Devils (3-2) scored a 196.125 in the loss, the highest team score since the Pac-12 Championships last season when they had a 196.425. Vault, bars and beam all had the highest team totals of the season with 48.850, 49.250 and 49.325, respectively.
Cairo Leonard-Baker had a 39.400 in the all-around, finishing in second in the meet behind UCLA's Kyla Ross who had a 39.450. Leonard-Baker scored the highest in any event for the Gym Devils with a 9.975 on bars, a new career high for the sophomore. She was second individually in that event, behind UCLA's Madison Kocian who earned a 10.000. Justine Callis won the individual beam title after scoring a 9.925, a career best. This was ASU's first beam win this year and the second of Callis' career. On bars, Morgan Hart also earned a career high with a 9.875.
Team Results
1. UCLA, 197.775
2. ASU, 196.125
Rotation One – Bars | 49.250
The Gym Devils were strong on the uneven bars right from the start. Hart led off with a career-high 9.875, surpassing her previous best of 9.850. Leonard-Baker ended the rotation with a career high of her own, earning a 9.975, the best score in any event for ASU this season. Another strong routine came from Morgan Wilson, who earned a 9.825. Justine Callis and Kaitlyn Szafranski both scored 9.775s, which tied both of their career highs.
Rotation Two – Vault | 48.850
In the second rotation, the Gym Devils saw solid scores. Only one routine scored less than a 9.750. Jessica Ginn led the pack with a 9.800, followed by three with 9.775s, Anne Kuhm, Leonard-Baker and Wilson.
Rotation Three – Floor | 48.700
Floor got started on the wrong foot after Katelyn Lentz injured herself on her first pass. It took a few routines to get back into it, but the back half was able to get solid scores. Both Kaitlyn Szafranski and Leonard-Baker earned 9.825s.
Rotation Four – Beam | 49.325
ASU finished the meet with their highest event score, a season-best 9.825 on beam. It was the highest beam total for the Sun Devils since January 20, 2018 at Stanford. Callis won the beam title with a 9.925, a career high. The five counted scores were all above 9.825. Ashley Szafranski came up big with a 9.875 and Wilson tied her career best with a 9.850.
The Gym Devils are back home this Saturday, hosting No. 4 Utah in the Cystic Fibrosis awareness meet and alumni night. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be live on the Pac-12 Network.
"I think we started the meet really well and ended the meet really well," Arizona State head coach Jay Santos said. "We still need to work on a couple of things on vault, landings especially. Obviously, starting out on floor with Katelyn's injury set us back, but the back half really stepped it up. They handled the atmosphere really well today. I'm really excited because we did what we've been working on and we improved."
The Sun Devils (3-2) scored a 196.125 in the loss, the highest team score since the Pac-12 Championships last season when they had a 196.425. Vault, bars and beam all had the highest team totals of the season with 48.850, 49.250 and 49.325, respectively.
Cairo Leonard-Baker had a 39.400 in the all-around, finishing in second in the meet behind UCLA's Kyla Ross who had a 39.450. Leonard-Baker scored the highest in any event for the Gym Devils with a 9.975 on bars, a new career high for the sophomore. She was second individually in that event, behind UCLA's Madison Kocian who earned a 10.000. Justine Callis won the individual beam title after scoring a 9.925, a career best. This was ASU's first beam win this year and the second of Callis' career. On bars, Morgan Hart also earned a career high with a 9.875.
Team Results
1. UCLA, 197.775
2. ASU, 196.125
Rotation One – Bars | 49.250
The Gym Devils were strong on the uneven bars right from the start. Hart led off with a career-high 9.875, surpassing her previous best of 9.850. Leonard-Baker ended the rotation with a career high of her own, earning a 9.975, the best score in any event for ASU this season. Another strong routine came from Morgan Wilson, who earned a 9.825. Justine Callis and Kaitlyn Szafranski both scored 9.775s, which tied both of their career highs.
CAIRO LEONARD-BAKER. ARE YOU HUMAN?
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) January 21, 2019
She scored a 9.975, a career high!! #GYMDEVILS pic.twitter.com/39GhIKdFIA
Rotation Two – Vault | 48.850
In the second rotation, the Gym Devils saw solid scores. Only one routine scored less than a 9.750. Jessica Ginn led the pack with a 9.800, followed by three with 9.775s, Anne Kuhm, Leonard-Baker and Wilson.
Jess Ginn scored a 9.800 on vault!#GymDevils pic.twitter.com/LSncN1K0Rt
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) January 21, 2019
Rotation Three – Floor | 48.700
Floor got started on the wrong foot after Katelyn Lentz injured herself on her first pass. It took a few routines to get back into it, but the back half was able to get solid scores. Both Kaitlyn Szafranski and Leonard-Baker earned 9.825s.
Kaitlyn Szafranski comes up big for the #GymDevils on floor, earning a 9.825! pic.twitter.com/gFwW3x30jX
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) January 21, 2019
Rotation Four – Beam | 49.325
ASU finished the meet with their highest event score, a season-best 9.825 on beam. It was the highest beam total for the Sun Devils since January 20, 2018 at Stanford. Callis won the beam title with a 9.925, a career high. The five counted scores were all above 9.825. Ashley Szafranski came up big with a 9.875 and Wilson tied her career best with a 9.850.
OKAY JUSTINE! WE SEE YOU!
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) January 21, 2019
It is a night of career highs! Justine Callis scored a career-high 9.925 on beam! #GymDevils pic.twitter.com/WoRn3kcEEG
The Gym Devils are back home this Saturday, hosting No. 4 Utah in the Cystic Fibrosis awareness meet and alumni night. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be live on the Pac-12 Network.