WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – With a strong all-around performance from Cairo Leonard-Baker and career highs from three others, No. 21 Arizona State gymnastics took fifth overall and first in the first session with a 196.400 at the 2019 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships on Saturday in the Maverik Center.
"I am thrilled with how the team performed today," Arizona State head coach said. "We came out on fire in the first rotation with some of the best bars we have done all season. It was a little harder going on beam, but the team fought through the adversity and did a great job to keep their energy up and then keep fighting through floor. Then we finished strong on vault with multiple dynamic vaults."
With their fifth-place finish, the Gym Devils had their best Pac-12 result since 2006 when they took fourth. They scored over a 196.000 for the sixth time this year and earned a season-high 49.275 on bars. For the first time this year, two gymnasts scored a 9.900 or better on both bars and floor.
"We had some amazing performances from so many athletes tonight," Santos said. "Cairo was electric today and did a fantastic job. I'm really proud of the whole team and our performance today!"
Three gymnasts earned new career highs in the meet. Morgan Hart scored a 9.900 on bars, Jessica Ginn earned a 9.875 on floor and Corinne Belkoff got a 9.825 on vault. There were also multiple Gym Devils who tied their career highs in different events.
Session #1 Results:
The Gym Devils started the meet off with a bang, scoring a season-high bars total in the first rotation. The 48.275 total surpassed the previous high of 49.250 that they reached at UCLA this season. ASU was led by Leonard-Baker's 9.950, her seventh score of 9.900 or better on bars. Hart also came up big for the Sun Devils, scoring a career-high 9.900, her best score in any event in her career. This was the first time this year more than one Gym Devil scored a 9.900-plus on bars.
Rotation Two – Beam | 48.825
The second rotation saw the pressure mount for ASU. With a fall, the Gym Devils had to hit the last four routines to avoid counting that score. All four hit, with the highest score coming from Leonard-Baker. She scored a 9.850, tying her season high. Justine Callis anchored the lineup with a 9.825.
Rotation Three – Floor | 49.175
In the third rotation, the Gym Devils bounced back with a strong floor squad. Both Belkoff and Leonard-Baker scored a 9.900 or better in their routines, with Belkoff earning a 9.900 and Leonard-Baker getting a 9.925. Ginn scored a career-high 9.875 for her routine, her highest score in any event in her career.
Rotation Four – Vault | 49.125
Arizona State earned their second-highest vault total of the year to cap off the first session. Belkoff got it started with a career-high 9.825. Back-to-back 9.850s from Ginn and Kaitlyn Szafranski kept the momentum up. Those scores also tied both of their career highs on vault.
The NCAA Gymnastics Selection Show is on Monday at 2 p.m. MST. Stay tuned for where the Gym Devils will be placed for regionals.
"I am thrilled with how the team performed today," Arizona State head coach said. "We came out on fire in the first rotation with some of the best bars we have done all season. It was a little harder going on beam, but the team fought through the adversity and did a great job to keep their energy up and then keep fighting through floor. Then we finished strong on vault with multiple dynamic vaults."
With their fifth-place finish, the Gym Devils had their best Pac-12 result since 2006 when they took fourth. They scored over a 196.000 for the sixth time this year and earned a season-high 49.275 on bars. For the first time this year, two gymnasts scored a 9.900 or better on both bars and floor.
"We had some amazing performances from so many athletes tonight," Santos said. "Cairo was electric today and did a fantastic job. I'm really proud of the whole team and our performance today!"
Leonard-Baker tied for first in the all-around in the first session and tied for fourth in the entire championship with a 39.525, her second-highest all-around score of the season. The last time an ASU gymnast finished in the top four in the all-around at Pac-12s was Nicole Harris in 2007 when she tied for third with a 39.450. Leonard-Baker scored a 9.950 on bars, which tied for second for both sessions. Additionally, the win over Arizona counts as a Territorial Cup point for Arizona State.Definition of getting to the #NextLevel. ??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) March 23, 2019
The #GymDevils are guaranteed to have their best #Pac12Gym finish since 2004! pic.twitter.com/vSWtE4CSzY
Three gymnasts earned new career highs in the meet. Morgan Hart scored a 9.900 on bars, Jessica Ginn earned a 9.875 on floor and Corinne Belkoff got a 9.825 on vault. There were also multiple Gym Devils who tied their career highs in different events.
Session #1 Results:
- Arizona State, 196.400
- Washington, 196.175
- Stanford, 195.925
- Arizona, 193.900
The Gym Devils started the meet off with a bang, scoring a season-high bars total in the first rotation. The 48.275 total surpassed the previous high of 49.250 that they reached at UCLA this season. ASU was led by Leonard-Baker's 9.950, her seventh score of 9.900 or better on bars. Hart also came up big for the Sun Devils, scoring a career-high 9.900, her best score in any event in her career. This was the first time this year more than one Gym Devil scored a 9.900-plus on bars.
What a way to end the first rotation! ??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) March 23, 2019
Cairo Leonard-Baker scored a 9?.9?5?0? on bars for the #GymDevils!!
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/8ZjdnfgvYd
Rotation Two – Beam | 48.825
The second rotation saw the pressure mount for ASU. With a fall, the Gym Devils had to hit the last four routines to avoid counting that score. All four hit, with the highest score coming from Leonard-Baker. She scored a 9.850, tying her season high. Justine Callis anchored the lineup with a 9.825.
Justine Callis caps off the second rotation with a 9.825 on beam for the #GymDevils!
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) March 23, 2019
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/nyrZzZ8Ko3
Rotation Three – Floor | 49.175
In the third rotation, the Gym Devils bounced back with a strong floor squad. Both Belkoff and Leonard-Baker scored a 9.900 or better in their routines, with Belkoff earning a 9.900 and Leonard-Baker getting a 9.925. Ginn scored a career-high 9.875 for her routine, her highest score in any event in her career.
?? CAREER HIGH ??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) March 23, 2019
Jess Ginn scored a 9.875 on floor, her best score in any event in her career! #NextLevel
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/6C8sExUTzz
Rotation Four – Vault | 49.125
Arizona State earned their second-highest vault total of the year to cap off the first session. Belkoff got it started with a career-high 9.825. Back-to-back 9.850s from Ginn and Kaitlyn Szafranski kept the momentum up. Those scores also tied both of their career highs on vault.
Vault squad rn = ??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) March 23, 2019
Kaitlyn Szafranski ties her career high with a 9.850! #GymDevils
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/3BxVfPyg89
The NCAA Gymnastics Selection Show is on Monday at 2 p.m. MST. Stay tuned for where the Gym Devils will be placed for regionals.