TEMPE, Ariz. – The 2019 Arizona State gymnastics team had another impressive season under head coach Jay Santos, culminating with a No. 25 ranking, a second-straight trip to NCAA Regionals and Cairo Leonard-Baker earning All-America honors on the uneven bars at nationals.
Team Accomplishments
Jay and Jessica Santos led the Gym Devils to a successful season, the first since 2014 to have a winning record (11-10) in the regular season. The team was ranked in the top-25 on Road to Nationals all year and earned four wins over top-25 teams throughout the season. They scored a 196.000 or better six times and had a team RQS (Regional Qualifying Score) of 196.320 at the end of the year. The season-high score of 196.625 came at home against Oregon State, which was the 25th highest team total in program history. There were 25 scores of 9.900 or above throughout the year.
To start off the postseason, the Sun Devils took fifth at the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships, the best team finish since 2006. At NCAA Regionals, the team finished in seventh, but Leonard-Baker won the regional bar title with a 9.925, automatically qualifying her for nationals as an individual. At the NCAA Championships, she scored a 9.900, earning Second Team All-America honors in that event.
In Wells Fargo Arena, the Gym Devils broke gymnastics attendance records. They had the highest average attendance in program history (2,228), as well as the second-highest attended meet with 3,726 against Utah on January 26.
Cairo Leonard-Baker
Sophomore Leonard-Baker had another spectacular season for Arizona State. She was named a Second-Team All-American on bars in both the regular season and after her performance at the NCAA Championships. She was also named to the All-Pac-12 First Team in both the all-around and on bars. She's the first Sun Devil to be named an All-American and All-Pac-12 player twice in a career since Ashley Kelly, who competed as ASU from 2003-06. Cairo is the first to earn both in back-to-back years since Elizabeth McNabb from 1998-99. Last year, she was the first All-American gymnast at ASU since 2010.
The Oakland, California native was ranked in the top 15 on bars all season, currently holding the No. 11 spot. She scored a 9.975 on bars at UCLA this year, this highest score by any ASU gymnast in any event since 2007. At the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships, she tied for second in the conference with a 9.950. On the year, she has seven bars titles and has scored a 9.900 or better in nine meets.
In addition to the strong bars performance this year, Leonard-Baker was a contender in the other event as well. She won three all-around titles this season and five floor titles. Her best all-around meet was against Oregon State when she scored a 39.550. There were four meets this season where she scored a 9.800 or better in each event. On floor, she scored a 9.900-plus six times.
Anne's Accolades
Senior Anne Kuhm was a consistent in the all-around in 2019. She earned an All-Pac-12 Second Team nod for her efforts and was also named Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is just the second Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, the other being Mary Atkinson in 2011. At Texas Woman's University, she won the vault title. She also was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 Women's At-Large Team.
It Takes a Team
The Gym Devils saw high scores up and down the lineup. On vault, Morgan Wilson led the charge, scoring a 9.900 twice. She won the vault title at Penn State for her efforts. Leonard-Baker was the team leader on bars, earning a 9.900-plus nine times. Justine Callis was the best on beam for ASU and was even named Pac-12 Specialist of the Week for her career-high 9.925 at UCLA, which won the beam title. She also scored a 9.900 in the last regular season meet. On floor, Leonard-Baker, Corinne Belkoff and Kaitlyn Szafranski all shone. Leonard-Baker earned a 9.900-plus six times, Belkoff scored a 9.900 three times while Kaitlyn Szafranski scored a 9.925 once.
On the whole, the team scored a 9.900 or better 22 times. In addition to the gymnasts listed above, Morgan Wilson also scored a 9.900 on bars. Individuals won two vault titles, seven bars titles, three beam titles, five floor titles and three all-around titles.
Many Gym Devils contributed up and down the lineups. Heather Udowitch was a consistent presence on beam and floor, Ashley Szafranski competed on beam and a few times on bars and Jessica Ginn was a regular on vault and floor. Graycee Rushton competed on vault three times while freshman Jasmine Gutierrez saw time on beam four times and vault twice.
Smart Devils
Continuing with the strong academic tradition of the Gym Devils, nine gymnasts earned conference academic honors, tying last season's program record. The six on the first team is a new program record, surpassing the previous high of five in 2011. The six on the first team are Corinne Belkoff, Jessica Ginn, Anne Kuhm, Kaitlyn Szafranski, Ashley Szafranski and Heather Udowitch. On the second team, the Gym Devils represented are Morgan Hart and Morgan Wilson. Justine Callis is the Sun Devil receiving an honorable mention.
Belkoff and Udowitch earned prestigious scholarships following the school year. Belkoff earned the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and Udowitch received the NCAA Women's Enhancement Graduate Scholarship.
Coming in 2020…
Next year, the Gym Devils will be without the six seniors on this year's roster but will add a talented group of freshmen. ASU will host the 2019 National Champion Oklahoma and the 2018 National Champion UCLA. Fans can get their season tickets now at SunDevilTickets.com.
Team Accomplishments
Jay and Jessica Santos led the Gym Devils to a successful season, the first since 2014 to have a winning record (11-10) in the regular season. The team was ranked in the top-25 on Road to Nationals all year and earned four wins over top-25 teams throughout the season. They scored a 196.000 or better six times and had a team RQS (Regional Qualifying Score) of 196.320 at the end of the year. The season-high score of 196.625 came at home against Oregon State, which was the 25th highest team total in program history. There were 25 scores of 9.900 or above throughout the year.
To start off the postseason, the Sun Devils took fifth at the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships, the best team finish since 2006. At NCAA Regionals, the team finished in seventh, but Leonard-Baker won the regional bar title with a 9.925, automatically qualifying her for nationals as an individual. At the NCAA Championships, she scored a 9.900, earning Second Team All-America honors in that event.
In Wells Fargo Arena, the Gym Devils broke gymnastics attendance records. They had the highest average attendance in program history (2,228), as well as the second-highest attended meet with 3,726 against Utah on January 26.
Cairo Leonard-Baker
Sophomore Leonard-Baker had another spectacular season for Arizona State. She was named a Second-Team All-American on bars in both the regular season and after her performance at the NCAA Championships. She was also named to the All-Pac-12 First Team in both the all-around and on bars. She's the first Sun Devil to be named an All-American and All-Pac-12 player twice in a career since Ashley Kelly, who competed as ASU from 2003-06. Cairo is the first to earn both in back-to-back years since Elizabeth McNabb from 1998-99. Last year, she was the first All-American gymnast at ASU since 2010.
The Oakland, California native was ranked in the top 15 on bars all season, currently holding the No. 11 spot. She scored a 9.975 on bars at UCLA this year, this highest score by any ASU gymnast in any event since 2007. At the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships, she tied for second in the conference with a 9.950. On the year, she has seven bars titles and has scored a 9.900 or better in nine meets.
In addition to the strong bars performance this year, Leonard-Baker was a contender in the other event as well. She won three all-around titles this season and five floor titles. Her best all-around meet was against Oregon State when she scored a 39.550. There were four meets this season where she scored a 9.800 or better in each event. On floor, she scored a 9.900-plus six times.
Anne's Accolades
Senior Anne Kuhm was a consistent in the all-around in 2019. She earned an All-Pac-12 Second Team nod for her efforts and was also named Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is just the second Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, the other being Mary Atkinson in 2011. At Texas Woman's University, she won the vault title. She also was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 Women's At-Large Team.
It Takes a Team
The Gym Devils saw high scores up and down the lineup. On vault, Morgan Wilson led the charge, scoring a 9.900 twice. She won the vault title at Penn State for her efforts. Leonard-Baker was the team leader on bars, earning a 9.900-plus nine times. Justine Callis was the best on beam for ASU and was even named Pac-12 Specialist of the Week for her career-high 9.925 at UCLA, which won the beam title. She also scored a 9.900 in the last regular season meet. On floor, Leonard-Baker, Corinne Belkoff and Kaitlyn Szafranski all shone. Leonard-Baker earned a 9.900-plus six times, Belkoff scored a 9.900 three times while Kaitlyn Szafranski scored a 9.925 once.
On the whole, the team scored a 9.900 or better 22 times. In addition to the gymnasts listed above, Morgan Wilson also scored a 9.900 on bars. Individuals won two vault titles, seven bars titles, three beam titles, five floor titles and three all-around titles.
Many Gym Devils contributed up and down the lineups. Heather Udowitch was a consistent presence on beam and floor, Ashley Szafranski competed on beam and a few times on bars and Jessica Ginn was a regular on vault and floor. Graycee Rushton competed on vault three times while freshman Jasmine Gutierrez saw time on beam four times and vault twice.
Smart Devils
Continuing with the strong academic tradition of the Gym Devils, nine gymnasts earned conference academic honors, tying last season's program record. The six on the first team is a new program record, surpassing the previous high of five in 2011. The six on the first team are Corinne Belkoff, Jessica Ginn, Anne Kuhm, Kaitlyn Szafranski, Ashley Szafranski and Heather Udowitch. On the second team, the Gym Devils represented are Morgan Hart and Morgan Wilson. Justine Callis is the Sun Devil receiving an honorable mention.
Belkoff and Udowitch earned prestigious scholarships following the school year. Belkoff earned the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and Udowitch received the NCAA Women's Enhancement Graduate Scholarship.
Coming in 2020…
Next year, the Gym Devils will be without the six seniors on this year's roster but will add a talented group of freshmen. ASU will host the 2019 National Champion Oklahoma and the 2018 National Champion UCLA. Fans can get their season tickets now at SunDevilTickets.com.