TEMPE, Ariz. – Led by three 9.900s or better from junior Cairo Leonard-Baker, Arizona State gymnastics scored a 196.875, its best score since 2006, to tie with No. 13 Washington in Desert Financial Arena on Sunday.
Notable Stats
Arizona State head coach Jay Santos
On today's score
"It's been coming for a while. I'm thrilled they put everything together today the way that they did. One of the themes for today was momentum - let's start, build and build and build. They did a great job of that. I'm really happy about today. We're feeling good right now. Washington is another Pac-12 team, a tough team, that we went toe-to-toe with. I really think that's going to build our confidence for the stretch next week of a couple of meets in a row. Hopefully, with this energy we can just hit our stride and finish out the year strong."
About the increase in energy
"We're trying a couple of different things. We brought out a DJ to pump up the music a little bit more to keep the crowd going. When the team's performing well, the crowd's feeding off us and we're feeding off them. Everybody's happy, everybody's in a good mood and just having a good time. But [the energy today] really came down to performance, [the team's] preparation, and how they attacked today."
Regarding the freshmen career highs
"This is what they've been building up to. We knew that they were going to need to get some experience. They're talented, they're good gymnasts. Now with the season two thirds of the way done, they've got a lot of experience under their belts and I think it's really starting to show in how they're performing and how they're preparing."
Junior Cairo Leonard-Baker
On today's meet
"It feels amazing [to be back]. With every routine I did, it felt like everything came together with myself and the team as a whole. Everything just clicked for me."
On the energy
"Our energy has been so good. We keep feeding off each other and we came out here where everything flowed. This meet shows what we're capable of. This isn't even our cap. We go into practice and do all of these amazing routines and then we get to come out here and show everyone what we're capable of and we're not done."
Team Results
T1. Arizona State, 196.875
T1. No. 13 Washington, 196.875
Rotation One – Vault, 49.275
The Gym Devils opened up the meet with a blistering score. Their 49.275 is the highest event total all season for any event. The five scores that counted were a 9.825 or better. Leonard-Baker matched her career high with a 9.900 to lead the team and won her the vault title. Redmond and Reeves both earned career highs, Redmond scoring a 9.825 and Reeves earning a 9.875.
Rotation Two – Bars, 49.250
The momentum kept up in the second rotation as all six scores were a 9.800 or better, leading to another season-high event total. Leonard-Baker led the way with her 9.950, which won her third event title on bars this season. The Gym Devils warmed up the bars for her, as Morgan Hart and Juliette Boyer brought in 9.825s before Reeves earned a career-best 9.850, setting up Leonard-Baker for her big score.
Rotation Three – Beam, 49.125
All five scores that counted on beam were a 9.800 or better, pushing Arizona State to yet another season-high event total. This was the first time this season the Gym Devils have surpassed 49.000 on beam. Megan Thompson led off the third rotation by tying her career high on beam with a 9.825. After a fall, Wilson brought the team back with her steadiness, scoring a 9.800. Reeves and Scharf capped it off with back-to-back 9.850s.
Rotation Four – Floor, 49.225
With a slim .050 lead over the Dawgs, the Sun Devils needed a big floor number. They had a slow start with a pair of 9.775s, but Wilson earned a career-high 9.825 to get the team back to big scores. After a 9.850 from Scharf and a 9.875 from Ginn, Leonard-Baker brought it home with a season-high 9.900. Like all of the other events, this event total was also a season high.
Up Next
The Gym Devils will travel to the Bay Area to take on No. 25 Stanford on March 2. The meet will be live on the Pac-12 Plus Live Stream.
A MOOD. ??#GymDevils pic.twitter.com/uazH24YQkc
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 23, 2020
Notable Stats
- Arizona State (4-6-1) scored season high event totals in all four events en route to a tie with No. 13 Washington (6-1-1). ASU scored a 49.275 on vault, its highest event score for any event this season.
- This is the Sun Devils' best team score since 2006 when they got a 196.950 and is the 18th best score in program history.
- ASU scored over a 196.000 for the second time this season.
- Junior Cairo Leonard-Baker had a spectacular meet, scoring a 9.900 or better in all three events she competed: vault (9.900), bars (9.950) and floor (9.900). All three of those numbers are season highs for her.
- Leonard-Baker's 9.950 on bars is the best score by any ASU gymnast this season in any event. It is the first 9.950 since she earned the same mark on bars at the 2019 Pac-12 Championship.
- The Gym Devils won three event titles. Leonard-Baker won on vault and bars while freshmen Gracie Reeves and Hannah Scharf tied with Washington's Evanni Roberson for first in the all-around with a 39.350. That all-around score is a career high for both of those Gym Devils.
- Career highs were handed out left and right at the meet. Freshman Isabel Redmond earned career bests on vault (9.825) and beam (9.800). Reeves scored career highs on vault (9.875), beam (9.850) and the all-around (39.350). Scharf got career highs on bars (9.800), beam (9.850) and the all-around (39.350). Finally, fifth-year senior Morgan Wilson earned a career high on floor (9.825) and in the all-around (39.250).
- Senior Jessica Ginn has yet to score below a 9.825 on floor this season, earning a 9.875 in this meet.
- This is the first tie for ASU since 2018 when the team tied for third with No. 10 Arkansas at a quad meet at Oklahoma.
QuotesWHAT A MEET!
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 23, 2020
The #GymDevils score their highest team total since 2006 and tie with No. 13 Washington! ?? pic.twitter.com/ZKA6ps2Y9h
Arizona State head coach Jay Santos
On today's score
"It's been coming for a while. I'm thrilled they put everything together today the way that they did. One of the themes for today was momentum - let's start, build and build and build. They did a great job of that. I'm really happy about today. We're feeling good right now. Washington is another Pac-12 team, a tough team, that we went toe-to-toe with. I really think that's going to build our confidence for the stretch next week of a couple of meets in a row. Hopefully, with this energy we can just hit our stride and finish out the year strong."
About the increase in energy
"We're trying a couple of different things. We brought out a DJ to pump up the music a little bit more to keep the crowd going. When the team's performing well, the crowd's feeding off us and we're feeding off them. Everybody's happy, everybody's in a good mood and just having a good time. But [the energy today] really came down to performance, [the team's] preparation, and how they attacked today."
Regarding the freshmen career highs
"This is what they've been building up to. We knew that they were going to need to get some experience. They're talented, they're good gymnasts. Now with the season two thirds of the way done, they've got a lot of experience under their belts and I think it's really starting to show in how they're performing and how they're preparing."
.@cairoleonard worked her magic on the floor. ??
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 23, 2020
She nailed a season-high 9.900 to wrap up the meet and bring in the tie for @SunDevilGym. Her routine earns the @OpusBank #12Best moment. pic.twitter.com/SEtpB6Af78
Junior Cairo Leonard-Baker
On today's meet
"It feels amazing [to be back]. With every routine I did, it felt like everything came together with myself and the team as a whole. Everything just clicked for me."
On the energy
"Our energy has been so good. We keep feeding off each other and we came out here where everything flowed. This meet shows what we're capable of. This isn't even our cap. We go into practice and do all of these amazing routines and then we get to come out here and show everyone what we're capable of and we're not done."
Team Results
T1. Arizona State, 196.875
T1. No. 13 Washington, 196.875
Rotation One – Vault, 49.275
The Gym Devils opened up the meet with a blistering score. Their 49.275 is the highest event total all season for any event. The five scores that counted were a 9.825 or better. Leonard-Baker matched her career high with a 9.900 to lead the team and won her the vault title. Redmond and Reeves both earned career highs, Redmond scoring a 9.825 and Reeves earning a 9.875.
9??.9??0??0??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 23, 2020
CLB scored the best score by any Gym Devil on vault this season, tying her career high!!
??:@Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/i95mSkU3Jy
Rotation Two – Bars, 49.250
The momentum kept up in the second rotation as all six scores were a 9.800 or better, leading to another season-high event total. Leonard-Baker led the way with her 9.950, which won her third event title on bars this season. The Gym Devils warmed up the bars for her, as Morgan Hart and Juliette Boyer brought in 9.825s before Reeves earned a career-best 9.850, setting up Leonard-Baker for her big score.
CLB ????????
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 23, 2020
Cairo scored a 9??.9??5??0??, a season high for her and for the team in any event!
??:@Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/h1hmKlgrXS
Rotation Three – Beam, 49.125
All five scores that counted on beam were a 9.800 or better, pushing Arizona State to yet another season-high event total. This was the first time this season the Gym Devils have surpassed 49.000 on beam. Megan Thompson led off the third rotation by tying her career high on beam with a 9.825. After a fall, Wilson brought the team back with her steadiness, scoring a 9.800. Reeves and Scharf capped it off with back-to-back 9.850s.
We scored a 49.125 on beam, our first time getting over a 49.000 in this event this season!! ??#GymDevils pic.twitter.com/MRqQyQ2YfR
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 23, 2020
Rotation Four – Floor, 49.225
With a slim .050 lead over the Dawgs, the Sun Devils needed a big floor number. They had a slow start with a pair of 9.775s, but Wilson earned a career-high 9.825 to get the team back to big scores. After a 9.850 from Scharf and a 9.875 from Ginn, Leonard-Baker brought it home with a season-high 9.900. Like all of the other events, this event total was also a season high.
CLB wraps up the meet with a season high 9??.9??0??0?? on floor!!#GymDevils pic.twitter.com/XiMXfAx7Ad
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 23, 2020
Up Next
The Gym Devils will travel to the Bay Area to take on No. 25 Stanford on March 2. The meet will be live on the Pac-12 Plus Live Stream.