TEMPE, Ariz. - No. 16 Sun Devil Gymnastics scored its highest team score since 2006 with a 197.150, taking second to No. 3 Utah's 197.450 in Desert Financial Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Notable Stats
Quotes
Arizona State Head Coach Jay Santos
"Firstly, I want to say that that was a lot of fun. It was exciting; we marked this meet as something we wanted to come out and make a statement at and show what this team is capable of. For the last couple weeks, we've been mentally preparing them to come out and show what they can do, and I'm thrilled with the performance today. We blinked just a little on beam and let it dip just a tiny bit, but the other three events we stared them right in the face and gave them everything we had. I'm really proud of this team and how they showed up today, and I'm really excited for what they can do moving on."
On what a 197.000 means to him and the program:
"It's one of those milestones in gymnastics that means quite a bit. It shows that we can be with those top tier teams in the country if we are capable of doing this and doing it repeatedly. Those performances we saw tonight were fantastic. We got going right away on vault and it just rolled from there. As to how we keep it going, we just keep working with this young group to make them a little mentally stronger and take care of a couple more details here and there. We want them competing right in that zone they were at today. There was no fear for them, and they just went out and attacked and thrived with what they were doing and that's where we need to be."
On pre-meet and post-meet attitude going against Utah:
"We told them that we thought we could compete against them, simple as that. We shouldn't shy away from this meet whatsoever. We talked about how we can be at that level and compete with Utah and see where it goes from there. Coming out of this meet, I think that's what we proved to ourselves as much as anyone else. This is a young group, but they're talented, and these are moments that you've got to show up for. As a big meet on the (Pac-12) network, you really have to show up, and I think they did a really good job of that today."
On momentum for the rest of the season:
"It's obviously a huge confidence boost, to be that close to a No. 3 team in the country and have the performance we just did. It wasn't perfect, there's room for improvement in a couple routines here and there. As far as building off of that, this is going to be a huge confidence boost for the team. We just have to keep them dialed in, get back to work next week, keep being diligent with what we have to do in the gym and go back next week and work on repeating the same performance."
On biggest positives to this meet was:
"Utah is a great team; they've got phenomenal athletes and they're going to keep putting up routine after routine. I think one of the biggest things I saw is we did the same thing. They would put up a big score and there would be no flinch from us; we would turn right around and bring it back with another big score. We kept putting pressure on them from the start, and they answered, but so did we. Every time a big routine would come up or if we would have a small mistake, the next kid in the lineup fired it right back and got it going again and got that energy back up. I think one of the biggest things is getting the confidence out of this meet and taking that and running with it."
Senior Cairo Leonard-Baker
On surpassing 49.000 on vault:
"It was surreal, the way we kept going and the scores kept coming. On every single vault, more and more energy kept building off of each other. I watched Hannah stick and I knew we would do our back-to-back sticks like we love to do. It was such a good feeling to get great scores for what we were doing."
On what they can take from ranked meets:
"I feel like we learn more about ourselves going against such big opponents because we learn how to stay focused and in our own bubble and not let what they're doing affect what we're doing. Finishing an event and seeing that we're ahead of them or only a tiny bit behind them creates so much energy when we go on to that next routine or next event. It feels great."
On season high on floor, and keeping momentum for the season:
"Honestly, I feel like this validated how we feel at practice, and how we feel like we are such an amazing team and compete better than we have in the past. This meet just solidified everything that we know that we are. I know that getting a 197.000 again isn't going to be hard for us because once you do it the first time, you can do it forever, and I think that's what we are going to hold on to."
Sophomore Hannah Scharf
On what it means to finally surpass 197.000:
"This is only my second year, but ASU hasn't gotten a 197.000 since 2006, so this is a really big stepping stone and I'm just grateful that I am a part of this and I was able to contribute."
On expecting to be ahead of Utah:
"It was surreal, but at the same time, I don't want to say that we were surprised. We have really been trying to nail in practice this week that we are just as good, if not better than Utah. We were proving to ourselves that we can get these high scores and be up there with them. I don't think we were surprised, but it was a really good feeling."
Final Results
The Gym Devils led the Utes after the first rotation with their blistering 49.350. Scarf and Leonard-Baker led the way on vault, both scoring a 9.900. Three other Gym Devils had a personal best for this event: Jada Mangahas (9.850), Emily White (9.825), and Cassi Barbanente (9.825). ASU has not received over a 49.000 since last season against Pittsburgh.
Rotation Two: Bars, 49.375
ASU continued on its hot streak on bars, scoring above a 49.000 in every meet this season. They held a narrow lead over the Utes after the second rotation. Juliette Boyer led with a 9.925, a career high for her and the best bars score of the season for the Sun Devils. Sarah Clark also earned 9.900, matching her career high from last week. Hannah Scarf scored a 9.875 for the third consecutive week and Leonard-Baker matched that score as well, tying her season best.
Rotation Three: Beam, 49.025
The Devils made it their fourth week in a row scoring over a 49.000 on beam. Clark led with a 9.850, improving from last week's score of a 9.825. Others that scored at or above a 9.800 were White with a 9.825, and Megan Thompson with a 9.800.
Rotation Four: Floor, 49.400
Three Gym Devils had a career high floor score today: Scharf led with 9.925, and Graie Reeves and Clark also set personal records today (9.850 and 9.875, respectively). Mangahas had a 9.850, and anchor Leonard-Baker closed with a 9.900, a season high for the senior. This was their second week in a row scoring over a 49.000 on floor.
Up Next
ASU will compete on the road next weekend against Cal on Sunday, February 14. The meet will be live at 3 p.m. MST on the Pac-12 Network.
The Gym Devils get the highest team score since 2006??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
It is the 14th-highest team score in program history! ?? pic.twitter.com/WtZFdy4VXQ
Notable Stats
- Despite coming up short against Utah (6-1), Arizona State (2-3) had its best meet since 2006. The 197.150 is the 14th-best score in program history and the first score of 197.000-plus since 2006. The Sun Devils led the Utes after the first and second rotations before the No. 3 team in the nation took the lead.
- The event scores for vault (49.350), bars (49.375) and floor (49.400) were all the highest of the season. This continued streaks of 49.000-plus on bars (fifth in a row), beam (fourth in a row) and floor (second in a row).
- The 49.350 on vault was Arizona State's best vault score since 2006 and the fourth-highest in the nation so far.
- Sophomore Juliette Boyer won the bars title with a 9.925, a career high for her. It is also the highest score by a Gym Devil on bars this season.
- The lone all-around competitor for ASU was sophomore Hannah Scharf, who scored a 49.475. She scored a new career best on floor with a 9.925, the highest floor score of the season for the Sun Devils, to tie for the event title. She also matched her career highs on vault (9.900) and bars (9.875).
- Senior Cairo Leonard-Baker had her best meet of the season, scoring season highs on vault (9.900), bars (9.875) and floor (9.900). Her vault score tied a personal best as well.
- Multiple freshmen continued to earn new personal bests. Sarah Clark earned a new career high on floor with a 9.875, as well as matching her career best on bars with a 9.900. Jada Mangahas scored a 9.850 on vault for her new best and tied her career high on floor (9.850). Emily White and Cassi Barbanente both scored 9.825s on vault, both career highs. Anaya Smith scored a 9.875 on vault to match her career high.
- Sophomore Gracie Reeves led off on floor and earned a new personal best, scoring a 9.850.
WHAT A MEET ???? pic.twitter.com/N94J3a22ck
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
Quotes
Arizona State Head Coach Jay Santos
"Firstly, I want to say that that was a lot of fun. It was exciting; we marked this meet as something we wanted to come out and make a statement at and show what this team is capable of. For the last couple weeks, we've been mentally preparing them to come out and show what they can do, and I'm thrilled with the performance today. We blinked just a little on beam and let it dip just a tiny bit, but the other three events we stared them right in the face and gave them everything we had. I'm really proud of this team and how they showed up today, and I'm really excited for what they can do moving on."
On what a 197.000 means to him and the program:
"It's one of those milestones in gymnastics that means quite a bit. It shows that we can be with those top tier teams in the country if we are capable of doing this and doing it repeatedly. Those performances we saw tonight were fantastic. We got going right away on vault and it just rolled from there. As to how we keep it going, we just keep working with this young group to make them a little mentally stronger and take care of a couple more details here and there. We want them competing right in that zone they were at today. There was no fear for them, and they just went out and attacked and thrived with what they were doing and that's where we need to be."
On pre-meet and post-meet attitude going against Utah:
"We told them that we thought we could compete against them, simple as that. We shouldn't shy away from this meet whatsoever. We talked about how we can be at that level and compete with Utah and see where it goes from there. Coming out of this meet, I think that's what we proved to ourselves as much as anyone else. This is a young group, but they're talented, and these are moments that you've got to show up for. As a big meet on the (Pac-12) network, you really have to show up, and I think they did a really good job of that today."
On momentum for the rest of the season:
"It's obviously a huge confidence boost, to be that close to a No. 3 team in the country and have the performance we just did. It wasn't perfect, there's room for improvement in a couple routines here and there. As far as building off of that, this is going to be a huge confidence boost for the team. We just have to keep them dialed in, get back to work next week, keep being diligent with what we have to do in the gym and go back next week and work on repeating the same performance."
On biggest positives to this meet was:
"Utah is a great team; they've got phenomenal athletes and they're going to keep putting up routine after routine. I think one of the biggest things I saw is we did the same thing. They would put up a big score and there would be no flinch from us; we would turn right around and bring it back with another big score. We kept putting pressure on them from the start, and they answered, but so did we. Every time a big routine would come up or if we would have a small mistake, the next kid in the lineup fired it right back and got it going again and got that energy back up. I think one of the biggest things is getting the confidence out of this meet and taking that and running with it."
MOOD ?? pic.twitter.com/hGbNTOUhrX
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
Senior Cairo Leonard-Baker
On surpassing 49.000 on vault:
"It was surreal, the way we kept going and the scores kept coming. On every single vault, more and more energy kept building off of each other. I watched Hannah stick and I knew we would do our back-to-back sticks like we love to do. It was such a good feeling to get great scores for what we were doing."
On what they can take from ranked meets:
"I feel like we learn more about ourselves going against such big opponents because we learn how to stay focused and in our own bubble and not let what they're doing affect what we're doing. Finishing an event and seeing that we're ahead of them or only a tiny bit behind them creates so much energy when we go on to that next routine or next event. It feels great."
On season high on floor, and keeping momentum for the season:
"Honestly, I feel like this validated how we feel at practice, and how we feel like we are such an amazing team and compete better than we have in the past. This meet just solidified everything that we know that we are. I know that getting a 197.000 again isn't going to be hard for us because once you do it the first time, you can do it forever, and I think that's what we are going to hold on to."
Good vibes only ??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/l4hrBwyPv4
Sophomore Hannah Scharf
On what it means to finally surpass 197.000:
"This is only my second year, but ASU hasn't gotten a 197.000 since 2006, so this is a really big stepping stone and I'm just grateful that I am a part of this and I was able to contribute."
On expecting to be ahead of Utah:
"It was surreal, but at the same time, I don't want to say that we were surprised. We have really been trying to nail in practice this week that we are just as good, if not better than Utah. We were proving to ourselves that we can get these high scores and be up there with them. I don't think we were surprised, but it was a really good feeling."
Final Results
- Utah, 197.450
- Arizona State, 197.150
The Gym Devils led the Utes after the first rotation with their blistering 49.350. Scarf and Leonard-Baker led the way on vault, both scoring a 9.900. Three other Gym Devils had a personal best for this event: Jada Mangahas (9.850), Emily White (9.825), and Cassi Barbanente (9.825). ASU has not received over a 49.000 since last season against Pittsburgh.
The Gym Devils scored a 49.350 on vault?? This is our best vault score since 2006 ??
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/qLEgU1LySS
Rotation Two: Bars, 49.375
ASU continued on its hot streak on bars, scoring above a 49.000 in every meet this season. They held a narrow lead over the Utes after the second rotation. Juliette Boyer led with a 9.925, a career high for her and the best bars score of the season for the Sun Devils. Sarah Clark also earned 9.900, matching her career high from last week. Hannah Scarf scored a 9.875 for the third consecutive week and Leonard-Baker matched that score as well, tying her season best.
9??.9??2??5??!! Juliette Boyer gets a new career high on bars!
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/vRLGKZtERI
Rotation Three: Beam, 49.025
The Devils made it their fourth week in a row scoring over a 49.000 on beam. Clark led with a 9.850, improving from last week's score of a 9.825. Others that scored at or above a 9.800 were White with a 9.825, and Megan Thompson with a 9.800.
Sarah's triple series is just ?magical?
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
She got a 9.850!
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/12fFE6pmTE
Rotation Four: Floor, 49.400
Three Gym Devils had a career high floor score today: Scharf led with 9.925, and Graie Reeves and Clark also set personal records today (9.850 and 9.875, respectively). Mangahas had a 9.850, and anchor Leonard-Baker closed with a 9.900, a season high for the senior. This was their second week in a row scoring over a 49.000 on floor.
A CAREER-HIGH 9??.9??2??5?? FOR HANNAH SCHARF
— Sun Devil Gymnastics (@SunDevilGym) February 6, 2021
??: @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/N4v6zBLsPf
Up Next
ASU will compete on the road next weekend against Cal on Sunday, February 14. The meet will be live at 3 p.m. MST on the Pac-12 Network.