March 28, 2007
Pacific-10 Championships Ticket Information
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Complete Release in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
This Week --
The Arizona State women's gymnastics team hosts the Pacific-10 Conference Championships this Saturday,March 31st at Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils, under 27th-year head coach John Spini, return 12 gymnasts to the squad. After finishing ninth at last year's Championships and taking first in the North Central Regional, Spini and the Sun Devils look to compete in the NCAA Championships again this season. Spini is currently ASU's longest-tenured head coach, and is second on the all-time Sun Devil head coaching list. Former Sun Devil women's tennis coaching legend Anne Pittman holds the distinction as the longest-tenured ASU head coach at 31 seasons. Spini's regular-season record is now 318-125-2. His won-loss record at home is 170-29-1.
ASU In The Rankings --
The Arizona State women's gymnastics team was ranked 11th in the Preseason Coaches' Poll released by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches. The Sun Devils came back into the Top 25 this week with an RQS of 194.755. ASU is ranked 21st on beam. Nicole Harris broke into the Top 25 in the all-around this week, standing at 23rd with an RQS of 39.265. April Boone is ranked 16th on floor with an RQS of 9.890.
 Sophomore All-American Nicole Harris is ranked 23rd in the all-around  |
|
ASU Faces Nation's Finest --
The Sun Devils have faced seven of the top-ranked programs in the country, four of which are in the Pacific-10 Conference, according to the preseason coaches poll. The Sun Devils began their season at No. 8 Stanford on Jan. 19, hosted No. 5 UCLA on Jan. 26, competed at No. 12 Oregon State on Feb. 2, hosted No. 10 Oklahoma in the annual UNO's Classic on Feb. 9, traveled to No. 16 Arizona on Feb. 23 and hosted No. 15 Arkansas on March 16. The Sun Devils capped their regular season at Utah, which was ranked No. 2 in the preseason.
Arizona State and Pac-10 Championships --
The Sun Devils finished fourth last season at the Pac-10 Championships, held in Corvallis, Ore. The Sun Devils scored a 193.900. Ashley Kelly was named to the All-Pac-10 Team after finishing second on beam and fourth in the all-around. ASU has won the meet four times (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986) and finished second five times (1980, 1984, 1988, 1995 and 1996). The Devils have finished third on six occasions (1981, 1989, 1990, 1994,1999 and 2003). ASU has finished in the top three in the league in 15 of the 26 meets it has been a part of. ASU is 2-4 against Pac-10 opponents this season.
ASU to Host Pacific-10 Conference Championships --
Tickets for the 2007 Pacific-10 Gymnastics Championships held on March 31 at 5:00 p.m. PT at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., are now on sale. Five of the seven teams in the Pac-10 were ranked in the preseason poll, including the Sun Devils.
Tickets are $20 for reserved tickets. General admission tickets for adults are $12. Students, persons age 18 and under and seniors can purchase tickets for $7. Groups of 25- plus can buy tickets for $5 each. To purchase tickets, call the Sun Devil Ticket Office at (480) 727-0000. Ticket order forms are also available online at www.thesundevils.com.
 Senior Cassandra Jusino, along with fellow seniors Lisa Lanza and April Boone, competes one last time at Wells Fargo Arena. |
|
Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week--
Senior April Boone has been named Pacific-10 Conference Gymnast of the Week for March 13 - 19, announced by Commissioner Tom Hansen. Boone, of Seattle, Wash., won the all-around title with a career-best score of 39.600 on her Senior Night. Currently ranked 39th in the nation in the all-around, Boone has won the all-around competition three weeks in a row. She posted scores of 9.900 in every event, taking first on vault, bars, and floor and placing second on beam. The senior captain's bar score tied her career-high in the apparatus while her 9.900 on vault has been her highest score of the season. This is Boone's first time being named Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week.
Returning All-American -
Sophomore Nicole Harris comes back to the Sun Devil squad as the lone returning All-American. Last season Harris capped her stellar season by gathering second team All-American status on beam after scoring a 9.875 at the NCAA Championships in Corvallis, Ore. Harris shined at Oregon State when she won the all-around competition with a score of 39.400. Along with winning the all-around, Harris also vaulted her way to tie for first on the vault with a career-best 9.900. The sophomore also scored season-high scores on bars (9.850) and beam (9.875) to take first in both events. At UNO's Classic, Harris recorded her career-high on beam, a 9.950. Harris continued to shine at Arizona, where she won her second all-around competition of the season with a 39.125. The sophomore also won bars, tying her season-high 9.850. She finished second on beam with a 9.850. Against Washington, Harris tied her season-high on bars again as well as set a new floor personal record with a 9.900.
Ti(ana) Time--
After competing mainly on bars last season, sophomore Tiana Jean has stepped up and become a solid competitor on three events this season. Steadily improving each week, the sophomore from Mesa, Ariz., posted career-best scores of 9.850 on beam and 9.800 on floor against Arkansas. Jean also posted the team's second-highest bar score of the season against Washington with a career-best 9.875. Last week at Utah, Jean bested her floor career-high again by posting 9.825.
Droppin' Dimes--
Senior captain April Boone scored her first 10.0 on beam against Washington. Her perfect scored marked the only 10.0 on beam in the country thus far this season. This is her second career 10 as Boone scored a 10.0 on vault last season.
Beaming Devils---
The Devils posted the highest team beam score in the nation with a 49.575 three weeks ago against Washington. Five of the six women competing posted career-highs, including April Boone's 10.0. Senior Cassandra Jusino scored her career-high on the event with a 9.950. Sophomores Ashlee Hinkle and Ashley Toner also tallied career-highs of 9.900. Another career-high was recorded on beam by Tiana Jean who posted 9.825. No 1 Florida has also posted the same score as the Sun Devils.
Fantastic Fans --
The Sun Devils have had two of their largest crowds since 2001 this season. Three weeks ago, 2,008 fans came out to watch the Sun Devils topple the Washington Huskies. Earlier this season, a crowd of 1,834 watched ASU take on UCLA.
Injury Update --
The Sun Devils have been plagued with injuries this season. Sophomore Tia Orlando will not compete this season due to rehabilitating a torn ACL. Junior Josie Hancock is retiring from gymnastics due to chronic injuries.
The Sun Devils suffered a devastating loss when senior all-arounder Lauren Powell tore her anterior cruciate ligament while practicing beam. The senior has been one of the most consistent on the all-around this season and has also posted one of the season-high scores on bars this year as well.
"We are very devastated as a team for Lauren," head coach John Spini said, "The other girls are going to need to step up."
 Sophomore Tiana Jean scored a career-best 9.825 on floor last week at Utah. |
|
2007 Results --
3/23: at Utah: The Arizona State women's gymnastics team posted its highest away score of the season, but were defeated 196.650-194.950 by the No. 5 Utah Utes. Sophomore Nicole Harris placed third in the all-around with a score of 39.375 and senior Cassandra Jusino took fourth with a 39.150. April Boone scored a 9.875 on vault, beam and floor, while Harris tied her season-high on bars with a 9.875. Tiana Jean scored a career-best 9.825 on floor.
3/16: vs. Arkansas: April Boone won her third straight all-around competition with a career-best 39.600 on Senior Night, but the No. 23 Sun Devils were defeated 196.175-195.125 by No. 11 Arkansas. Boone also came in first on vault, bars, and floor and second on beam. She scored 9.900 in every event. The Devils posted the highest bar score of the season with a 49.125. Nicole Harris came in second with a season-best 9.875. Tiana Jean recorded two career-bests on beam (9.850) and floor (9.800).
3/11: at Cal-State Fullerton: Despite April Boone taking first in the all-around, the No. 21 Sun Devils fell to Cal-State Fullerton 193.175-193.550 in front of a crowd of 150. Boone took first in the all-around with a 39.350. Nicole Harris finished third with a 38.450. Boone won floor with a 9.900 and tied with Harris for first on beam with a 9.875. Cassandra Jusino tied for second on floor with a 9.875. Boone and Lisa Lanza also tied for second on bars with 9.800. Lanza's score maks her career-high in the event.
3/2: vs. Washington: In a night highlighted by career-highs, the Sun Devils defeated Washington 196.525-194.450 in front of a season-record crowd of 2,008. Senior April Boone scored her first career 10.00 on beam. The senior also won floor (9.925) and the all-around (39.475). The Sun Devils scored the highest team beam score in the nation, thus far this season with a 49.575. Cassandra Jusino came in second behind Boone on beam with a career-high 9.950. Sophomores Ashlee Hinkle (9.900), Ashley Toner (9.900) and Tiana Jean (9.825) also posted career-highs on the apparatus. Nicole Harris posted a career-best 9.900 to take second on vault. The sophomore also took second on vault (9.875), bars (9.850) and third in the all-around 39.225.
2/23: at Arizona: Despite having the two top finishers in the all-around, Arizona State fell to No. 13 Arizona 195.000-193.975. Nicole Harris finished first in the all-around with a 39.125 and Cassandra Jusino placed second with a 39.0. Harris also won bars, tying her season-high of 9.850 and placed second on beam with a 9.850. Ashlee Hinkle won beam with a season-high 9.875. Jusino tied for first on floor with a 9.850 and April Boone placed second on vault with a 9.825.
2/9: UNO's Classic: The 21st ranked Sun Devils placed second at the UNO's Classic with a season-high score of 196.275. April Boone won vault with a season-high 9.850 and also took first on floor with a career-best 9.950. Nicocle Harris won beam with a career-high 9.950. Senior Cassandra Jusino was close behind Harris, with a career-high 9.950. Jusino also placed second in the all-around with 39.400. Harris took third with a 39.350, Boone fourth (39.250), and Powell fifth (39.125). Powell tied for second on bars, tying her season-high 9.850. Powell also scored a season-high on beam (9.850) and floor (9.825). Ashlee Hinkle also scored a season-high 9.850 on beam.
2/2: at Oregon State: No. 17 Arizona State fell to No. 16 Oregon State 195.825-193.300. Nicole Harris had a stellar meet, placing first in the all-around with a 39.400. The returning All-American also took first on bars (9.850) and beam (9.875), posting season-best scores on both events. She also tied for first on vault with a career-best 9.900. Lauren Powell scored a season-best 9.875 on vault to place third. She also recorded a season-high on the floor with a 9.800. April Boone continued to show her consistency on beam with a 9.850. Boone also scored 9.775 on vault and bars. Cassndra Jusino scored another 9.775 on the beam.
1/26: vs. UCLA: The Sun Devils posted a season-high 195.275 in their loss against No. 6 UCLA. April Boone placed first on floor with a season-high 9.9 and placed second in the all-around (39.350). She also tied for second on vault (9.825) and beam (9.825). Lauren Powell took first on vault (9.85). Ashlee Hinkle tied with Boone for second on beam with a 9.825. Nicole Harris also tied for second on floor with a season-high 9.85 and tied with teammates Boone and Cassandra Jusino for second on vault (9.825). Jusino took third in the all-around (39.200).
1/19: at Stanford: ASU scored a 193.075 in its season opening loss against the Cardinal. Lauren Powell placed third (39.050) in her first all-around competition since the 2005 season. April Boone posted a 9.850 on both beam and floor placing third in both those events. Cassandra Jusino scored a 9.850 on vault to tie for second place.