February 25, 1999
TEMPE, Ariz. - The ASU women's gymnastics team looks to get back on the winning track this week as it hosts the UNO's Classic, which will be featuring Pac-10 foe California, Denver and Illinois State. The Devils have won 15 consecutive regular-season meets at home and have won 11 of their last 14 meets overall going back to last season. The UNO's Classic will be the first assignment in an arduous week of work for the Devils. Two days later ASU heads to Lincoln, Neb., for the Masters Classic, which will feature California, Maryland and Nebraska.
UNO's Classic: Arizona State, California, Denver, Illinois State
Last Year's UNO's Classic:
Arizona State 194.275-Stanford 192.775, January 23, 1998, Tempe, Ariz.
A desperate rally fueled by its best floor score of the year, the ASU women's gymnastics team won its fifth straight meet and improved its record to 14-1 with a first-place finish of 194.325 in the UNO's Classic in front of 867 fans at the University Activity Center. The threat of handing the Devils their first setback at home since February of 1996 was supplied by second-place and No. 13 Brigham Young, No. 20 Nebraska (193.75), who it seemed would win the meet entering its final event and No. 18 Illinois (192.825). After moving through their first two events - vault and bars - with little trouble, the Sun Devils moved onto their best apparatus, the balance beam. It was on the beam, an event in which the Devils are ranked No. 4 in the nation, that ASU seemed it would lose its grip on the meet as five competitors fell. Tempering the Devils inability to keep their balance was sophomore and defending NCAA balance beam champion Elizabeth Reid who finished tied for first with a 9.8. For Reid it was the fourth time this year she finished first on the beam. With the Huskers leading by almost seven-tenths of a point (.65) entering the final event, the Devils responded by hitting a 49.25 in the floor exercise, bettering the Huskers score in their final event, the balance beam. The Devils claimed four of the top five spots in the floor exercise, including sophomore Elizabeth McNabb, who won the floor exercise for the fourth time this year with a 9.925. Also hitting in the event for the Devils were junior Lisa Vincijanovic (second, 9.875), Reid (fourth, 9.825) and freshman Becky Acker (fourth, 9.825). In the vault competition the Devils tied for first with BYU, who made a strong run in the end by surpassing Nebraska for second place. Placing second for the Devils in the vault was sophomore Amy Shelton, who recorded a 9.875. Shelton also won the uneven bars with a 9.950. Also posting key scores for ASU were seniors Carie Courtney and Meagan Wright, who tied for fourth on the bars with a 9.875. For Courtney the score was a career best. For the Devils it was their 10th consecutive success at home.
Last Week:
Stanford 195.775-Arizona State 194.250, February 19, 1999, Palo Alto, Calif.
ASU extended its road losing streak to two as inopportune falls on the balance beam and uneven bars left the Devils too much ground to have to overcome in a 195.775-194.250 setback to the Stanford Cardinal before 496 fans at Burnham Pavilion in Palo Alto, Calif. The Devils lost the meet despite recording their second-best scores of the year in the vault (48.475) and floor exercise (49.225) and seeing the return of junior all-America and co-captain Amy Shelton, who showed none of the expected rust in her first action of the season in recording a career-best 9.9 on the balance beam in her only performance of the evening. The Devils' troubles on the evening were punctuated by the team's performance on beam as it saw three or more competitors fall for the fourth time this season, which was the complete opposite result of a week earlier in which the team authored a school record 49.55 on beam. There were plenty of bright spots on the evening for ASU, who suffered only its fourth setback in the last two seasons. In the vault, sophomore Kim Skinner recorded a career-best 9.7, while in the floor exercise fellow sophomore Becky Acker recorded a season-best 9.825. Also in the floor exercise, junior all-Americas Elizabeth McNabb and Elizabeth Reid tied for second place by posting a pair of 9.9s. For McNabb, it was the 12th time in her last 15 competitions that she has recorded a 9.9 or better. On beam, senior co-captain Wendy Ellsberry led off the Devils by scoring a career-best 9.9. Also freshman Lea Carver continued her recent string of success by scoring a 9.875. In the uneven bars, freshman Britnee Bowden recorded a personal-best 9.6.
Head Coach John Spini:
The women's gymnastics program at Arizona State has come to be synonymous with words like excellence, tradition and winning, and the person largely responsible for that is John Spini. Now entering his 19th season as head coach at Arizona State, Spini has established the Sun Devils as a program that is annually among the nation's best teams. With a career record of 233-80-1, Spini's winning percentage is tops among active coaches at Arizona State (.742). During his previous 18 years at the helm of ASU gymnastics, the Sun Devils have captured four conference championships and have placed among the top eight at the NCAAs 11 times. With its second-place finish at NCAAs two years ago and its sixth-place finish last year, Arizona State posted its best back-to-back effort at the NCAAs since 1986-87, when it finished second and fifth in 1986 and '87, respectively. Spini's '98 club earned even more acclaim after becoming the lowest-seeded team (No. 11) to ever qualify for the Super Six at the NCAA Championships.
Home Cooking: The Sun Devils have won their last 15 meets at the Wells Fargo Arena going back to the 1996 season. The last time the Devils were upended at home was when then-defending national champion Utah defeated ASU 193.875-193.250 on February 2, 1996.
She's Automatic: One performer the Sun Devils always know they count count on in a pinch in the floor exercise is sophomore Becky Acker. Since the first performance of her freshman year last season, Acker has "hit" every single one of her 19 routines. Acker got her career high of 9.85 in the very first performance of her Sun Devil career last year at the Maui Invitational.
Interesting Numbers: This season's ASU gymnastics squad has seven freshmen - Britnee Bowden, Megan Carey, Lea Carver, Ruth Gill, Rhonda Robinette, Ashley Stewart and Michelle Waldram - which is the highest number since 1987, when that team had seven freshmen as well. The 1980 squad had eight freshmen. This season, the Devils have a 17-member roster, which is the highest number since the 1980 squad, which had 20 student athletes.
McNabb On Fire: Junior all-America Elizabeth McNabb has been setting the floor ablaze for the Sun Devils thus far this season. In her first five meets, McNabb has had scores of 9.95, 9.975,9.875, 9.8, 9.9 and 9.975 and has won the event in four of those six meets. McNabb is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in the floor exercise. Going back to last season, McNabb has now scored a 9.9 or better in the floor exercise in 12 of her last 15 competitions.
Welcome Amanda Borden: This season the Sun Devil gymnastics program is happy to welcome Amanda Borden as its team manager for the 1998-99 season. Borden was captain of the first-ever Gold Medal team for U.S. Women's Gymnastics in 1996 ("The Magnificent Seven"). "It thrills us to have Amanda Borden at Arizona State," says ASU coach John Spini. "She is a tremendous athlete and a tremendous person." In addition to her responsibilities with the team, Borden is also a student at Arizona State where she is pursuing a degree in communications.
Up Next: The Devils continue their difficult weekend this Sunday (Feb. 28) when they head to Lincoln, Neb., for The Masters Classic. The Masters Classic will feature California, Maryland and Nebraska. The Devils return home for their final home meet of the season next week when they face the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sun., Mar. 6 at 2 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.