No. 22 Gym Devils Record Highest Team Score Since 2007

By Mary Kate Lau, SDA Communications

TEMPE, Ariz.-- The 22nd-ranked Arizona State women's gymnastics team defeated BYU 196.200-194.525 on Saturday in Wells Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils' score of 196.200 is the highest team score recorded by the team since 2007 when the team hit 196.275 twice against Oklahoma and Cal.

The meet also saw a career high 9.900 vault for sophomore Carissa Kraus and a season-high and meet high 9.875 for junior Morgan Steigerwalt on floor. It was also the first time this season ASU has scored above a 49.000 on three of its four events as a team.

The meet was close all night between the teams: A .050 differential after one rotation, one-tenth after two and .025 going into the final rotation. The team stayed steady with a 49.100 to take advantage of BYU’s missteps on beam and pull off the signature win.

The Sun Devils started out fiery on vault in their pink leotards in honor of Breast Cancer research.  They put up huge numbers with Senior Sammie Seaman’s 9.800, Sophomore Allie Salas’ 9.825 and Sundby’s 9.850. Then, Kraus put up a colossal 9.900 vault for a career high. Sophomore Erin Hamister brought a momentary quiet to Wells Fargo Arena as she hit the vault table, but gave a thumbs up to the crowd. Sophomore Kristine Levin brought momentum back to the team, hitting a 9.600.

Bars was solid as always for ASU, scoring a 49.100, the third time this year the team scored above 49.000 on the event. Sophomore Brianna Gades led the Sun Devils and the meet with a 9.875, matching a career high.

Beam, an event ASU has struggled with this season, went off without a hitch. Gades notched her second 9.875 of the night, another matched career high. Freshman Gilly Hogue also came back from injury and hit a 9.800.

The Gym Devils then did what they’ve done all season on floor, showing why they’re a top-25 team on the event. Steigerwalt, Seaman and Sophomore Risa Perez all put up scores above 9.800. The meet was easily in their hands after Natasha Sundby scored a 9.775 to close out the meet, as BYU had to count two falls on beam.

Next Saturday, the Gym Devils take on instate rival Arizona alongside the men’s gymnastics team at 4 p.m. in Tempe. The meet will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network by Jim Watson and Amanda Pflugrad.