GymCats Open 2021 in Style at Utah
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Arizona Gymnastics opened the 2021 season at Utah on Saturday, riding six collegiate debuts and many outstanding performances to a final score of 195.650. Utah ultimately took home the victory, posting a 197.075 final mark.
Freshmen Taylor Raskin, Bailey McCabe, Elena Deets, Caroline Herry, Jessica Castles, and sophomore Mackenzie Barile all made their collegiate debuts for Arizona on Saturday. The group combined to post five routines at or above 9.800, including a breathtaking 9.900 beam routine from Castles.
Athlete of the Meet — Jessica Castles
Castles, a freshman from Fleet, England, made her collegiate debut on Saturday and posted a remarkable 9.900 on beam and a 9.750 on floor.
Uneven Bars
Arizona opened the meet on bars, where they scored a 48.950. The GymCats were led in the event by Deets, who anchored the rotation with a 9.875 in her first-ever college action. Malia Hargrove (9.775), Taylor Raskin (9.775), Bailey McCabe (9.800), and Deets (9.875) all participated in the event for the first time in their careers.
Vault
Up next for the Wildcats was vault, where they notched a mark of 48.775. Hargrove paced the GymCats on vault, posting a career-high score of 9.850. Laura Leigh Horton (9.700) and Caroline Herry (9.700) both made their debuts in the event.
Floor Exercise
Arizona's third rotation moved them to floor, where they registered a 48.150. Laura Leigh Horton's 9.800 was a career-best mark, and the second best of the rotation. Libby Orman led the charge for the GymCats on floor, impressing with a 9.825 mark.
Balance Beam
The Wildcats finished the meet strong with their best score of the afternoon coming in at 49.150 on beam in the final rotation. Castles (9.900), Sirena Linton (9.850), Mackenzie Barile (9.825), and Herry (9.800) all impressed in the event.
Collegiate Debuts
Taylor Raskin — UB, 9.775
Bailey McCabe — UB, 9.800
Elena Deets — UB, 9.875; BB, 9.200; FX, 9.750
Caroline Herry — VT, 9.700; BB, 9.800
Jessica Castles — BB, 9.900; FX, 9.750
Mackenzie Barile — BB, 9.825
Career Highs
Malia Hargrove — VT, 9.850
Laura Leigh Horton — FX, 9.800 (tied)
Up Next
Next for the Wildcats is their home opener against UCLA on Sunday, Jan. 31 at McKale Center. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. MST.