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No. 15 Sun Devils Take Second In Tri-Meet

by thesundevils.com
Mar 11, 2022

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sending off the seniors in style, No. 15 Sun Devil Gymnastics scored a seventh-straight 196-plus with a 196.800 to beat No. 21 Boise State while taking second behind No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday night at Desert Financial Arena.

Notable Stats

  • Arizona State (6-4, 5-2 Pac-12) competed in its lone tri-meet of the season as it finished second to No. 1 Oklahoma (197.625) and beat No. 21 Boise State (195.775) on Senior Day. To finish off the regular season, the team has scored a 49-plus in all four events in the last four meets.
  • The win over Boise State is the third ranked win of the season for the Gym Devils.
  • After the meet, Arizona State honored its two seniors, Jasmine Gutierrez and Megan Thompson. Both have been primarily beam specialists, with Thompson being in the lead-off spot for all three of her seasons as a Gym Devil. They also have made floor lineups throughout their careers. The team also honored student managers Kaelynn Nadonza and Kaitlin Harvey, the latter also being a former gymnast for the first three seasons of her career.
  • Gutierrez has not scored below a 9.800 throughout her senior season on the beam. Thompson scored a 9.850 in the lead-off spot on the beam Friday to complete her senior regular season with the Gym Devils.
  • Junior Hannah Scharf won her fifth all-around title of the season with a 39.525. She was one of two Gym Devils to compete in the all-around along with sophomore Emily White, who scored a 39.300. Scharf continued being a consistent force for the Gym Devils on the bars as she did not score below a 9.825 on the bars during the regular season, earning a 9.875 tonight.
  • Sophomore Jada Mangahas has not scored below a 9.825 in the last four meets on vault and bars, scoring a 9.875 in both events tonight.
  • There were four Gym Devil scores of 9.900s with Scharf reaching 9.900 on the beam and floor and White and Sarah Clark on the bars.

Quotes
Arizona State Co-Head Coach Jay Santos
Opening statement
"It was an exciting meet to send off our seniors. We just missed the performances that we've had the last couple of weeks just by a little bit, just a couple of routines here and there that would put us back up over 197. I think they handled themselves really well, senior nights can always get away from you sometimes when they feel the emotions run too hot. I thought they were in a good spot today, especially with the No. 1 team in the country coming in."

On keys to success this season
"We kept trying to just go back and focus on the details and the gymnastics. There were a couple of different moments where we had to come back together as a group and rethink what made us successful all along. Over the last five to six weeks where they really picked up, they gained a lot of confidence and started competing the way they really knew they could."

On what the seniors mean for the program
"It's always so bittersweet. They both did great beam routines today and they kept themselves in a good spot. It's just crazy, I can't believe four years have gone by already and it's crazy to think that's gone. They've been great leaders for us this year."

Senior Megan Thompson
What has it meant to be a Sun Devil
"Honestly, it has meant the world to me, coming in my sophomore year. It has meant everything to be able to compete for my home state. I've dreamt of this my entire life and for it to become a reality is so cool, especially to be able to compete for the team and leadoff on beam every weekend. That's been something that I've taken to heart and have been able to take in every moment and be really excited about. It's been an honor to compete for ASU. It has been a great couple of years in my life that I'm never going to forget. I'm just really happy that I got the opportunity to do that."

Most memorable senior moment
"Tonight has been one of my favorite moments. It was one of those meets where you take everything in, you're able to observe it and you're more in it than you ever have been. Tonight was really special to me and it allowed me to be appreciative for everything I've been given and everyone that has been such a big support system in my career. I'm just so grateful and I think tonight was so special and something that I will never forget."

On composing themselves for the postseason after an emotional day
"I think the fire and everything we've built these last few meets has been able to show everyone who we are and what we're made of. Even though it was an emotional day I feel like we're going to use that excitement and gratefulness for being at ASU and being a Sun Devil. I think we're going to use that as momentum and to protect us into the postseason. I think we're going to use it and kill it at Pac-12's, regional, and nationals."

Senior Jasmine Gutierrez
What has it meant to be a Sun Devil
"I was really excited to be a Sun Devil but I don't think I really knew what it meant. Then I really got into it and there's so much to appreciate and so much here for us. I'm doing this for everyone here, to represent this school and that has been the biggest honor in the entire world because this place is amazing."

On the crowd reacting to her special beam skill
"I hear absolutely everything. I hear everything in the arena, I can hear my teammates cheering for me, I can hear the person in the third row in the twelfth seat saying 'oh.' I can hear all of it and it honestly has been really exciting because not a lot of people have something like that in their routine. It makes me feel really confident when I'm up there because I know I'm going up there, hit that, and then get a reaction from the fans, other schools, and it's fun to show them that ASU does some cool stuff."

On composing themselves for the postseason after an emotional day
"I think this season has been an uphill rise for us and coming off of last season we showed that we are good and even better. All that fire that we had coming off of last year and this year is going to push us no matter what. The legacy is what drives me, seeing each other in the gym doing amazing things, and tonight all of these emotions will only fuel us. After tonight I appreciate being a Sun Devil probably more than ever."

Team Results

  1. Oklahoma, 197.625
  2. Arizona State, 196.800
  3. Boise State, 195.775

Rotation One: Vault, 49.175
Mangahas and freshman Alex Theodorou led the way for the team in the first rotation, each scoring a 9.875. Theodorou has yet to score below a 9.800 in this event in 2022. Additionally, Scharf brought in a 9.850 and Reeves added a 9.800. Sophomore Anaya Smith made her season debut for the Gym Devils in the six spot.

Rotation Two: Bars, 49.425
White led the way by matching her season high with a 9.900. Clark also had a 9.900 in the second event for the Gym Devils. Theodorou reached a new career high of 9.875 in the second spot for ASU while Mangahas matched her season high 9.875 in the lead-off role. 

Rotation Three: Beam, 49.100
The two senior Gym Devils competed in the third rotation, with Thompson in the lead-off spot scoring a 9.850 and Gutierrez with a 9.825. Scharf led the team with a 9.900 with White earned a 9.850.

Rotation Four: Floor, 49.100
Scharf, in the anchor spot, had the highest score for the Gym Devils with a 9.900. Junior Jordyn Jaslow led the team off in the final rotation with a 9.825, and Theodorou matched that score. 

Up Next
The Gym Devils will travel to West Valley City, Utah for the Pac-12 Championships which will take place all day on Saturday, March 19. The championship can be viewed on the Pac-12 Network.

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