After some early-season inconsistencies, Arizona State has found its rhythm, posting three consecutive scores in the 196s. However, all of those performances came at home, and to improve their NQS, the Sun Devils need to prove they can match that level on the road. They’re led by all-arounder Emily White, who delivered a standout 39.575 last week, highlighted by 9.950s on both floor and bars. Another performance of that caliber will be crucial if Arizona State wants to leave this meet with both a win and a rankings boost.
BYU, on the other hand, has yet to crack the 196 mark—though it came close last week. Inconsistencies on bars and beam have held the Cougars back, but if they can put together a complete meet, they have the potential to challenge Arizona State for the win. A season-high performance here could be a turning point and provide a much-needed boost to BYU’s postseason outlook.
Rotation 1: BYU VT, ASU UB
Dudley (BYU): Yfull with a sizeable bounce back and a tiny shuffle. 9.675
Platkin (ASU): Piked Jaeger, very short handstand, catches her pak super close and has to take an extra swing. Full in with a small hop back. 9.6, ASU will want to drop that.
Earl (BYU): Yhalf with a bit of pike in the hips. Looked stuck but on replay you can see she slides a bit. 9.825
Lee (ASU): Piked jaeger to overshoot. Nice blind full to double tuck with a hop in place. 9.75
Kirkham (BYU): Yfull, not the most height but nice position in the air and a medium hop back. 9.825
Smith (ASU): Straddle jaeger, bail, hard to tell the position from this camera angle. Nice final handstand, double lay with a hop back and a shuffle. 9.75
Jorgensen (BYU): Full on pike off with a hop. Not the most precise on the table but clean in the air. 9.825
Mangahas (ASU): Piked jaeger to overshoot. Full in dismount, so high and a small hop back. 9.85
Eaquinto (BYU): Yfull with a small shuffle in place. 9.825
White (ASU): Van Leeuwen, bail, gorgeous handstand positions. Gorgeous double layout in the air, but can’t absorb the landing and takes a big step backwards. 9.775
Silva (BYU): Yfull, pike down but stuck! 9.875
Clark (ASU): Straddle jaeger, pak, CRISP half pirouette. Double lay, and sticks it! ASU needed that routine. 9.825
Hoke (BYU ex.): Yfull, very similar to all the 9.825 vaults with a bit of pike down and a small hop. 9.8
Gregoire (ASU ex.): Misses the first pirouette and has to take an extra swing. Repeats and goes into a Gienger. Low handstand, but better position in the bail. Double lay with a big step back. 8.9
Bramblett-Wilde (BYU ex.): Ytucked full with a medium hop back. 9.725
After 1: BYU 49.175, ASU 48.950
The Cougars have the lead after one rotation! BYU showed consistency on vault, with four 9.825s, and will want to keep this momentum going as the meet progresses. A season high on vault is a phenomenal way to start senior night. A leadoff 9.600 and an inability to find landings kept Arizona State’s bars score under 49, and the Sun Devils will need to bounce back on vault.
Rotation 2: ASU VT, BYU UB
Lichtman (ASU): Yfull, nice pop off the table and a small hop back. And it’s yet another 9.825
Also I love how Lichtman’s lipstick perfectly matches ASU’s leo.
Kirkham (BYU): Maloney, some leg separation, nice bail. Double lay, nice in the air with a small hop. 9.775
Braaflat (ASU): Yfull, lands deep in the knees but muscles out a hop to the side. 9.65
Jorgensen (BYU): Pretty Ray to start, clean bail. Double lay, releases the bar a bit early and takes hop back and then a step. 9.825
Smith (ASU): Yfull, slightly soft knees with a medium bounce back. 9.8
Eaquinto (BYU): Maloney, pak, good form on both. Whips the double lay around, small hop back. 9.85
White (ASU): Yfull, lovely form in the air with a big hop back.
Glazier (BYU): Straddle Jaeger, slightly low on the bail. Beautiful final handstand, double lay with a small hop. 9.825
Purler (ASU): Full on pike off, sits it down. 9.1
Bramblett-Wilde (BYU): Ray to a crooked overshoot. Double lay, gets the stick! 9.9
Mangahas (ASU): Yfull, tries too hard for the stick and has to take a step forward. 9.7
Alvarado (BYU): Maloney with leg separation to a slightly loose bail. Nice final handstand, double lay with a big step back. 9.775
Kowan (ASU ex.): Front handspring pike half with a hop back. 9.7
Earl (BYU ex.): Maloney to bail, leg separation on both. Double lay, the smallest of shuffles on landing. 9.75
Tenesch (BYU ex.): Very low first handstand, Maloney to pak, both with leg separation. Suddenly slips over the low bar and falls. Wild blind full to double tuck, but sticks it. 8.925
After 2: BYU 98.350, ASU 97.750
Another 49+ rotation means that BYU has extended its lead after two rotations. If the Cougars can keep up this performance on beam and floor, they should break 196. A no-stick rotation and counting a 9.650 means that Arizona State has a bit of a hole to dig out of to get the big road score it’s looking for.
Rotation 3: BYU BB, ASU FX
Dudley (BYU): Bhs loso, solid. Switch leap, straddle quarter, hard to gauge position from this camera angle. Full turn with a balance check. Cat leap to side aerial with a small shoulder dip. RO 1.5 twist with a hop forward. 9.775
Lee (ASU): Opens with a front double twist, bit of a wonky lunge out of it. Back 1.5 to front lay, hops into the lunge. Her dancing sort of feels like it’s happening in slow motion. Switch ring, ring position isn’t bad. Finishes with a Rudi, cleanest landing of the three passes. 9.725
Millar-Crossman (BYU): Bhs loso with a wobble. Quick full turn. Cat leap to switch half, confident. Beat jump to split half is solid. Front full with a small step. 9.775
Clark (ASU): Double tuck, so clean and controlled. Back 1.5 to front lay. Slightly crunched in her leap pass. Double back, lands short and bounces forward into the lunge. 9.675
Hoke (BYU): Bhs loso, the tiniest of hip checks. Great control in her full turn. Split jump, straddle half with a small bobble. Side aerial, clean. RO 1.5 twist, college stick, but doesn’t bring her heels together and steps into the salute. 9.75
Braaflat (ASU): Full twisting double back to open, steps forward into the lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay, much better control. Leap pass starts off nice but direction and split positions both get muddled by the end. 9.8
Margraf-Benson (BYU): Front aerial to back tuck, really difficult and super solid! Cat leap to front toss, again very confident. Quickly through the full turn. Switch leap to split leap, back leg a little bent on both. Front full with a small hop forward. 9.825
Purler (ASU): Double pike, can’t quite hold onto the lunge and front foot comes up. Rudi to a slightly wild double stag. Switch ring to wolf full, similar form to Lee. Front lay to front full, much better control on landing. 9.75
Andersen (BYU): Bhs loso, no major issues. Beat jump to straddle half is good. Clean full turn. Cat leap to side aerial, solid. Bhs to gainer full, stuck! 9.925
Smith (ASU): Double pike, big lunge but the front foot doesn’t move. Front full to front lay, dances out of it. Tour jete half into straddle half is clean. Sky high double tuck and good control on landing. 9.85
Alvarado (BYU): Tentative full turn but no issues. Bhs loso, good. Cat leap to side somi. Switch leap to bhs swingdown, such a crowd pleaser! RO 1.5 with a step back. 9.8
White (ASU): Front double twist to stag leap to open. Switch ring to switch half, best ring position of the rotation. Back 1.5 to a floaty front lay. What a pretty routine! 9.9
Eaquinto (BYU ex.): Clean full turn. Beat jump to split half with a wobble. Cat leap but doesn’t connect it to anything. Bhs gainer full stuck. 9.7
Mangahas (ASU ex.): Opening pass is a full twisting double back. Closes with a pretty double tuck followed by a clean leap pass. 9.8
Schooley-Meyers (BYU ex.): Bhs loso with a small hip check. Quick full turn. Hitch kick to side aerial, solid. Straddle jump to a very low straddle half. Gainer full with a hop. 9.775
After 3: BYU 147.450, ASU 146.775
Barring a disaster on floor, BYU should walk away from this meet with a 196+ and a win. Arizona State’s floor was solid but unspectacular, and will need at least a 49.225 to put up a 196+ away score. That’s within this team’s abilities, but no small ask by any means.
Rotation 4: ASU BB, BYU FX
Lee (ASU): Split leap to full turn is clean. Bhs bhs loso, swings the arms around and back to avoid a wobble. Beat jump to sheep jump, very confident. RO 1.5 twist with a small hop. 9.85
Millar-Crossman (BYU): Opens with a massive double tuck. Clean in her leaps. Closes with a front lay to front full. 9.85
Kowan (ASU): Love the control on her press handstand mount. Front aerial to bhs, slow connection but I think she kept her arms moving the whole time. Careful full turn. Side aerial with a small check but tries to disguise it with the beat jump. Switch leap switch leap, wobbles and then goes into the last leap. Cat leap to back gainer full, stuck. Interesting to see what the judges will do with this routine with two broken connections. 9.65
Matern (BYU): Front double twist, big lunge out of it. Back 1.5 to front lay, good control on landing. Switch ring to wolf full, doesn’t quite hit the ring position. Punch rudi, great landing. 9.8
Lichtman (ASU): Bhs loso, solid. Very speedy inside full turn. Switch leap, straddle quarter, no wobbles. Front aerial to beat jump, very confident. RO 1.5 twist, slightly wild in the legs with a tiny adjustment on landing. 9.8
Dudley (BYU): Double pike, a little off balance in her lunge. Great oversplit in her leaps. Front full to front lay, good control. Double tuck to close. 9.85
Smith (ASU): Opens with a switch half sideways on the beam. Kicks out of the full turn. Bhs loso is good. Standing layout to beat jump, beautiful. Switch leap to straddle quarter, solid. RO 1.5 twist with a small hop forward. 9.825
Schooley-Meyers (BYU): Back 1.5 to front lay. I like her upbeat choreo. Switch ring position is a bit questionable. Ends the routine with a clean double tuck. 9.875
Clark (ASU): Lovely control in her full turn. Bhs bhs loso, rock solid. Split jump to straddle quarter, good. Front aerial to beat jump, no problem. Front gainer full, stuck. Great routine! 9.875
Eaquinto (BYU): Double pike, great control into the lunge. I couldn’t quite tell if she was going for a ring position in her switch half. Per the commentator she was. Back 1.5 to front lay, good judgement on her lunge to keep it in bounds. 9.925
White (ASU): Needs a 9.875 for Arizona State to break 196. Bhs loso, slight shoulder dip. Clean full turn. Front aerial to beat jump is confident. Split jump to double stag, I love how she attacks the beam. Bhs to 1.5 twist with a small hop forward. And she gets the 9.875!
Andersen (BYU): BYU already has at least a 196.750. A very similar switch ring half to Eaquinto. Rudi to straddle jump, pretty. Camera angles were a bit wild on the leaps but I think they were ok. Back 1.5, front lay with some knees but the landing is ok. 9.825
Purler (ASU ex.): Full turn with a small check. Cat leap to side aerial to two feet and falls. Switch leap to straddle quarter is good. Full twist with a step forward.
Margraf-Benson (BYU ex.): Continues the BYU trend of slightly questionable switch rings to the corner. Her signature Rudi to bhs to Onodi. Precise in her leap pass. Back 1.5 to front lay to close.
Kirkham (BYU): Opens with a front lay to Rudi. Double pike, steps on the line. Maybe a toe was out of bounds? I don’t think the flag went up. Last pass is back 1.5, has to tuck the front lay and falls.
FINAL: BYU 196.775 ASU 196.000
What a night for BYU! The Cougars had a fantastic senior night and blew their previous season high out of the water. Arizona State struggled at points, but keeps its 196 streak alive. The Sun Devils will still be hunting for a bigger road score, but that beam performance showed the high caliber of gymnastics the team is capable of. Emily White prevented a BYU sweep of individual titles with a 39.375 all-around score.
VT: Silva (BYU) – 9.875
UB: Bramblett-Wilde (BYU) – 9.900
BB: Andersen (BYU) – 9.925
FX: Eaquinto (BYU) 9.925
AA: White (ASU) – 39.375
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
