Arizona State returns to its home arena after competing on the road for the past five weeks. The Gym Devils earned a season-high road score of 196.000 last week in a loss to Arizona. Showing parity and consistency, the team scored exactly 49.000 on all four events. Senior Kimberly Smith won the all-around title with a 39.325, and she will be honored in a senior day ceremony after the meet with her teammates Isabella Kowan, Caroline Lichtman, and Kayla Lee. This is the final meet of the regular season, but the team will make one more appearance in Desert Financial Arena as Arizona State hosts NCAA Regionals in April with the Gym Devils in qualifying position.
Utah State enters the meet after “one of the best weeks in program history,” winning at Southern Utah 196.875-195.725 with its third-highest score ever. The Aggies then defeated Oregon State 196.650-196.150, earning the third-highest home score in school history, while tallying season-highs on bars and floor and claiming all four event titles. It was the fourth meet in a row that Utah State has scored over 196.000, and the Aggies will want to extend that streak today. Avery Bibbey, a standout on bars, is the only Mountain West gymnast to earn an AAI Award nomination, which celebrates the nation’s top seniors for their leadership, dedication, and excellence in sport.
Southeast Missouri is set to finish the season with its best national ranking since 2021. The team is led by a large senior class, including stalwart Taylor Ingle, who has competed all-around in 25 straight meets and hopes to qualify to regionals as an individual for the second straight year. The Gymhawks scored 194.600 at the Iowa Quad Meet last week, not far off their season-high of 194.850. Floor is the lowest-ranked event for this team, so a strong showing there will be key to keeping scores climbing toward 195.000 and going into the Midwest Independent Conference championship with confidence.
The meet will be streamed on ESPN+, and scores can be found here.
Rotation 1: Arizona State VT, Utah State UB, SEMO BB
ASU vault lineup: El Mammann, Bromley, Braaflat, Purler, Smith, Gregoire
USU bars lineup: Jelen, Vater, Orengo, Bibbey, VanderToolen, Laufer
SEMO beam lineup: Reader, Fisher, Napolitano, Ingle, Parton, Kossuth
We’re getting ready to finish the regular season. There was some confusion about the start time of this week, as the schedulers didn’t take into account that most of Arizona does not observe daylight savings times, so the state is now aligned with Pacific time.
The broadcast has barely mentioned SEMO, so we likely won’t see much of that team on the livestream.
El Mammann (ASU) Yurchenko full with good straight body position, upright landing, and just a small hop. Good start to the meet. 9.775
Bromley (ASU) Yurchenko full with a pike down, slightly low chest, and a hop backward. 9.750
Braaflat (ASU) Yurckeno full with huge distance. Unfortunately a bit of pike down and a sizeable hop backward. 9.725
Jelen (USU) gets 9.800 on bars for a routine we didn’t see
Vater (USU) 9.725 on bars, also not shown
Purler (ASU) Yurchenko half on front pike off with a 9.95 start value. Livestream missed the vault, but maybe we’ll get a replay. 9.825
Reader (SEMO) 9.775 on beam, good start for her team
Orengo (USU) 9.800 on bars
Bibbey (USU) arches a handstand on high, sticks a double layout dismount. 9.750
Fisher (SEMO) 9.875 on beam
Napolitano (SEMO) does switch 3/4 and ends the combination with a wobble, BHS LOSO is solid. 9.650
VanderToolen (USU) Toe HS, Maloney to Pak, 1/2 piroutette are all good, short free hip HS, double tuck with a small hop forward. 9.775
Ingle (SEMO) Beam is the only event she isn’t anchoring. Middle splits mount, she works slowly and carefully on beam. Does BHS BHS LOSO with a slight turn to the side. Small lean on her straddle quarter. RO double full dismount with a small step with her left foot. Good routine, but not the most confident. 9.775
Laufer (USU) sticks her double tuck dismount. 9.850
Smith (ASU) 9.750 on vault
Gregoire (ASU) 9.825 on vault
Parton (SEMO) Her routine is blocked by from view by the scoring tower. BHS LOSO with a break at the waist. Switch leap into double stag. Got full split on the first element. Beat jump to straddle 3/4 with a secure landing. Gainer back full with a stuck landing but chest forward. 9.575
Kossuth (SEMO) She’s a Pheonix area native. Cartwheel to front support onto the beam. BHS BHS LOSO is rock solid. Cat leap to switch half that lacks split. Gainer full dismount is stuck. Very few deductions in that routine. 9.775
AFTER ONE: Arizona State 48.925, Utah State 48.975, SEMO 48.675
We’ve got a close one going between the top two teams. Both dropped a low of 9.725 and counted scores 9.750 and above. The anchors for each team have the high scores, Gregoire on vault at 9.825; Laufer on bars at 9.850. SEMO drops a 9.575 from Parton. The Gymhawks didn’t have any major mistakes–they just gave a tenths here and there counted scores mostly in the 9.7-range. SEMO scored 49.075 on beam at Arizona on Friday, so this is a bit of a disappointing result in rotation 1.
Rotation 2: Arizona State UB, Utah State BB, SEMO FX
ASU bars lineup: Grolla, Kelly, Ossi, Kowan, Bromley, Smith
USU beam lineup: Jelen, Orengo, Medrano, Valdez, Laufer, Witte
SEMO floor lineup: Crouch, Sams, Phillips, Parton, Kossuth, Ingle
Grolla (ASU) Toe HS, Maloney to Pak, half priouette are all performed well, archy HS on high, blind full is right on top of the bar. Double tuck is close to the bar, but she sticks it. 9.850
Jelen (USU) Beautiful switch leap, BHS to gainer back full of the side of the beam with good rise and a stuck landing. 9.850
Kelly (ASU) Short HS on high, blind change to good straddle Jaeger, very late on blind full, stuck double tuck with flexed feet. 9.850
Orengo (USU) 9.800 on beam
Ossi (ASU) Short straddle up to HS, good Maloney with high back swing, Pak with leg separation, double layout dismount is almost stuck, but then she takes a step. 9.675
Sams (SEMO) 9.775 on floor
Kowan (ASU) Good HS on low, small leg separation on Maloney, short of HS position on bail, open double tuck with a hop forward. 9.775
Crouch (SEMO) 9.600 on floor
Medrano (USU) sticks her gainer back full off beam. 9.825
Bromley (ASU) Toe HS, has that small leg separation on Maloney and Pak, toe on front pike half dismount with a step backward. 9.825
Phillips (SEMO) Back 1.5 to front layout for her last pass. A bit of arch in the layout but a solid landing. 9.775
Valdez (USU) Double full dismount with a small hop. 9.825
Smith (ASU) 9.850 on bars
Laurito (ASU) Exhibition – falls on piked Jaeger. Tries again and falls again. 8.225
Laufer (USU) 9.700 on beam
Witte (USU) BHS BHS LOSO is smooth and she flicks her hands to emphasize her control on the landing. Sissone to straddle 3/4 is landed securely, front aerial is perfect, gainer back full off the side with some pike and and a small hop. 9.850
Kossuth (SEMO) Back 1.5 to barani to straddle jump with good control and a stuck landing. Popa to Popa doesn’t have full split on the first jump. 9.725
Ingle (SEMO) Back spin in her opening choreography. Back 2.5 into front tuck. Well performed but has a bounce out of bounds. Front layout to Rudi. No rise on the second skill, and her back foot moves on the landing. Lands her Popa precisely. Her score is first reported as 9.775, but it’s changed to 9.800.
AFTER TWO: Arizona State 98.075 (49.150 bars), Utah State 98.125 (49.150 beam), SEMO 97.450 (48.825 floor)
Utah State remains in the lead by the smallest of margins, as the Aggies and Sun Devils match score for score in rotation 2. Both teams are on pace to break 196.000 if they keep up this level of performance. Floor tends to be a lower-scoring event for SEMO, but they earned a higher score here than on beam, where they’re ranked significantly higher. Taylor Ingle missed out on a huge score due to her out of bounds neutral deduction.
Rotation 3: Arizona State BB, Utah State FX, SEMO VT
ASU beam lineup: Grolla, Bromley, Ossi, El Mammann, Lee, Smith
USU floor lineup: Orengo, Yelle, Peterson, Morabito, Vater, Gruber
SEMO vault lineup: Hamilton, Kuehn, Reader, Hernandez, Kossuth, Ingle
Orengo (USU) She puts the crown on her head in her opening choreo. Front tuck to double tuck. The double is high, but she steps back out of bounds. Switch half to wolf 1.5 is well done. Back 1.5 to front layout is better landed than her first pass. 9.700
Grolla (ISU) has full split in her switch leap. Cat leap to aerial is completely controlled. Cartwheel into gainer back full with a stuck landing. A very composed routine. 9.900
Hamilton (SEMO) 9.525 on vault
Kuehn (SEMO) 9.625 on vault
Yelle (USU) Punches into front double full which is slightly underrotated, leading to a bit of skid on landing. Back 1.5 to front layout and plants her front foot to stop her momentum. The dance in Utah State’s floor routines lacking fluidity. 9.825
Bromley (ASU) BHS BHS LOSO is well done. Front aerial has a teeny bobble. BHS to back 1.5 dismount is stuck. 9.825
Kossuth (SEMO) Yurchenko full with leg separation throughout the vault and a step back. 9.725
Peterson (USU) Front layout to Rudi with some leg separation. Cartwheel to LOSO, probably for back tumbling credit. Front layout to front full is completed competently. 9.750
Ossi (ASU) BHS LOSO has nice height on the layout. Cat leap into aerial is done intentionally and it pays off with a stuck landing. No waver in her double stag leap even though she has to throw her head back and lose sight of the beam. Gainer back pike off the end of the beam with a step backward – the only noticeable mistake. 9.800
Morabito (USU) Great split in her leap pass. Front layout to front full to front tuck with a stuck landing. 9.900
El Mammann (ASU) Full turn is no problem. Aerial to back layout, almost doesn’t get her back foot down, but saves the landing. RO back 1.5 is stuck. No major breaks in that routine. 9.750
Vater (USU) Back 1.5 to front layout, keeps her body straight throughout the combination. 9.900
Lee (ASU) Sissone to full turn. She shows great flexibility in her choreography. BHS BHS LOSO with bent legs on layout, but she’s able to recover well. Beat jump to sheep jump with a wobble. RO back 1.5 dismount with a stuck landing. A couple of small errors but she’s pleasant to watch because she moves well. 9.700
Gruber (USU) Back 1.5 to front full. She looks a little off line on the full but she sticks the landing. 9.775
Smith (ASU) Full turn is without deduction. BHS LOSO is landed well but it’s low to the beam. Standing layout step out into split jump, slight pause in between elements but will probably get credit. Full split in switch leap to straddle 1/4. RO back 1.5 with a hop. 9.825
AFTER THREE: Arizona State 147.175 (49.100), Utah State 147.275 (49.150 floor) , SEMO 145.800 (48.300)
Utah State carries a 0.10 lead into the final rotation in this nail-biter of a meet. Arizona State could pull off the win in rotation 4 as the Gym Devils head to floor where they regularly score over 49.000, whereas the Aggies head to vault, where they have yet to break 49.000 this year. SEMO hasn’t scored this low on vault since January, but since we didn’t get to see the athletes perform, it’s impossible to say what kept the scores lower than expected. The Gymhawks have under-performed on two of their three events so far tonight.
Rotation 4: Arizona State FX, Utah State VT, SEMO UB
ASU floor lineup: Lee, Braaflat, Bromley, Gregoire, Kelly, Smith
USU vault lineup: Witte, Dewey, Valdez, Medrano, Vater, Morabito
SEMO bars lineup: Hernandez, May, Hamilton, Jones, Johnston, Ingle
Hernandez (SEMO) 9.200 on bars, possibly due to a fall
Lee (ASU) Front handspring to front double full with a step. Switch ring to switch half that lacks split. Back 1.5 to front layout is very short and she lands in a squat, saving a fall with her quad strength. Front handspring to Rudi is the best of her 3 tumbling passes. If they can drop this score, ASU will still be in position to win the meet, but if they have to count the score… 9.600
May (SEMO) arches and handstand and comes off the bar. 7.750, maybe more than one fall in that routine
Braaflat (ASU) Front tuck to double tuck and she bounces out of it. Front layout into front full with good rise and a stuck landing. 9.775
Dewey (USU) Yurchenko full with good height and distance but minor leg separation and a hop back. 9.775
Witte (USU) 9.800 on vault
VanderToolen (USU) 9.800 on vault
Bromley (ASU) Double pike with a slide back as she has a bit too much power. Front full to front layout. Another slide back due to underrotation. Switch side into wolf full is executed well. Double tuck and she absorbs the landing this time. 9.825
Vater (USU) Yurchenko full on back pike off. She didn’t quite twist fully so she lands on the left guideline. 9.775
Jones (SEMO) Good HS on high, blind change to piked Jaeger, bail gets to HS, blind full is late, double tuck dismount is stuck. 9.800 to get the team back on track
Gregoire (ASU) Switch side to wolf full. Front handspring Rudi to LOSO has good amplitude. 9.850
Morabito (USU) Really high Yurchenko full with a small hop. Very impressive vault. 9.825
Johnston (SEMO) Slightly short HS on low, toe HS is vertical, Maloney to Pak is archy and close–she has to do a switch kip to continue. Double tuck dismount with leg separation and a hop. 9.700
Kelly (ASU) Front hanspring, front double full into front tuck. She could have cleaner leg form on the twist. Back 2.5 with a good, upright landing. Split full to Popa could have higher legs on the straddle. 9.850
Ingle (SEMO) Good HS and blind change, straddle Jaeger has good air time but she catches a bit late. Late blind full into double tuck dismount with a step back. 9.750
Smith (ASU) Double pike with straight legs and pointed toes, controlled landing. FHS front full to front layout is well done. She lands her Popa with control as well. Double tuck, she hops her feet apart, so that could incur a deduction since she didn’t step backward in the direction of travel, which is the type of allowable lunge. 9.925
FINAL: Arizona State 196.500 (49.225 floor), Utah State 196.300 (49.025 vault), SEMO 193.775 (47.925 bars)
VT: Purler (ASU), Gregoire (ASU), Morabito (USU), Medrano (USU) 9.825
UB: Laufer (USU), Grolla (ASU), Kelly (ASU), Smith (ASU) 9.850
BB: Grolla (ASU) 9.900
FX: Smith (ASU) 9.925
AA: Smith (ASU) 39.350
Utah State scores over 49.000 on vault for the first time this season, but it isn’t enough to hold off Arizona State, which gets the win at home on senior day with its highest score of the season. SEMO didn’t have the meet it wanted as a final tuneup before conference championships, especially on bars. The Gymhawks need to put this meet behind them and bounce back next week.
READ THIS NEXT: NCAA Gymnastics Power Rankings: Honda Award Frontrunners
Live blog by Jessica Needle
