LIVE BLOG: Arizona State Maroon and Gold

Just outside of a top 20 finish, the Sun Devils ended on a disappointing note that was supposed to be a showstopping year. They had ups and downs all throughout the season, failing to show consistent improvement but rather one-hit wonder performances. Luckily, this year brings new opportunities for Arizona State as a notoriously underrated team could finally make its mark with five freshmen, injury returners and experienced veterans filling up the lineups. The big question this year is can the Sun Devils finally live up to their potential? 

Seen throughout their social media posts, stuck bar dismounts and solid beam skills aren’t the only thing that will be shown tonight. Freshman Isabella Kowan’s front pike half on vault could add to the two other 10.0 start values in the lineup. We’ll keep a lookout for injury returners, Juliette Boyer and Anaya Smith. Boyer brought high scores to the bar and floor lineups in 2021 and Smith could pose a big threat on vault with a sky high Yurchenko one and half which she competed in 2021, scoring 9.9+ six times. Most of the lineups should remain fairly similar to last season but plenty of depth should give the team that extra push for keeping momentum throughout the season. 

We are five minutes away from the Maroon and Gold preview and the teams have been selected! We’ve got word that there will be scoring today and three to four gymnasts will be competing on each event. Only one freshman, Kayla Lee will be competing tonight. My heart hurts because I really wanted to see Kowan’s vault and something from Smith or Boyer. I hope it’s just because they’re conserving them for season.

 

Rotation 1: Maroon Vault, Gold Bars

Cienna Samiley (M): The Filmer cut the vault short and I could only see the end. Her pike was low off the table causing her to have her chest down, takes a hop forward. 9.575

Kayla Lee (G): Blind to straddled Jaegar right into the shootover. Hits her handstand directly on top, nothing to take there. A double layout dismount with a large leg separation, but a good start for the Gold team. 9.600

Jordyn Jaslow (M): High flying Yurchenko full, she twists early off the table so she has to pike down slightly at the end causing her to take a hop. 9.750

Gracie Reeves (G): Nice blind to piked Jaegar immediately to a shootover. Finishes with a blind full which is a little short of handstand to a solid double back with a step on the landing. 9.700

Sarah Clark (M): The live cut out and I missed her vault ): 9.700

Jada Mangahas: (G) Handstand to blind to piked Jaegar, immediate connection to the shootover. Dismounts with a tucked full out and takes a fairly large hop forward. She gets off the bar a little too early, stalling her rotation and causing her hop. 9.775

Emily White (M): Wow!! Super high Yurchenko full, chest up at the end and a step back on the landing. Excellent form throughout the vault. 9.725

Hannah Scharf (G): Maloney to a beautiful Pak salto and a pirouette right on top. The key to a good pirouette is turning your hand in the beginning of your handstand and pushing through your shoulders throughout the turn, this is exactly what Scharf does. An almost stuck full out dismount, but big gymnastics there, flying high. 9.800

AFTER ONE: Gold 29.275, Maroon 29.175

Rotation 2: Maroon Bars, Gold Vault

Reeves (G): Another great Yurchenko full, nice height and distance from the table. Takes a large step back. 9.675 is maybe a little harsh.

Samiley (M): Beautiful handstand to straddle stalder. Then a blind half, Jaegar and direct connection to the shootover. Guess this is the building block routine for the Sun Devils. Nice handstand on the high bar and a double layout dismount with a hop back. 9.725

Mangahas (G): Flared Yurchenko full, incredible height but a large hop. Looks like it could upgrade to a one and a half. 9.800

White (M): Holds her first handstand, Maloney half to a blind then shootover. Giants to a double layout dismount with step backward. Very unique routine. Would really like to see the Sun Devils hone in on their landings but handstands look great. 9.800

Scharf (G): I an impressed by these killer Yurchenko fulls. Just a small hop on the landing but her great height off the table makes up for it. The reason for such amplitude on these vaults is because of the quickness the gymnasts get off the table as well as the lift in their hips throughout the preflight and after to generate rotation. Scharf is showing some veteran gymnastics. 9.875

Clark (M): Handstand to blind half, straddled Jaegar. Completes a Pak salto with a bit of leg and just a short of that pirouette on the low bar. Adds to the double layout dismount streak, has a small step back on the landing. 9.775

AFTER TWO: Gold 58.625, Maroon 58.475

Rotation 3: Maroon Beam, Gold Floor

Samiley (M): Front aerial has a big wobble but gains balance. Has to repeat the front aerial to achieve a series requirement. Connects the front skill to a back pike with another wobble.  Split jump to stag jump. Beat jump to split three quarter, wobbles and can’t hold on, takes a fall. Back piked gainer off the end of the beam and small hop forward. Overall just a shaky routine but clean lines, her small mistake at the beginning caused a ripple effect for the rest of the routine. 8.900

Lee (G): Front handspring to front double full which is short of rotation. I think she rushed the twist which cut her height and ability to make it all the way around. Back one and a half to a front layout, small leg separation. Looks a little gassed, but showcases beautiful switch ring. Front handspring to Rudi as her last pass and jumps uncontrollably out of it. 9.650

Jaslow (M): Long wait for this routine. Cat leap to side aerial and is just completely off, forces her to take a fall. Sometimes there’s just no holding on. Recovers with a stunning BHS to layout step out. Quick and powerful dance. Switch leap to straddle half, short of the full split in the leap. Gainer back full as her dismount with a step back. Despite the fall, Jaslow could be strong performer in the lineup this year. 9.000

Reeves (G): This is some cool music. Big amplitude on her Back 2.5 and a controlled landing to go with it. Round off whip half to a front full, a unique pass and performed well. Front handspring to Rudi, small pike down but makes up for it with another controlled landing. Lots of expression throughout the routine, will be a great contender this season. 9.675 seems low.

White (M): This is an important routine for Maroon, they need a solid performance to keep up with the Gold team. Clean BHS layout. Front aerial to beat jump. Split jump to stag jump. Enjoying this dance, looking very confident. BHS back 1.5 and our first stuck beam dismount of the night. Incredible routine to get the Sun Devils back on track! White looks to be a consistent beamer this season and scores a 9.875

Mangahas (G): Assisted full-in, a little short on the landing but picks that chest up in her lunge to cover it up. Front through to double tuck for a two-pass routine. Just needs to add some extra power. 9.65

Clark (M): Full turn to start and a floaty BHS layout step out. Split jump to stag jump, is there something I don’t know about this connection because it’s being performed a lot. Beautiful front aerial and a BHS to a back 1.5, small hop on the dismount. Looked a little nervous but a solid performance for the Maroon team. 9.825

Scharf (G): Front through to double tuck to begin this hype routine, chest is perfect on the landing and has a very controlled lunge. Front handspring to a front full directly into a front tuck. Ends with a double pike and once again a solid routine for Scharf.

AFTER THREE: Gold 87.725, Maroon 87.175,

Rotation 4: Maroon Floor, Gold Beam

Lee (G): Showing off her flexibility in some pretty dance. First triple series of the night: BHS BHS back layout. Split jump, a little short of 180 degrees to a sheep jump with flexed feet. Doesn’t fully show the arch position in her sheep jump. Round off back 1.5 and pulls her chest forward at the end causing her to be over rotated, takes two steps forward. 9.775

Jaslow (M): Leading off for Maroon and a double pike for her first pass. Lost a bit of rotation at the end forcing her chest to be a bit low. I keep on missing these leaps! Clean front layout to front full and a slow double back, very short of the landing and falls. That one is an ankle biter, ouch! Lacked stamina throughout the entire routine and seemed that the last pass caught up to her. Now, the switching from one gymnast to the next is much quicker than what they are used to which could explain the endurance. 9.000

Reeves (G): Grooving to this music in between routines. BHS BHS layout, slight bend in her knee on each skill. Switch leap to split jump and again, a little short of 180 degrees. Front aerial and bends that knee going into the landing. Round off to a back 1.5 dismount, small hop on the landing. Pretty good start for the Gold team just a bit of form issues. 9.675

White (M): Amazing front handspring to front double full, very clean and love to see those pointed toes. Oh no! Falls on the front skill out of her back 1.5 for the second pass. Looks like she opened too early on the one and half causing her legs to buckle for what was supposed to be a front layout. Front handspring to front full to front layout and the same thing happens again. She was having such a nice night, what a sad finish. 8.400

Harper (G): Front toss to BHS, didn’t get to see the first part of the routine due to the live cutting out. BHS straight into a gainer back full and adds an exclamation point o the routine with a Sun Devil stick. 9.825

Clark (M): Beautiful double pike with great control on the lunge. High back 1.5 to front layout and a nice switch leap to switch ring half. Ends with a double tuck, a little slow on rotation but pulls it around. Nice job by Clark. 9.775

Scharf (G): Double wolf turn to begin what looks like a confident routine. Super high BHS layout step out with a little bit of flexed feet at the end. Solid side somi. Switch leap to split jump with a little wobble on the leap. I’m not loving these leaps, many are short of a full split. Dismounts with a round off back 1.5 and a stuck landing. 9.825

FINAL: Gold 117.175, Maroon 114.350

It was a disappointing night for Arizona State. Across both teams, a lack of depth was seen throughout each rotation. With multiple newcomers and injury returners I would have liked to seen more gymnasts showcasing what they’ve been training.  Similar to last season, much of the momentum led by opening routines dwindled down by the end.

The Sun Devils main fault tonight: landings. On each event, multiple tenths were just given away due to the lack of control on landings. Unfortunately, beam and floor were a disaster area: falls, short of landings on floor, shakiness, and under extended leaps and jumps were plentiful throughout each team. Nonetheless, a few top scorers could save the Sun Devils. Harper and Scharf both scores 9.825 on beam edging out Maroon in the final score and White saved the rotation for Maroon with a 9.875 clinching the beam title. If Arizona State plays their cards right and sets their lineups with clean and consistent scorers, they could be playing a big game this year.

In the individual aspect, I predict Emily White will be a great all-arounder this year. Her flukes on floor could be easily contained and her stunning form and lines will carry big scores signed with her name on them this year. Of course, Hannah Scharf had a great performance that really showed her experience. If she can maintain clean form on each event and capitalize on her strong landings, Scharf could carry the MVP title for a third year in a row.

Event winners:
VT: Scharf, 9.875
UB: White, Scharf, 9.800
BB: White, 9.875
FX: Clark, Scharf, 9.775
AA: Scharf, 39.275
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Live blog by Sydney Seabrooks

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