Utah at Arizona State

Recap

The Big Storyline: Despite trailing at the halfway point of the meet, Utah ended the competition strong on floor and beam to edge out Arizona State, who posted its first score above 197 in 15 years. Maile O’Keefe led the way for the Utes yet again, taking the all around title after tying for the event title on floor and placing second on vault and beam. The Sun Devils were also led by their top all arounder, Hannah Scharf, who placed second to O’Keefe by only half a tenth and tied her for the floor title. Juliette Boyer was the other Sun Devil to win an event title, taking the top spot on bars with a new career high.

Implications: Both teams will maintain their standings within the conference after this meet, with Utah sitting on top and Arizona State remaining in third and increasing its lead over California, who sits in fourth.

Records: Arizona State’s team total is a season high, and also the team’s highest score since the 2006 season. Utah’s 49.425 on floor is a season high.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 3 Utah at No. 16 Arizona State

Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: Both teams are off to hot starts in 2021, with Utah looking like a true national championship contender and Arizona State with a realistic shot to finish in the top half of the conference. Last week the Sun Devils beat Oregon State for the first time since 2006 and nearly upset UCLA back in week three, so if the Utes are off their game, they need to watch out. Utah, however, will be looking for another strong performance as it is in a very tight battle with LSU for second in the rankings.

You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: Utah’s Maile O’Keefe earned her first perfect 10 on beam last week, so keep an eye out for her follow up performance not only on beam but in the all around. Sydney Soloski flirted with perfection last week as well on floor, and will be hoping to get 10s from both judges this weekend. Arizona State’s Hannah Scharf has been strong in the all around so far this season and should continue to build momentum with a good showing in a home meet against a highly ranked opponent.