(Tempe, AZ) Behind season highs on beam and floor, No. 15 Sun Devil Gymnastics put together the ninth-highest score in program history to take down No. 11 Oregon State, 197.725 to 197.550 on senior day at Desert Financial Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Notable Stats
In its final Pac-12 dual of the season, Arizona State (7-5, 4-3 Pac-12) came away with its third win in a row with its highest team score this year. This is the second-straight home win over Oregon State (10-4-2, 3-1-2 Pac-12), the last coming in 2021. The Sun Devils also dealt the Beavers their first loss.
As a team, ASU has seven scores of 9.95-plus, which is the most in a single season since 2006.
Hannah Scharf
Senior Hannah Scharf continues her hot streak. She has scored at least a 39.625 in the all-around in each of the last three meets. Today, she matched that number, putting herself in a tie for 15th all-time. Her best score of the day came on floor where she matched her career high of 9.950. This is her fifth-straight score of 9.9-plus on floor, three of which have been 9.950s. She also has not scored below a 9.900 on bars in three meets. On vault, she notched a season-high 9.900.
Four Gym Devils won event titles in the win. On vault, Scharf and junior Anaya Smithtied with a 9.900. The other two came on floor where Scharf and junior Emily Whitehad 9.950s.
Anaya Smith
Arizona State notched a season-high 49.575 on floor, which is tied for the ninth-highest floor total in ASU history. Scharf and White led the way with their 9.950s, but the team counted four scores of 9.9-plus.
The Gym Devils also scored a season-high 49.400 on beam with all five scores that counted being a 9.875 or better. White led the way on this rotation with a 9.900. ASU has scored a 49-plus on beam for nine meets in a row, tying the longest such streak in program history.
Despite a slow start to the meet with a falter on bars, White bounced back in a big way, scoring a 9.900 on beam before following that up with a career-high 9.950 on floor. That mark is her highest score on any event in her career.
A few other Gym Devils either matched or surpassed career highs. Freshman Kayla Lee earned a new best on beam with a 9.875 to lead off the rotation. In addition to White’s career-high 9.950 on floor, senior Jordyn Jaslow also had a great score there, tying her career best of 9.900.
Juniors Anaya Smith, Sarah Clark and Jada Mangahas continue to be stalwart specialists. Smith scored her third-straight 9.900 on vault today. Clark’s best event today was bars where she earned a 9.925 and has yet to score below a 9.825 this season. Lastly, Mangahas was back after taking precautionary measures last week and scored a season-high 9.925 on floor.
Following the meet, the team celebrated seniors Scharf, Jaslow, Gracie Reeves, Juliette Boyer and Izzy Redmond.
Photo – conkitesports.com
Quotes
Head Coach Jay Santos
Opening Statement
“Obviously, I’m thrilled with the performance today. It was a really exciting meet, both teams looked really good. It was just back and forth. I’m really proud of the last couple weeks and months, how they’re performing, showing up, continuing to show resilience and build more confidence. I think they’re on such a roll right now. I’m so proud of what they did today. Oregon State’s a good team, they’ve got a super star in Jade (Carey) over there. Our team answered every time when we needed another hit and routine, whether it was a career-high or season-high from a couple individuals. Top to bottom, great performance from our program. I’m really thrilled.”
On how they keep improving their scores
“It’s just really refining the details and trying to maximize performance as much as we can. Whether it’s finding that little mental piece, continuing to push ourselves in practice… I actually challenged the beam team. There were one or two flat practices on beam the last couple weeks and we challenged them to make sure to step it up and hold that standard a little bit higher. I’m not sure if it translates that simply, but they had a good week and I think they prepared themselves well and that’s all you can hope for. You put in the preparation and you hope the performance matches that. You can trust and believe in that as well when you’re doing it every day in the gym. You don’t have to reach for something that you haven’t done before. You can just rely on that preparation. That’s where a lot of the focus has been, just continuing to find little areas in each performance where we can do a little bit better for next week.”
On the seniors
“This group has been through so much, between the COVID year that got shut down or the COVID year that had all the restrictions just to go in the arena and compete and practice and all the sacrifice that had to be made. They’ve ended multiple 20-year streaks between the Oregon State streak two years ago, UCLA (last year), and Utah (this year). It’s hard to believe that they’re seniors but everything that they’ve accomplished over four years is amazing and I don’t know how to put into words what it means to me and the program. Hopefully they can look back at it as a great experience.”
Senior Hannah Scharf
On growing each week
“Every week we do improve and it’s gotten to a point to where we can make a mistake but we really all trust each other so the next person who goes up next really just does their job and does it well. Every weekend it’s just getting that much more confidence… I think people are starting to see that it’s not just luck. It’s our hard work and our talent really showing.”
On ending the meet on floor
“They had put (Jade’s) score in right before I stepped on so I had already seen that we had already won and I gave a side eye to my teammates. I really didn’t feel a lot of pressure. I just wanted to go out doing my best performance and do it for my seniors and the rest of my team.”
On it being senior day
“I think my emotions are a little bit different since I’m coming back for another year. It doesn’t quite feel like the end for me. But I am going to miss my seniors a lot because we are a tight-knit group. I was just really happy today because OSU is a checkmark after beating Utah and UCLA. It was just kind of the cherry on top. I’m glad this was the meet we got to go out on.”
Gracie Reeves
Senior Gracie Reeves
On senior day
“Last night I was looking through photos of meets and my teammates and I was getting a little teary-eyed because I am going to miss them. I’m going to miss those moments, but I couldn’t be more grateful for ASU and everything they’ve done for me and all of my teammates. I just wanted to go out there for the team and our memories together.”
On leaving a legacy
“The dynamic of the team is so special and it changes year to year. I think that’s really cool to watch through our four years here. I can say with so much confidence that the rest of the team have it in their hands and know how to show off. They’re going to take on next year and try to build off our success and build a legacy for ASU.”
On hometown fans
“Seeing those fans means the world to me. It’s just really special and I always try to look in the stands and give them a wave because I know if I was that little girl it would mean the world to me. I know those little things mean a lot but it’s great to have that extra support. It makes me feel really special.”
Jordyn Jaslow
Senior Jordyn Jaslow
On senior day
“There’s been so many different emotions to describe today. It wasn’t until this week that it really hit me that gymnastics is coming to an end. It’s been my whole life but it’s given me a lot of time to reflect on my past years here at ASU and how much I’ve grown as a person and as an athlete. The relationships I’ve built with the people around me are so special. So the emotions are all there because I’ve been so supported in so many positive things.”
On winning today and momentum
“We had talked about at the beginning of the season, what kind of team do we want to be? We kind of said that we want to be that team that people are talking about. People aren’t necessarily expecting to talk about us because on a lot of occasions we are the underdog, but we want to be in that conversation this season. I think that’s what we’ve been continuing to do and people are seeing that meet after meet we’re getting better.”
On leaving a legacy
“I’m really really proud of us. We came in and the program was a completely different team. I think we completely changed the culture and I’m just really proud of all the hard work we’ve put in. To have that legacy left behind is a great feeling.”
Final Results
- Arizona State, 197.725
- Oregon State, 197.550
Rotation One: Vault, 49.300
Mangahas showed up for the Sun Devils, kicking off a string of 9.825 and over scores with her own 9.825, followed up by sophomore Alex Theodorou’s 9.875 and Smith’s 9.900. Scharf matched Smith’s score to end the first rotation. This is the sixth meet in a row scoring a 49-plus on vault.
Rotation Two: Bars, 49.450
Reeves led off the Sun Devils with a 9.850 on bars to start what would be the fifth-straight event total of 49.000 or better. Not to be outdone, Cienna Samiley posted a 9.900. After a 9.875 from Mangahas, Scharf stuck her landing to earn her second 9.900. Clark ended the second rotation with a 9.925.
Rotation Three: Beam, 49.400
The beam consistency continued as ASU scored its ninth-straight 49-plus on beam. In the first position, Lee set her career-high on beam with a 9.875. Skye Harper and Clark both matched her score before White improved on the number with a 9.900. Scharf posted the rotation’s fourth 9.875 to wrap up the third.
Rotation Four: Floor, 49.575
Clark began the Sun Devils’ final rotation with a 9.825, followed up by a 9.850 from Theodorou, and a 9.900 from Jaslow. A 9.950 from White prefaced a 9.925 from Mangahas, and ASU held on to its lead with a 9.950 from Hannah Scharf.
Up Next
Arizona State will travel to take on No. 1 Oklahoma in Norman next Sunday, March 12.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Preston Fekkes, media relations intern
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