TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State women's gymnastics team, ranked at No. 40 in the NACGC/W preseason poll, will kick off the 2017 campaign on Friday, traveling to Ames, Iowa to take on the Iowa State Cyclones at 5:30 p.m. MT in a Beauty & the Beast style meet featuring both gymnastics and wrestling.
The meet will be broadcasted live on the subscription-based CyclonesTV, and live stats will be provided via Iowa State Gymnastics' schedule page at cyclones.com.
Fans can also follow along on Twitter by following @ASUGymnastics. Fans are encouraged to tweet with #WeWill in support of the 2017 Gym Devils.
ABOUT IOWA STATE
The Cyclones went 12-11 last season and will return ten gymnasts in 2017, including sophomore Meaghan Sievers who became only the third Iowa State gymnast to compete at an NCAA Championship as an event specialist after she qualified on vault at the Minneapolis Regional. Iowa State scored their highest mark on the season with a 196.025, narrowly beating out rival Iowa and featuring career highs by five gymnasts. Now-junior Haylee Young earned the title of Big 12 Gymnast of the week on Feb. 23, the first time a Cyclone has received the award since 2012.
THE 2017 RETURNERS
ASU returns seven gymnasts from last year's lineup, with senior Beka Conrad ready to lead the program. Also back are six sophomores who made immediate impact in last season's squad: Corinne Belkoff, Justine Callis, Eileen Imbus, Katelyn Lentz, Heather Udowitch, and Morgan Wilson.
THE 2017 NEWCOMERS
The Gym Devils will field another young roster in 2017 with seven freshman expected to contribute to the lineup: Averie Brook (Houston, Texas/World Champions Centre), Jessica Ginn (Chandler, Ariz./Desert Lights Gymnastics), Morgan Hart (Las Vegas, Nev./Browns Gymnastics), Mekayla Jones (Birmingham, Ala./JamJev Gymnastics), Graycee Rushton (Gilbert, Ariz./Arizona Dynamics Gymnastics), Ashley Szafranski (Orefield, Pa./Parkettes), and Alex Wilson (Denver, Colo./Tigar Gymnastics). The 2017 squad will also feature junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson (Michigan), who brings high-level experience from both club and college.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will travel for the second week of the 2017 season, competing at No. 14 Denver on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. MT.
THE 2017 SCHEDULE
ASU is set for another rigorous schedule this year, which will include nine teams that finished in the top-25 in 2016.
The Gym Devils open the 2017 season on the road for the first two weeks at Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 6 and at Denver on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. MT.
The Sun Devils will compete at home five times this season, opening on Saturday, Jan. 21 against UC Davis. ASU will also host meets against three Pac-12 foes in February: reigning conference champion UCLA on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. MT, Stanford on Saturday Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. MT, and Utah on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. MT.
Other 2017 road matches include the Pac-12 opener at California on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. MT, at Washington on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. MT, and the annual rivalry match at Arizona on Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. MT.
ASU will cap the home slate and the regular season on Friday, March 10, hosting a tri-meet with Bridgeport and Sacramento State before traveling to Stanford, Calif. for the 2017 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships on March 18.
GYM DEVILS ON THE PAC-12 NETWORK
Each of ASU's six conference match-ups during the regular season (at California, vs. UCLA, at Washington, vs. Stanford, vs. Utah, at Arizona) will air on the Pac-12 Network. The sessions of the 2017 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships in Stanford, Calif. will also be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
THE 2016 CAMPAIGN
Despite injuries through most of the 2016 season, the Gym Devils finished their season at the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships. Their season-high team score of 194.725 was posted against then-No. 15 California on Feb. 16.
Following the conference championship, the then-senior duo of Taylor Allex (vault, floor) and Allie Salas (all-around) qualified to compete as individuals at the NCAA Regional championships. Allex won the vault NCAA Regional title and finished her career at the NCAA Championship.
The meet will be broadcasted live on the subscription-based CyclonesTV, and live stats will be provided via Iowa State Gymnastics' schedule page at cyclones.com.
Fans can also follow along on Twitter by following @ASUGymnastics. Fans are encouraged to tweet with #WeWill in support of the 2017 Gym Devils.
ABOUT IOWA STATE
The Cyclones went 12-11 last season and will return ten gymnasts in 2017, including sophomore Meaghan Sievers who became only the third Iowa State gymnast to compete at an NCAA Championship as an event specialist after she qualified on vault at the Minneapolis Regional. Iowa State scored their highest mark on the season with a 196.025, narrowly beating out rival Iowa and featuring career highs by five gymnasts. Now-junior Haylee Young earned the title of Big 12 Gymnast of the week on Feb. 23, the first time a Cyclone has received the award since 2012.
THE 2017 RETURNERS
ASU returns seven gymnasts from last year's lineup, with senior Beka Conrad ready to lead the program. Also back are six sophomores who made immediate impact in last season's squad: Corinne Belkoff, Justine Callis, Eileen Imbus, Katelyn Lentz, Heather Udowitch, and Morgan Wilson.
THE 2017 NEWCOMERS
The Gym Devils will field another young roster in 2017 with seven freshman expected to contribute to the lineup: Averie Brook (Houston, Texas/World Champions Centre), Jessica Ginn (Chandler, Ariz./Desert Lights Gymnastics), Morgan Hart (Las Vegas, Nev./Browns Gymnastics), Mekayla Jones (Birmingham, Ala./JamJev Gymnastics), Graycee Rushton (Gilbert, Ariz./Arizona Dynamics Gymnastics), Ashley Szafranski (Orefield, Pa./Parkettes), and Alex Wilson (Denver, Colo./Tigar Gymnastics). The 2017 squad will also feature junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson (Michigan), who brings high-level experience from both club and college.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will travel for the second week of the 2017 season, competing at No. 14 Denver on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. MT.
THE 2017 SCHEDULE
ASU is set for another rigorous schedule this year, which will include nine teams that finished in the top-25 in 2016.
The Gym Devils open the 2017 season on the road for the first two weeks at Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 6 and at Denver on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. MT.
The Sun Devils will compete at home five times this season, opening on Saturday, Jan. 21 against UC Davis. ASU will also host meets against three Pac-12 foes in February: reigning conference champion UCLA on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. MT, Stanford on Saturday Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. MT, and Utah on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. MT.
Other 2017 road matches include the Pac-12 opener at California on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. MT, at Washington on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. MT, and the annual rivalry match at Arizona on Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. MT.
ASU will cap the home slate and the regular season on Friday, March 10, hosting a tri-meet with Bridgeport and Sacramento State before traveling to Stanford, Calif. for the 2017 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships on March 18.
GYM DEVILS ON THE PAC-12 NETWORK
Each of ASU's six conference match-ups during the regular season (at California, vs. UCLA, at Washington, vs. Stanford, vs. Utah, at Arizona) will air on the Pac-12 Network. The sessions of the 2017 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships in Stanford, Calif. will also be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
THE 2016 CAMPAIGN
Despite injuries through most of the 2016 season, the Gym Devils finished their season at the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships. Their season-high team score of 194.725 was posted against then-No. 15 California on Feb. 16.
Following the conference championship, the then-senior duo of Taylor Allex (vault, floor) and Allie Salas (all-around) qualified to compete as individuals at the NCAA Regional championships. Allex won the vault NCAA Regional title and finished her career at the NCAA Championship.