With practice already underway and its schedule released, the ASU gymnastics team is preparing for a competitive season.
The Sun Devils will make their debut Jan. 3 at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. They will host Washington in the Pac-10 opener on Jan. 17 at Wells Fargo Arena, before traveling to Utah (Jan. 24), UA (Jan. 31) and Oregon State (Feb. 7).
ASU is scheduled to host four consecutive meets to close the season. The Sun Devils will partake in the annual UNO's Classic (Feb. 28), before competing against Boise State (March 7), San Jose State (March 14) and Kentucky (March 21).
ASU finished in sixth place at the 2002 Pac-10 Championships in Palo Alto, Calif. The Sun Devils missed a berth to nationals by just a fraction of a point.
Although ASU was defeated at the NCAA Regional, its most prominent victory came in the form of a record-breaking win over UA. The Sun Devils marked 13 personal-best scores and recorded a combined team total of 197.850, which set a new school record. They will travel to Tucson on Jan. 31 to meet up with the Wildcats.
Sophomore Trisha Dixon said her team is practicing five days a week in preparation for the upcoming season. The Sun Devils are focusing on getting back into shape and building a competitive endurance.
John Spini will return this winter for his 23rd year as head coach. Seniors Cassidy Vreeke and Ashley Ellsberry are penciled in as team captains.
Reach the reporter at amanda.bissette@asu.edu.
