Bruised, battered and unvaccinated, the ASU gymnastics team can't seem to catch a break.
Despite an inspired effort by a shorthanded squad, No. 17 ASU suffered its third consecutive Pac-10 loss Friday against No. 1 UCLA at Wells Fargo Arena.
First, freshman Karissa Vossler was injured in the preseason.
Then, freshman Josie Hancock was quarantined from campus and competition because she refused to receive a measles vaccination.
Then, junior Lauren Powell injured her ankle.
And then there were seven.
Reminiscent of ASU coach John Spini's 1986 squad, the Sun Devils competed with just seven gymnasts Friday. However, unlike the 1986 squad, they lack the depth on vault to make an impact on a national stage.
ASU (3-3, 0-3 Pac-10) was overmatched by two-time defending national champion UCLA, which featured three Olympians in freshman Tasha Schwikert, senior Kristen Maloney and junior Kate Richardson.
Schwikert captured the all-around title with a near-flawless 39.625, narrowly defeating Maloney, who recorded a 39.575. Maloney is ranked first nationally in the all-around.
ASU sophomore Cassandra Jusino placed third with a season-high 39.225. ASU junior Ashley Kelly placed fifth after receiving a 0.5 deduction on floor when she under-rotated a new tumbling pass, falling to her hands and knees.
"We were at the point where we had nothing to lose," Spini said. "She had done it in warm-ups, and we knew we were too far back to catch up."
Spini insists that good teams respond to adversity.
"I told the girls that we have to take care of each other and not stress about it," Spini said. "We have a lot of character. You have to with only five kids on beam."
Kelly refused to be upset about the outcome of the meet.
"Bar, beam and floor -- we competed with all of our heart," Kelly said. "We went out there and hit some great routines. But when you have to go out there with five people, you know that no one can make a mistake."
The Bruins (6-1, 3-0) held a convincing lead, even after a disastrous trip to the floor exercise, where they fell three times and scored a 47.375. Their level of difficulty on their routines was much greater than ASU's.
"We throw big moves to separate ourselves from other teams," Schwikert said. "I feel like I do big gymnastics for college. I only took out one skill of my bar routine since the Olympic Trials."
The Sun Devils again struggled on vault, scoring a 47.975. They were forced to compete with just five gymnasts on bars and beam (instead of six) after Powell injured her ankle on vault. Powell withdrew from the competition.
Reach the reporter at kimberly.taylor@asu.edu.
