Earlier in the season, ASU gymnastics coach John Spini said it would be a miracle if his team advances to the NCAA Championships.
It wasn't a knock on his gymnasts, but rather a reference to the obstacles they've faced this season because of injuries.
Having snagged the No. 5 seed in the South Central Regional, ASU will put its fate on the line Saturday night in Lincoln, Neb. Other teams in the six-team regional include No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 UA, No. 4 Missouri and No. 6 Illinois.
Team records and regional qualifying scores now mean nothing.
The Sun Devils are hoping either Nebraska or Michigan makes a mistake and that they perform the way they did March 18 against Utah.
The top two teams and the top two competitors whose teams do not advance receive automatic berths in the NCAA Championships, scheduled for April 21-23 in Auburn, Ala.
"We're not supposed to go to nationals as a No. 5 seed," Spini said. "We really need to compete over our heads. And we have to do it in a way where we are clean and impressive."
Junior Ashley Kelly remains a favorite in the all-around, even though she hasn't vaulted since the Pac-10 Championships, where she finished third behind former Olympians Kristen Maloney and Tasha Schwikert.
"She's going to suck it up like she always does," Spini said. "She'll be able to do a full."
Not many would be surprised if the Sun Devils struggled in a field that includes four top-25 teams. The true test will be whether ASU can put it together across the board.
ASU boasts five vaulters capable of marking perfect scores.
Senior Kari Muth or sophomore Donna Chance will lead off. Sophomore Cassandra Jusino has been working on a layout handspring front, considered one of the nation's most difficult vaults. She won't know whether she'll use it until warm-ups.
The Sun Devils have remained undeterred by a lackluster performance at the Pac-10 Championships that nearly cost them a spot in the South Central Regional.
Spini didn't place much emphasis on the Pac-10 meet. He preferred to make sure his gymnasts were healthy for this weekend.
Last year, ASU finished second in a regional in Baton Rouge, La. The Sun Devils have qualified for nationals six times in the last eight seasons.
Reach the reporter at kimberly.a.taylor@asu.edu.
