Coming off a Territorial Cup win over rival UA, the Sun Devils hit the road for the first time this season.
After three straight home meets, the ASU women’s gymnastics team (3-0, 2-0 Pac-12) will take on the Utah State Aggies (0-1).
The Gym Devils posted a 195.875 score in last week’s win. ASU is ranked No. 26 overall in the nation.
The Sun Devils also jumped to No. 12 in the nation in bars and No. 21 in the balance beam events.
As a result of performing every week, taking time to rest becomes a huge factor during the practice schedule.
“I thought after three meets we needed to rest our bodies a bit,” coach John Spini said. “We have to look ahead because right after Utah State we have Arizona then Utah, at our house, so getting our kids there healthy is huge for us.
“Whenever we go on the road, it’s a different animal. Beaté (Jones) will come right off floor, then we are first on beam, so how you work that, do you change the lineup, do you change the environment, those are the things we’re working on right now.”
Last meet, the Sun Devils also saw two freshmen, Natasha Sundby and Morgan Steigerwalt, excel in their floor exercise routines.
“I got a 9.875 on floor, which is a pretty good score, but I hope it doesn’t just stop there,” Sundby said. “There’s always room for improvements.”
This will be the first time ASU’s four freshmen will be on the road.
“I think it’s going to be a fun experience,” Sundby said. “I think we’re all really excited. We’ve been traveling in JO (Junior Olympics), but it’s just more of a different atmosphere now, but I think it’s going be a lot of fun.”
However, senior leadership will keep the Gym Devils on track during their road trip.
“They’ve been awesome,” senior Kahoku Palafox said. “(The freshmen) all have done really well and have been able to get their jobs done. Since it’s our first travel meet, it’ll be different from JO and club gymnastics.
“The main thing is to just remind them that they’re representing ASU and just to be the best they can be.”
This meet will be the first of three in a span of nine days for the Sun Devils.
Utah State is young and talented as well. The team has several freshmen, most notably Sarah Landes, who took the all-around with a 39.225 in their last meet against No. 13 Boise and Southern Utah.
Reach the reporter at gdemano@asu.edu
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