Gym Devils falls to Stanford, scores season-high team score

January 23, 2009

The No. 16 Arizona State women's gymnastics team earned a season-high team score of 194.6 in their loss to No. 7 Stanford this Thursday. ASU fell 196.775-194.6. The Sun Devils dropped to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-10. Nicole Harris placed third in the all-around with a score of 39.250. Beaté Jones was fourth (39.1), Francesca Mercurio fifth (38.8) and Tiana Jean sixth (38.425).

The Sun Devils struggled some in their first rotation and scored a 48.225 on bars. No Sun Devil scored over a 9.775 in the event. Harris led the team with a 9.775. Jones and Mercurio followed with solid scores of 9.750 each. Freshman Kahoku Palafox added a 9.675. The Sun Devils had to count an uncharacteristic fall from Jean. Jean's fall, caused by an over-arching one of her handstands, is only her second official missed bar routine in her career. The last time Jean fell on bars was at the 2007 UNO's Classic.

On vault, the Sun Devils ended with a team total of 48.575. Harris again led the team, earning a 9.775. Atkinson and Jones each tallied scores of 9.725. Jean and freshman Callie Price both scored 9.675 on the event. Price's score marks a career-best for her.

The last two rotations showed improvement from last week for the Sun Devils. Competing on floor in the third rotation, the Sun Devils earned a 48.9. Harris and Jones led the team on floor with scores of 9.825 for each. Jones' score ties her career-high for a fifth time. Freshman Stephanie Hangartner set her personal best at 9.775 while Jean added a season-high 9.750. Mercurio, in her first floor lineup of the season, was scored a 9.725

On beam, the team scored a season-high 48.9. Harris hit for a season-best 9.875 to tie for third. Jones smashed her personal best of 9.650 with a 9.8. Bormann, one of the team's sturdiest beam-workers, scored a 9.775 on the apparatus. Jean and Mercurio each put in scores of 9.725.

The Sun Devils return home to host Pac-10 powerhouse UCLA on Friday January 30. The meet begins at 7:30 at Wells Fargo Arena.