The University of Arizona gymnastics team made a stunning debut in the Big 12 Championship, securing an impressive second-place finish with a score of 196.675. Competing in West Valley, Utah, at 4:00 p.m. MST on Saturday, March 22, the Wildcats soared to new heights in a highly competitive field.
The University of Utah claimed the Big 12 Champions title with a 197.775, Denver took third place with a 196.400, BYU came in fourth with a 196.275, and Arizona State came in last with a 195.975.
Arizona’s 196.675 is the highest they have posted in a conference championship since their outing in 2004, they finished with 196.775 tying for fourth in the Pac-10 tournament.
Balance Beam
Arizona started the afternoon on the beam and scored 49.175, second-best behind Utah’s 49.625. Freshman Amelia Rock earned a 9.825. Elena Deets scored an elegant 9.850. Abigayle Martin rounded out the rotation with a career-high performance of 9.925.
Floor Exercise
The Wildcats showed out on the floor scoring a 49.125. Elizabeth LaRusso started the rotation with a 9.850. Alysen Fears earned the Wildcat’s highest score with a 9.875. Sophie Derr, Emily Mueller, and Martin earned a trio of 9.80s to anchor the rotation.
Vault
The Wildcats scored a 49.100 on vault. LaRusso started another rotation strong, scoring a 9.850. Emma Strom and Fears would both score 9.825. In her debut, freshman Jessa Janicke earned a 9.850 to close out the third rotation.
Uneven Bars
The Wildcats ended the competition on bars and scored 49.275, placing them third for bars. Muller began with a strong 9.800, with Krohnfeldt coming right back and scoring a 9.850. Martin, Deets, and Fears all earned 9.875s to close out the Big 12 Championship.
Up Next
Arizona gymnastics will wait to see if they will play again as they are waiting to hear if they are chosen for NCAA Regionals. The results will be announced on Monday, March 24, at 9 a.m. MST on ESPNU.
