Lead Image by Jeff Bartee
Stanford (5-6, 2-2 Pac-12)
Arizona State (2-6, 0-3 Pac-12)
Sat., Feb. 18 •Noon (PT)
Wells Fargo Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
Television • Pac-12 Networks
Live Statistics • Via GoStanford.com
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STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford leaves California for the second time this season when it takes on Arizona State on Saturday at noon (PT).
The Cardinal (5-6, 2-2 Pac-12) is coming off a tough week at No. 5 UCLA. The Cardinal competed without junior All-American, Elizabeth Price, while the Bruins posted the highest score of any team in the nation this season.
Despite the adversity, Stanford had multiple gymnasts produce standout individual performances. The Cardinal will look to build on that success this weekend against the Sun Devils (2-6, 0-3 Pac-12).
The meet will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks and live statistics will be available via GoStanford.com.
Last Time Out
• Stanford had a tough trip to Los Angeles, dropping a 198.125-194.175 decision at No. 5 UCLA.
• The Cardinal was a bit shorthanded with junior All-American, Elizabeth Price, out of the lineup due to injury. Despite missing their co-captain, Stanford had multiple individual standout performances.
• Aleeza Yu tied for second on vault with a career-high 9.925. Kaylee Cole and Danielle McNair tied for fifth in the event with scores of 9.875. Ashley Tai scored a career-best 9.850 in the event to tie for eighth.
• Rachel Daum tied her season best on floor with a 9.850 to tie for fifth.
Aleeza Yu led Stanford with a career-best 9.925 on vault at No. 5 UCLA. (Photo by Hector Garcia-Molina/Stanford Athletics)
Saturday's Opponent • Arizona State
• The Sun Devils are coming off a season-best performance, scoring 195.150 and registering season-bests on three events. It wasn't quite enough for the victory with No. 17 Washington scoring 196.750.
• Stanford is 32-1 against Arizona State since 2002 and has won 27 consecutive meets dating back to 2004.
• Stanford head coach Kristen Smyth arrived at Stanford in 2002 from Arizona State, where she spent five seasons (1997-2001), the final three as associate head coach. In 1998, she was named Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. With Smyth, the Sun Devils made three Super Six appearances, with national finishes of second (1997), fourth ('99), and sixth ('98). Sun Devil gymnasts earned 14 All-America honors – seven on beam and seven on floor - in the events Smyth coached directly.
Stanford head coach Kristen Smyth coached at Arizona State for five seasons before joining the Cardinal.
Leading the Way
• Stanford is led this season by co-captains Nicolette McNair and Elizabeth Price. The All-America duo possess a wealth of experience and accomplishments throughout their careers.
Experienced Group
• Stanford returns six gymnasts and 14 routines from last year's NCAA Championships roster. The Cardinal has four gymnasts who were part of the lineups that competed in the 2015 NCAA Super Six finals in Fort Worth, Texas, on the Cardinal's fifth-place team. They are: Danielle McNair, Nicolette McNair, Elizabeth Price and Haley Spector.
Consistently One of the Best in the Country
• Stanford is one of seven teams in the nation to make at least seven Super Six appearances in the past 15 years (2002-16). (Alabama-14, Utah-11, Georgia-11, UCLA-10, Florida-10, Stanford-7, Nebraska-7)
• Stanford has competed in the NCAA Championships in 13 of the past 16 years, including nine times in the past 10 seasons.
• A misconception about the Cardinal is that it comes out of nowhere during championship season. However, it should not be a surprise and is not a fluke, as evidenced by the team consistently finishing among the top in the nation.
• The Cardinal coaching staff enters each season with a carefully calculated outline of goals for different points during the season. A major focus for the beginning of the season is on consistency, building depth in lineups and health. As the season continues, the Cardinal adds difficulty and unique elements to routines to ensure it peaks during postseason competition.
Elizabeth Price has won nine of 12 events she's competed in this season. (Photo by Hector Garcia-Molina/Stanford Athletics)
Price Continues to Dominate
• Elizabeth Price missed last week's meet at UCLA but has been dominant this season. She picked up where she left off last season and has won at least two events in the four meets she has competed in this season (she missed one competition due to illness and one to injury). Price has won nine of the 12 events she has competed in this season.
• Price has scored 9.900 or higher in 50-of-80 (62.5 percent) performances during her collegiate career.
• Price became the second Cardinal gymnast to earn Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year honors in program history last season. She also claimed Regular Season All-America recognition in the all-around, vault and bars. She accumulated four honors through her first two years after earning first-team honors on vault as a freshman in 2015.
• Price won or tied for three 2016 NCAA Ann Arbor Regional honors, finishing first in the all-around (39.575) and bars (9.975) and tying for first on floor (9.900).
• Price tied for the 2016 Pac-12 title on bars (9.900), tied for second on vault (9.900), and tied for seventh on floor (9.875). She placed fourth in the all-around with a 39.475.
• Price won the all-around in eight of the 10 meets she competed in the event last season, including a season-best 39.675 at UCLA and Georgia (March 6). She finished the regular season tied for fifth in the nation in the all-around with an RQS of 39.570.
• Price scored 9.825 or higher in 40-of-43 performances in 2016. She won 57 percent of the events she competed in last season (30 individual event victories in 53 possible events).
• Price became the fifth gymnast in Pac-12 history to earn four Gymnast of the Week honors in one season in 2016 (Kirsten Maloney, UCLA, 2005; Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA, 2013; Makayla Stambaugh, Oregon State, 2013; Georgia Dabritz, Utah, 2015; Elizabeth Price, Stanford, 2016). Utah's MyKayla Skinner became the sixth Pac-12 gymnast to accomplish this feat in 2017.
Early Impact By the Underclassmen
• Four gymnasts made their collegiate debuts at the NorCal Classic including freshmen Kaylee Cole, Ashley Tai and Aleeza Yu, and redshirt freshman Hailee Hoffman. The quartet have been regulars in lineups throughout the season.
• Cole has scored 9.800 or higher on vault in four-of-six meets, including three scores of 9.875. She has helped provide consistency on floor with four scores of 9.700 or higher. Cole has hit 16-of-19 of her routines this season.
Kaylee Cole has competed in at least three events in every meet this season. (Photo by Hector Garcia-Molina/Stanford Athletics)
• Yu is coming back from an offseason injury and competed on bars in each meet, hitting all of her routines. She made her debut on vault against Arizona and finished second with a 9.850 and placed third against Washington with a 9.850. Yu had an excellent vault at UCLA (Feb. 11), scoring 9.925 to finish second.
• Tai had her best meet of the year at UCLA, going 9.850 on vault, 9.800 on beam and 9.750 on floor. She has established her place in the vault, beam and floors lineups, and has hit all four of her vaults, including five scores of 9.800 or higher. Tai has scored 9.800 or better in her past five beam routines.
• Hoffman has appeared in vault and floor lineups and had her best meet of the year at Southern Utah. She went 9.725 on vault and 9.775 on floor. Hoffman continued her momentum against Arizona with a season-best 9.800 on floor. She went 9.775 against Washington.
Consistency from Nicolette McNair
• Nicolette McNair had a strong showing against Washington, scoring 9.900 on bars in the leadoff position and added a 9.750 on vault.
• McNair returned from an offseason injury and has continued her role as one of the Cardinal's most consistent gymnasts. She has gotten stronger each week and is contributing scores regularly on vault, bars and beam.
• McNair was one of Stanford's most consistent gymnasts in 2016. She scored 9.800 or higher in 31-of-37 routines in 2016 and has hit 113-of-123 routines (92 percent) on vault, bars and beam in her career.
Danielle McNair Puts in Work
• Danielle McNair has competed in the most events of any Stanford gymnast this season and had her best meet of the year at UCLA (Feb. 11). McNair hit all four of her routines for scores of 9.775 or higher to post a career-best 39.250 in the all-around.
• She has competed in the all-around in each of the past five meets. McNair was a regular on vault and bars during her first three years but has earned her spot in the beam and floor lineups during her senior year.
Danielle McNair scored a career-high 39.250 in the all-around at No. 5 UCLA. (Photo by Hector Garcia-Molina/Stanford Athletics)
A Welcome Return
• Sophomore Taryn Fitzgerald returned to Stanford's lineups after having her debut season in 2016 cut short due to injury. She has hit each of her routines this year and tied her career best of 9.800 on beam twice (UC Davis Quad Meet, Jan. 13; vs. Washington, Feb. 5).
• Fitzgerald was establishing herself as a regular in Stanford's lineup on vault, beam and floor before she was injured in practice last season.
Daum Continues Contributions
• Senior Rachel Daum hit three-of-four routines for scores of 9.775 or higher at UCLA. She has contributed scores in at least two events in five-of-six meets this year.
Spector Provides Power on Floor
• Haley Spector provided big scores on floor in 2016 and will be a crucial member of the lineup this season. She went 9.775 or higher in nine meets last year, including two scores of 9.925. Spector has been limited this season by injury.
In the Rankings
• Stanford is ranked in the top 25 in the following events based on its season average:
Vault: t-12th, 49.067
Beam: 25th, 48.688
• Stanford gymnasts are ranked in the top 25 in the following events based on their season average:
Vault
Elizabeth Price, t-9th, 9.900
Aleeza Yu, t-20th, 9.867
Bars
Elizabeth Price, 3rd, 9.931