Feb. 20, 2000
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Season-best team scores on the uneven bars and balance beam helped propel the Arizona State women's gymnastics team to victory at the UNO's Classic Friday night in Wells Fargo Arena, and extent a 19-meet winning streak dating back to 1996.
The host Sun Devils finished with 195.850 points, holding off second-ranked Alabama (195.300), #21 Minnesota (195.150) and #4 Utah (194.675) before a crowd of 1, 183. ASU gymnasts took top honors in all four individual events.
Sixteenth-ranked Arizona State (11-2) began the meet on the vault, where it posted a team mark of 48.475, including a career-high 9.9 performance from junior All-American Kelly Christensen-Cowley.
Finding themselves in third place behind Minnesota after one rotation, the Devils proceeded to post their highest total on the bars (49.275) since a March 26, 1999 dual meet with Arizona. For the third straight meet, senior All-American Elizabeth Reid (ranked second nationally on bars) emerged victorious, posting a season-best 9.95. ASU junior Kim Skinner tied freshman teammate Margaret Wojciak for sixth in the exercise as both established new personal bests at 9.9.
Arizona State extended its lead on beam, with sophomore Lea Carver and freshman Ashley Ellsberry leading the way at 9.9. Carver lived up to her #8 national ranking in the event while Ellsberry set a career high and posted her first victory in only her third meet as a Sun Devil. In addition, senior co-captain Michelle Hess placed fourth with a season-high 9.825.
Despite a late charge by Alabama in their final two rotations on the bars and beam, ASU posted a solid 48.950 on the floor exercise to keep its home winning streak intact. Senior Elizabeth McNabb placed first at 9.9, the 20th time in the past 31 meets the All-American has scored at or above that mark. Placing third was ASU junior Becky Acker, tying her personal best floor score of 9.85.
Alabama sophomore Andree Pickens, the nation's top all-arounder, placed first in that portion of the competition with a four-event total of 39.4. Utah's Denise Jones, ranked #15, finished second at 39.150.
The Devils next compete in a tri-meet at the University of Denver which also features Air Force on Feb. 26 beginning at 6:00 p.m. MST.