University of Washington
Arizona
GymDawgs Stay Home To Face Arizona
February 18, 2017 | Gymnastics
SEATTLE – Washington gymnastics will stay home for the second week in a row, as the GymDawgs will take on Arizona in a dual meet on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 1:00 p.m. PT. The Huskies improved their score from the previous week, scoring a season-high 196.750 last weekend at home against Arizona State.
"We've taken last weekend's excitement of our season high and disappointment of coming just shy of a 197, and carried it into training," said head coach Elise Ray. "I continue to see more attention to detail and more consistency in the gym. Kristyn's injury is a big loss for us, but we have girls ready to step in and step up. This team is tough and driven, so we continue to strive for what we set out to do."
The GymDawgs posted season high scores on vault (49.100), bars (49.075), and floor (49.325), while tying a season high on beam with a 49.250. They moved up three spots in the rankings to No. 14 in the nation. The Huskies rank inside the top 25 in each event and they now rank 7th in the nation on beam – their highest ranking of any event.
Washington had ten top-3 performances last time out and had a winner in each event. Kaitlyn Duranczyk scored a career-high 9.95 on bars with one judge scoring her a perfect 10. Hailey Burleson won the beam, floor, and vault and scored a career-high 39.425 in the all-around for her second AA title of the season.
The No. 25 ranked Arizona Wildcats will be the fourth top-25 team the GymDawgs have faced this season.
"We're very excited to host Arizona, and see our friends on staff there. Arizona is a great team, though our focus stays on bettering ourselves and our routines," added Ray. "We want to keep climbing."
Meet Information
No. 14 Washington vs. No. 25 Arizona
Sunday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. PT
TV: Pac-12 Networks
UW vs. Arizona History
The Huskies and the Wildcats have faced off 61 times, with Arizona holding the head-to-head lead with a record of 24-1-36. Arizona won the most recent battle between these two teams, last season, with a score of 195.350 to 196.100 in Tucson last season.
Scouting the Wildcats
Arizona is currently 6-3 on the season with a 1-2 record in the Pac-12. They rank 25th in the nation in average score and their highest event is floor, where they rank 22nd in the nation. The Wildcats are coming off an upset over No. 15 ranked California and recorded a new high score of 196.100.
Event Previews
Vault, No. 21 – The Huskies scored a season-high 49.100 on vault last week against Arizona State, and are averaging 48.890 on the season. Hailey Burleson and Alex Yacalis both had season-high 9.85s last week, and Haley Roy had a solid 9.8. Goings and Copiak will be key contributors as the season progresses.
Bars, No. 22 – The Huskies put up a season high 49.075 on bars last week against ASU, and are now ranked No. 22 in the nation. Kaitlyn Duranczyk is now 12th in the nation on bars after she scored a career-high 9.95 against the Sun Devils. She averages above a 9.88 on the season. Burleson has been another mainstay on bars and is averaging just under a 9.8 for the year. Freshmen Michaela Nelson, Maya Washington, and Copiak all saw action on bars last week.
Beam, No. 7 – The GymDawgs tied a season-high 49.250 last weekend against Arizona State and have improved (or matched) their score on beam in each meet this season. Burleson is the Huskies' leader on beam and is averaging a 9.84 on the season. In total, the GymDawgs have five individuals (Burleson, Zoey Schaefer, Michaela Nelson, Malory Rose, and Maya Washington) in the top 100 on beam.
Floor, No. 22 – The Huskies put up a season-high 49.325 on floor against ASU this past weekend. Burleson, Duranczyk, and Yacalis all scored 9.9s to tie for first. Zoey Schaefer and Washington continue to deliver strong performances on floor.
All Around – Burleson won the all-around for the second time this season, scoring a season-high 39.425 against Arizona State at home. She has three event titles on the season.
Last Time Out
The GymDawgs scored a season-high 196.750 against Arizona State in their home opener and improved their scores on vaults, bars, and floor. The Huskies had ten top-3 finishers on the meet and won all four events.
Up Next
The Huskies will head to Lexington, Kentucky to face No. 9 Kentucky, No. 21 Illinois, and NIU on Friday, February 24th.
Players Mentioned
