At the beginning of the season, the Sun Devils had two big goals stressed by head coach Jay Santos.
The first goal was to place inside the top three in the Pac-12 and the second was to qualify for nationals. The Sun Devils have not made nationals since the 2006 season under coach John Spini.
"(ASU under) John Spini, for 30 years, was one of the top programs in the country and was at nationals every year," Santos said. "The history is here and it can be done here."
Spini, the former ASU gymnastics head coach, had a career record of 359-235-2. And was a four-time NCAA runner-up and four-time Pac-10 coach of the year.
Before the 2021 season, Santos had a 27-35-2 record over his first four years, with 11 of his 35 losses in his first year as head coach.
"Jay and (assistant coach Jess Santos) have honestly helped me to grow so much in and out of the gym," senior Cairo Leonard-Baker said.
To begin the 2021 season, ASU gymnastics was ranked No. 21 in the nation. Currently, Santos has helped guide the Sun Devils to a 4-4 record and a No. 7 ranking, while scoring above 197 in three separate meets for the first time since 2004.
"Getting these 197 scores was one of our biggest goals for the season," freshman Sarah Clark said. "We want to have a 197 NQS."
The NCAA has changed up the formula on how the National Qualifying Score is calculated for the 2021 season.
In a non-pandemic season, a team's top six scores of the season are averaged. Three scores must come on the road or a neutral location. The highest score is dropped, and then the remaining five are calculated into the NQS.
For 2021, the top four scores are averaged, with at least two scores coming on the road or neutral location.
Currently, ASU is ranked second in the Pac-12 by NQS, only behind No. 4 Utah.
"It's surreal," Leonard-Baker said. "Freshman year (being ranked No. 7) wouldn't have even been a goal on our board."
Leonard-Baker has been with the program since 2018 and, during that season, the Sun Devils did not rank higher than No. 23. Prior to the 2018 season, the Sun Devils ranked as low as No. 51 in 2016.
"Every year this team is getting better," Leonard-Baker said.
On Jan. 29 the Sun Devils defeated Oregon State for the first time since 2006. After that meet, ASU went on to score above 197 in three of their next four meets.
"Whenever we go to a meet it's not fear, it's not nerves, we're ready. And I feel like that has helped me," Leonard-Baker said.
Gymnasts of every class have helped ASU get to where it is currently.
Clark, along with fellow freshmen Cassi Barbanente, Anaya Smith and Emily White have all competed this season. Clark and White both won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors.
Sophomore Hannah Scharf is tied for 10th place in the NCAA for her NQS all-around score. Junior Megan Thompson has competed on beam in every meet for the Sun Devils, scoring no lower than a 9.725.
The Sun Devils will face off against UA on Saturday and Boise State on March 12 before heading to the Pac-12 Championship on March 20.
"Let's go to Pac-12s, let's go beat Utah, let's win Pac-12s and let's go get our rings," Leonard-Baker said.
Reach the reporter at njpietrz@asu.edu and follow @NPietrzycki on Twitter.
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