TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Gymnastics will host Sacramento State on Sunday, January 21 at McKale Center. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MST and will be live streamed here.

Last week, the GymCats opened the 2024 season with a first-place finish in Session 1 of the ESPN Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. Arizona scored a 196.475 and Sophie Derr, Ainsley Greever, and Abigayle Martin made their collegiate debuts. 

A complete preview of Sunday's meet can be found below.
 

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HOME OPENER: The GymCats will welcome Sacramento State for the first home meet this season in McKale Center. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MST. 

LAST WEEK: Arizona opened the season at the first-ever ESPN Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. The GymCats placed first in Session 1 of the event with a 196.475 - the highest opening meet score in program history. Alysen Fears won the all-around with a 39.250.  

IN THE RANKINGS: After week 1, Arizona is ranked No. 17 overall in the Road to Nationals rankings.   

• Vault: No. 27
• Uneven Bars: No. 26
• Balance Beam: No. 21
• Floor Exercise: No. 6

ALL-PAC-12: Senior Malia Hargrove earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention on vault for the 2023 season. She finished the regular season ranked seventh in the Pac-12 and 23rd nationally with a 9.905 NQS on vault. That was her first career All-Conference honor. 

FRESH FACES: The GymCats welcomed six freshmen to the team this season. Sophie Derr, Ainsley Greever, Haley Havenor, Sophia Maisel, Abigayle Martin, and Tirzah Wise are all freshmen.

FAMILIAR FACES: Arizona returns 15 gymnasts from last season. Among the 15 returners is redshirt senior Malia Hargrove along with seven seniors including standouts Jessica Castles and Caroline Herry. Juniors Alysen Fears, Elizabeth LaRusso, and Emily Mueller also return for Arizona following outstanding sophomore seasons.
 
2024 CAPTAINS: The GymCats will be led by Elena Deets, Caroline Herry, and Bailey McCabe who will act as team captains in the 2024 season. 

COACHING STAFF: The GymCats have a very accomplished coaching staff. John Court enters his sixth year as head coach and 26th year on staff in Tucson. Associate head coach Taylor Spears, the 2014 NCAA individual beam champion, is in her sixth season on Arizona's staff and has helped the beam team improve every year. Assistant coach Kylie Kratchwell enters her second year with the GymCats.  

PRESEASON POLLS: Arizona was picked to finish eighth in the preseason Pac-12 coaches poll. In the WGCA preseason poll, the GymCats were picked to finish 22nd. 

PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Junior Alysen Fears and freshman Abigayle Martin were selected to represent Arizona on the Pac-12 Preseason Watch List for the 2024 season. 

• Fears competed in every meet last season for Arizona and earned career high marks on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor, including three-straight meets with a career best 9.925 on bars. 
• Martin enters her freshman year as a three-time National qualifier and was a member of the USA Gymnastics Developmental National Team in 2021. In 2022, Martin placed third on bars and beam at the Texas state championship. She also finished in fifth place at the 2022 Nastia Liukin Cup. Martin placed third on bars at the Level 10 championships in 2023.