Arizona
Arizona GymCats hope to maintain success in quad meets at NCAA Regionals
The No. 21 Arizona GymCats are looking at the NCAA Regional Semifinals in Seattle as just another quad meet. They have the same goal as in their previous four quad meets this season.
“In every quad meet, we approached it like a regional meet,” said Arizona head coach John Court. “The goal is to come in first or second. Every quad meet that we’ve done this year, we have come in either first or second.”
Coming in first or second in their session on Friday, Apr. 4 would mean moving on to the Regional Final. That will be held on Sunday, Apr. 6.
The three teams standing in their way are No. 7 Missouri, No. 10 Georgia, and No. 26 Arizona State.
It’s not the worst draw in the world. The GymCats would not have to face No. 2 Oklahoma unless both teams reach the finals in their region. Missouri and Georgia are very good, but Oklahoma is another challenge altogether. As for ASU, UA has already beaten them twice this season.
“I think we have a great shot of making Sweet 16 at regionals,” said senior Elena Deets. “So, super exciting for us as a team, and for me, I just want to go out there and soak in every moment.”
The GymCats will lean hard on a quartet of seniors that includes Deets, Alysen Fears, Emily Mueller, and Elizabeth LaRusso. The group typically accounts for 12 of the 24 routines in every meet. Fears and Mueller are both all-arounders. LaRusso performs vault and floor exercise. Deets does bars and beam.
The performances Deets has put together this season earned her recognition as the co-honoree for the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year award.
However, as a team, the GymCats believe they could have done better this year. They did not build as much as they wanted as the year progressed. They had some meets where experienced gymnasts had uncharacteristic errors. They hope that’s a learning experience for those coming back.
“It takes a full roster…and everyone being the best version of themselves in here,” Court said. “And if that’s happening [next year], we’ll be good. That totally didn’t happen this year. We were probably about 85 percent.”
Amelia Rock is one of the gymnasts who will be taking the experience from this year and building on it. The freshman dealt with an injury early in the season, but she had the opportunity to get into the beam rotation during some late meets. She earned a career high of 9.825 at the Big 12 Championships on Mar. 22. She may get that opportunity again at regionals.
“As the year’s going on, I’m glad I’ve been able to contribute more,” Rock said. “It’s been fun on beam and stuff. I’m feeling really good right now. I feel like I’m in a really good spot with my team, and I’m feeling really comfortable and consistent.”
It would be a huge accomplishment for Rock if she is in the lineup on Friday. Not only is it the biggest meet of her short collegiate career, but it’s taking place about an hour from her home in Buckley, Wash.
“Going home for a big meet like this, it’s really exciting,” Buck said. “I think the energy is going to be great. I have been to the UW meets, like growing up, my whole life, so it’ll be really cool to compete there and kind of have like a home crowd in a sense. My whole family is able to come, and my friends will be there. I think my club gym is gonna try to come. So I’m really excited to just go back and see everyone.”
It’s a good thing that Rock will have supporters in the stands. Washington is the host school but the Huskies did not qualify for the postseason this year. One of their gymnasts qualified as an individual and will be rotating with the GymCats, but there will be no hometown team for local fans to support.
“They’ve set some record crowds this year in Seattle, but that’s also when the team is playing,” Court said.
Arizona has one goal whether the event is well-attended or not. The GymCats want to get to Sunday. Should the team fall short, Court believes that they could have individual qualifiers move on to compete at nationals.
Session 1 of the Seattle Regional Semifinals gets underway at 1 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 4. It will be streamed on ESPN+.
Recruiting notes
Arizona got verbal commitments from two gymnasts in the 2026 class over the past few days.
- Avery Tarico out of Gold Medal Gymnastics in Chandler, Ariz. announced her commitment on Mar. 31. Her high scores in Level 10 are 38.400 in the all-around, 9.500 on vault, 9.600 on bars, 9.850 on balance beam, and 9.875 on floor exercise. She also visited ASU.
- Olivia Sawyer out of Texas Dreams also announced her commitment on Mar. 31. Her level 10 high scores are 38.000 in the all-around, 9.425 on vault, 9.550 on bars, 9.675 on floor exercise, and 9.550 on beam.
PHOENIX — The number of legal challenges to detentions in Arizona and nationwide has grown to record highs.
Immigration Attorney Hugo Balderas Ibarra said when someone is picked up by ICE, typical bond hearings are “pretty much out the window.”
“These policies that the administration is implementing violate the due process, violate fifth amendment,” Balderas Ibarra said.
This has led attorneys representing detained individuals to file what’s known as a habeas corpus petition.
“A habeas corpus petition is something in federal court that says the federal government is detaining me or confining me somewhere without basis in law,” New Frontier Immigration Law founder Hillary Walsh said.
Walsh said she filed three petitions on Friday alone.
“One of these is for an 18-year-old kid who has no criminal history,” Walsh said. “He came here to seek asylum a few years ago, and went through the whole process legally, asked at the border, did everything right, and now he’s detained.”
Data by TRAC shows the surge in the federal filings alleging illegal detention over the past year.
From 105 nationally in March 2025, to 9,059 the same month this year.
In Arizona, more than 1,100 cases have been filed between October and March, according to TRAC.
“A lot more people who are being detained, but we also have a whole other layer to the process for getting them out if they’re eligible for bond, and so that clogs up the whole federal court system,” Walsh said.
As the Iowa State Cyclones continue to reflect on what was a strong season, one of their top players from last year is in the portal and is the best player available.
After deciding to come back to college a couple of days ago, Milan Momcilovic is now the best player in the portal and has a number of suitors looking to bring him in. Due to the large amount of money that he is expected to get, it would be a complete shock if he came back to Iowa State at this point. However, where he goes could have an impact on the program.
Last season, the junior had a breakout year and emerged as one of the best shooters in the country. While there is still work to be done to translate his game to the next level, he is an impact player in college basketball.
However, where he might go is the big decision everyone is waiting to see. Currently, it appears to be a three-horse race between the Arizona Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Louisville Cardinals. Of the three, the Cyclones certainly don’t want to see him go to one of those schools.
Momcilovic Choosing Arizona Would Be a Tough Blow
If the star shooter for the Cyclones were to choose the Wildcats, it would be a tough blow for Iowa State. While the Cyclones had a great season this year, it was Arizona that was a thorn in their side.
The Wildcats were able to beat them both in their regular-season matchup and then again in the Big 12 tournament. The game in the Big 12 was an absolute thriller and went right down to the wire.
While Iowa State might have lost, it was Momcilovic who had a fantastic game in the showdown. Now, as the talented sharpshooter mulls his decision on where to play next year, seeing him go to Arizona would be a tough blow for the Cyclones.
This was a team that beat them twice last year, and taking one of their best players would likely result in the Wildcats being considered a better team heading into next season as well.
While Iowa State did a great job in the transfer portal and has some young talent coming back, losing the best three-point shooter in the country is a big blow. Furthermore, since Kentucky and Louisville aren’t in the Big 12, seeing Momcilovic join one of those squads wouldn’t sting or have an impact on the Cyclones nearly as much.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Politics4 minutes agoHasan Piker says UK has barred him, trashes ‘unbelievable…power’ of pro-Israel groups
-
Health11 minutes agoQuitting smoking could offer a major benefit beyond heart and lung health, study finds
-
Sports14 minutes agoRoman Reigns domesticates Jacob Fatu to retain World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Clash in Italy
-
Technology19 minutes agoQR code email scam targets employee reviews
-
Business26 minutes agoMove over, Grogu. Internet culture soars as ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ top the box office
-
Entertainment29 minutes agoReality star Matt Brown of ‘Alaskan Bush People’ is found dead, family confirms
-
Politics44 minutes agoDespite Trump’s recent insistence, in-person voting does exist in Los Angeles
-
Sports56 minutes agoYoshinobu Yamamoto helps Dodgers deliver a birthday win for Dave Roberts
