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The 14th ranked University of Denver gymnastics team defeated No. 10 ranked Oregon State Saturday night in front of 1,583 fans at Hamilton Gymnasium. The Pioneers set a school record for most points in a season opener for the fourth straight season in their 194.375-192.400 victory.

Senior Melanie Schiff helped lead the team to their victory by scoring a 9.90 on the uneven bars and finishing with a near perfect all-around score of 39.025. Teammate Ashley Shibble also earned first place by winning the vault and wrapping it up with a best score on the floor exercise with an impressive 9.950. Junior Michelle Kasuga also performed well with a career-best score of 9.80 on the balance beam and second on the floor exercise with a 9.90.

Two Pioneer freshmen also performed noteworthy debuts in their first collegiate meets. Karyssa Ancellotti had her score count in all three events she participated in, including a 9.70 on vault and a 9.75 on floor. While teammate Jessica Kennedy scored a 9.70 on vault and a 9.750 on the bars to have her scores count towards the team total.

“I’m really proud of our team tonight,” Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said. “We made a few mistakes on vault, the beam and the floor, but they are correctable mistakes. The bars were definitely our best event tonight. But I thought the girls performed really well considering they were competing against a higher ranked team, but they weren’t scared or intimidated at all. Tonight definitely gives us something to build on.”

Denver finished with five of the top six scores on vault and won every apparatus title.

The Pioneers also had the top two all-arounders with Schiff and Shible. Sophomore Emily Bankhead finished fourth.

The Pioneers will be on the road for three consecutive meets before returning to home to host Illinois on Friday, Feb 8. The gymnasts will be in action next Saturday at No. 12 Penn State.