Photo by: Justin Edmonds
Saturday night the air inside Magnus Arena was filled with excitement and energy, as 3,876 fans from across the region came to support their teams at the NCAA North Central Region Championships. DU hosted five teams and members from two others.
The Pioneers finished second, behind Georgia and just ahead of Penn State. The second place qualified DU for the NCAA playoffs.
The schools that qualified for the regional championship were DU, BYU, Georgia, Minnesota, Penn State, and Utah State. Gymnasts from Iowa and Southern Utah also competed.
The top two teams in the regionals move on to nationals and individuals from other teams that do not move on to the finals also have the opportunity to advance to nationals.
The Pioneers began the night with a bye, and then started on floor. The floor exercise is typically what DU finishes with when they are at home; but at the NCAA regionals, officials chose the order.
DU scored 49.150 on the floor to get off to a great start. Sasha Sullivan lead the way with a 9.875 followed by Heather Huffaker with a 9.850. Both Jessica Lopez and Gretchen Goerlitz received 9.825 while Ellen McCarthy had a 9.775. Katie Andrews scored a 9.700.
The Pioneers followed their strong performance on floor with yet another strong performance on vault with a team score of 48.950. Huffaker scored a 9.875 followed by 9.800 from both Casey Dobyns and Courtney Butler. Liz Meals scored a 9.775 while Kelley Hennigan had a 9.700 and Sasha Sullivan a 9.650.
The total score for the Pioneers was 98.100 which put them in second place followed closely by Penn State with a 97.825 through two rotations. Georgia was at 98.800 and its lead would only get better as the night continued.
The Pioneers next performed on the bars receiving a team score of 48.950 again. Butler was Denver’s top scorer receiving a 9.850. Lopez and Nikki Brown both received 9.800 while Ellen McCarthy and Sasha Sullivan earned 9.750. Huffaker received a 9.650.
On the beam Ellen McCarthy led the Pioneers with a 9.850 followed by Huffaker, 9.800. Both Hennigan and Sullivan received 9.725 and Lopez scored a 9.675. Brown was awarded 9.500 points after nearly falling off the beam on a difficult routine.
Through three scoring rotations and a total of five actual rotations, the Pioneers were in second place with a 0.300 lead over Penn State. Penn State would finish on the floor while the Pioneers finished on the balance beam. This last rotation was one of increased heart rates for all Pioneer fans and extremely high pressure for the gymnasts. The Pioneers pulled out a 48.775 giving them a total team score of 195.825. Penn State scored a 49.000 on the floor giving them a score of 195.775. The DU Pioneers took second place by 0.050 points over Penn State.
Georgia won the regional with a score of 197.275. Also Olympian Courtney Kupets won the floor exercise as well as the all around title for Georgia with a score of 39.525.
Huffaker and Sullivan went fourth, fifth respectively in the all around with scores of 39.175 and 39.000. On the floor exercise Sullivan earned fourth place and Huffaker came in fifth. On the vault Huffaker placed fourth. On the bars Courtney Butler earned fifth place. On the beam Ellen McCarthy tied for third.
Since going to the national tournament in 2001 the Pioneers have finished third in the regional tournament at least three years in a row and last year they finished fourth. As head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart commented, “The monkey is finally off our back, as far as making it to nationals.”
Huffaker and Dobyns are the only two Pioneers who have been to the nationals yet this will be their first appearance with their team.
“Coming in as freshmen we were told that we had the talent and we were the class to do it. To see it finally happen and to finally realize that all of our work has paid off,” said senior Dobyns.
Huffaker said, “I’ve probably never been more happy. I’ve never cried happy tears until now.”
Kutcher-Rinehart was named Coach of the Year and while she was happy with the honor she was more proud of her gymnasts.
“It’s nice. I certainly feel honored,” she said, “but I am most proud of my student athletes. That’s my priority.”
Kutcher-Rinehart also noted, “We are not going to nationals just to be there. We are going to compete and compete hard.”
The entire Pioneer team was very emotional and teary eyed with joy after placing second and advancing to nationals.
When it was officially announced that Denver placed second during the awards ceremony, an explosion of noise and emotion burst through the entire arena. There was fireworks and confetti to cap it all off.
The Pioneers hope to make some more noise April 26-28 in Utah where they will look to dethrone Georgia at the NCAA National Championships.
