Photo by: David Lorish
Junior All-American Jessica Lopez won all four individual events and the all-around helping the No. 12 Denver gymnastics team post a 195.125-189.250 win against Ball State in the Link To Pink meet home on Saturday night.
The Pioneers recorded season-high team scores on uneven bars and floor exercises, improving their record to 10-2.
López set a career-high all-around score of 39.575 after much success posting a 9.9 on the vault, 9.875 on the uneven bars, 9.85 on the balance beam, finishing with a 9.95 on floor exercise. López is now tied for the seventh-best all-around score in school history.
The Pioneers began the meet on the vault and scored a 49.125, tying their season best with three scores over a 9.8. Following behind López with a 9.85 was sophomore Kelly Hennigan, finishing second overall. In third, senior Courtney Butler posted 9.825 just ahead of juniors Liz Meals and Lauren Garan each recorded a 9.775 finishing tied for fourth place.
The Pioneers had their top performance of the season on bars with a 49.075, the first time this season they have scored over a 49.0. In second place, just behind López, was junior Nikki Brown with a 9.85 followed by sophomore Ellen McCarthy who recorded 9.825. Also contributing was senior Paige Schuster, matching her career-high of 9.775.
As the night continued, DU began to struggle on the balance beam, counting three falls and posting a season-low score of 47.750. Behind López’s first place 9.850 was Hennigan in second posting a 9.775, however Ball State took each one of the next four places.
The Pioneers did not let their fall discourage them as they finished on floor exercise with another season-best performance of 49.175. DU took each of the top five spots as López tied her career-best 9.95, which she set earlier this season. Just behind in second place was senior Sasha Sullivan posting another season-best of 9.925. Freshman Dani Kirchhof took third recording a career-high 9.8, just ahead of Meals and McCarthy who tied with scores of 9.75.
This meet was the first annual Link To Pink meet to support breast cancer research and was hosted in association with the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Denver Metropolitain Affiliate.
DU gymnasts all wore black “Link To Pink” leotards with a pink ribbon and sold all 150 pink “Denver Gymnastics” T-shirts for $10 each, with 100 percent of the sales going to the Komen Foundation.
A silent auction also took place throughout the meet featuring a pink blanket with the DU team picture and autographs. Thes1e proceeds also went to the Komen Foundation.
The Pioneers will travel to compete against No. 11 University of Nebraska-Lincoln next Saturday at 6 p.m. MST.
