The No. 13 Pioneer gymnastics team finished the regular season last week night by defeating the Air Force Academy 195.350 – 191.625 in Colorado Springs and improving their record to 16-4.
No. 4-ranked junior All-American Jessica López won her 10th all-around title of the season and captured event titles on the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise.
The Pioneers opened the evening on the uneven bars with a team score of 49.025. López led the way with 9.9. Just behind, with scores of 9.8, were seniors Courtney Butler and Paige Schuster.
Denver secured the top six spots on the vault, as López won the title with a 9.8, just in front of senior Sasha Sullivan and junior Liz Meals who placed second with 9.750. Also contributing to the team’s 48.675 was senior Courtney Butler, who posted 9.7, while freshman Taylor Stanford recorded 9.675 followed by Schuster with 9.650.
López continued to lead the Pioneers on the floor exercise with a 9.925, as the Pioneers posted a score of 49.075. Sullivan took second place with a 9.85 just ahead of sophomore Ellen McCarthy and freshman Amanda Johanson, who tied for third with scores of 9.8.
Denver had an off finish to the night with two falls on the balance beam. The Pioneers registered a score of 48.575 as Sullivan and Stanford took their first titles on the beam of the season with scores of 9.825.
The Pioneers will compete in the Northeast regional championships in University Park, Pa., hosted by Penn State University on April 12.
“I am really excited, we have two athletes on our team from Pennsylvania and two more from the East Coast, so I know they are thrilled to be going home,” said Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart.
Denver will face the top-ranked three-time defending national champion Georgia along with No. 12 Auburn, No. 22 Penn State, Brigham Young and Iowa State.
“I think we match up really well with Auburn,” Rinehart. “I know they beat us here at home, I think Penn State cannot be ruled out, and I love our rotation starting on vault it works really well for us.”
“We need to use motivation that we are just capable of doing it and we have trained and worked harder this season than I can ever remember,” Rinehart said.
The top two teams and all-around competitors not on an advancing team will automatically go to the NCAA national championships hosted by the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.. April 24-26.
