Posting their highest score of the season, the No. 15 ranked gymnastics team defeated Air Force Academy on Saturday 196.500-192.925. The score was the second-highest team score in school history.

Emily Bankhead captured the all-around title, scoring a 9.85 on beam and a 9.85 on floor. She tied for first place on floor with three other Pioneers, Michelle Kasuga, Jessica Kennedy and Karyssa Ancellotti.

On beam, Melanie Schiff’s score of 9.90 tied with AFA’s Bethany Stott for first place. Schiff’s beam performance came after winning the uneven bars with a near-perfect score of 9.95.

“I just want to help out the team in any way I can,” Schiff, a senior, said.

Also on bars, Ashley Shible took second place and Kasuga took third.

On vault, DU’s 49.125 was their best score this season. Ancellotti, Jill Gunter and Shible led the Pioneers, all scoring 9.875 on their vaults.

The Pioneer will head to Columbia, Mo. this Saturday to take on the No. 20 Missouri Tigers. DU will be back at Magness Arena on March 14 to face North Carolina State.

The Pioneers are focusing their goals for the rest of the season on improving their team scores and hopefully making it to nationals in April.

“We just need to work on details: landing, form and presentation,” Schiff said.

DU will have the opportunity to qualify for Nationals at home in the NCAA North Central Regional Championship April 6.