BOISE, Idaho (Jan. 14) - Despite a school-record performance from junior Jenny Ebdon (Marietta, Ga.) and individual victories on every apparatus, the 15th-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team fell to Boise State, 194.275-193.300 on Friday night in the Broncos' season-opener at Boise, Idaho.
Ebdon scored 39.400 points in the all-around competition, breaking the previous mark of 39.375 set by Lenee Berumen in 1996. Ebdon scored a career-high 9.825 on her bars routine to start the meet, scored a career-high 9.925 on the floor exercise to win that individual event, and earned the necessary 9.875 on beam to win that final event as well as break the record.
Denver (1-1) started out extremely shaky in its first rotation on the uneven bars after two falls and a stumbled dismount. But the Pioneers rebounded on their last two routines with the help of career-highs by Ebdon and sophomore Melanie Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.), who tied her career-high on the bars by earning a 9.925 for the third time in her career. That mark ties for the second-best bars score in Denver history.
The Pioneers then put together their best vault rotation of the young season, scoring a combined 48.475 to remain within a half-point of the Broncos in their season-opener. Senior Dana Mims (Greenville, S.C.) led the way with a 9.800 with Ebdon as Denver's final vaulter close behind at 9.775. Mims earned second place in the all-around with a 38.625.
Denver then rebounded from a sub-par floor rotation suffered despite Ebdon's career-high score to score 49.000 on the beam to end the meet. The Broncos responded with a 49.175 on floor to quash any hopes of a comeback.
"We had a lot of individual bright spots, but we showed we have a lot of things to work on as well," said head coach Melissa Kutcher. "The good thing is that we showed ourselves that we can get things to click, and when that happens, we'll be great. We had six falls tonight, and we still improved our score from last week, which was the ninth best in the country."
The Pioneers conclude their two-meet road trip by competing in the Rocky Mountain Open next Saturday, Jan. 22 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
DENVER GYMNASTICS -- at Boise, Idaho
FINAL TEAM SCORE: Boise State 194.275, DENVER 193.300
ALL-AROUND: 1. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 39.400 (school record); 2. Dana Mims
(DU), 38.625; 3. Tiffany Weston (BSU), 38.600; 4. Jessica Berry (BSU),
38.475; 5. Jamie Johns (BSU), 38.175.
VAULT: 1. Dana Mims (DU), 9.800; 2. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 9.775; 3. (tie),
Jennifer White (DU) and Debbie Thompson (BSU), 9.725; 5. Kelly Riley
(BSU), 9.700.
UNEVEN BARS: 1. Melanie Schiff (DU), 9.925; 2. Jamie Johns (BSU), 9.850;
3. (tie), Jenny Ebdon (DU) and Kelly Riley (BSU), 9.825; 5. Jessica Berry
(BSU), 9.800.
BALANCE BEAM: 1. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 9.875; 2. (tie), Tiffany Weston (BSU),
Dana Mims (DU) and Melanie Schiff (DU), 9.825; 5. (tie), Louise Cashmere
(BSU) and Kara Clothier (DU), 9.775.
FLOOR EXERCISE: 1. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 9.925; 2. (tie), Debbie Thompson
(BSU) and Tiffany Weston (BSU), 9.900; 4. Jessica Berry (BSU), 9.850;
5. (tie), Kelly Riley (BSU) and Melanie Schiff (DU), 9.825.
