U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (Jan. 22) - The University of Denver gymnastics team's nemesis a week ago was its best friend Saturday night at the Rocky Mountain Open, as the Pioneers used a strong closing bars rotation to post a season-high 194.300 points and win the four-team meet at Cadet Gymnasium.
A week after a dismal bars rotation at Boise State kept Denver from a second straight win to start the season, the Pioneers totaled a season-high 49.075 points on the apparatus to pull out the victory. The Pioneers entered the final rotation 0.4 points behind Brigham Young, who counted
Junior Jenny Ebdon (Marietta, Ga.) followed her school-record all-around total from a week ago with a second straight excellent performance, totaling 39.200 in the four events Saturday night to win the all-around title for the third time in three meets. A week after scoring a career-high 9.825 on bars at Boise State, Ebdon earned a 9.800 to keep the Pioneers in contention at the end. Her 9.875 on vault was just off her career-high, but it nevertheless was good for the event title.
Sophomore Melanie Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.), needing to hit her bars routine as she closed out Denver's bar rotation, tied her career-high on bars for the second-straight week by scoring a 9.925 for the fourth time in her career. That score won her the event title and also completed her first career all-around performance, which totaled 38.625 for fourth place.
"I'm really proud of the job that our team did tonight," said head coach Melissa Kutcher. "We struggled our first few meets on bars, so we went into practice this week and worked hard on it, and it helped. We have a very strong bars team, and it's a shame that we didn't show it the first two meets. We're improving every meet, and that's all I can ask. They're committed to working hard. We don't want to peak now, so it's good that we're going gradually."
The Pioneers return home next weekend for a triangular meet with Minnesota and Arizona next Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium. In the preseason coaches poll, Minnesota was ranked right behind Denver at No. 14 while Arizona a spot behind the Pioneers at No. 16 in the country.
Results
DENVER GYMNASTICS at Rocky Mountain Open, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. - FINAL TEAM SCORE: 1. DENVER, 194.300; 2. Brigham Young, 193.475; 3. Air Force, 189.800; 4. CSU-Sacramento, 188.725
- ALL-AROUND: 1. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 39.200; 2. Kelly Parkinson (BYU), 39.175; 3. Jennifer White (DU), 38.925; 4. Melanie Schiff (DU), 38.625; 5. Kim Broughton (AFA), 38.500.
- VAULT: 1. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 9.875; 2. Jennifer White (DU), 9.850; 3. Kelly Parkinson (BYU), 9.825; 4. Dana Mims (DU), 9.825; 5. Kim Little (BYU), 9.800.
- UNEVEN BARS: 1. Melanie Schiff (DU), 9.925; 2. Denice Pauga (BYU), 9.925; 3. Dana Mims (DU), 9.875; 4. Kelly Parkinson (BYU), 9.850; 5. Kim Little (BYU), 9.850.
- BALANCE BEAM: 1. Beth Stott (AFA), 9.875; 2. Jeni Thomas (BYU), 9.850; 3. Kim Broughton (AFA), 9.825; 4. Karen Nielsen (BYU), 9.800; 5. Melissa Prescott (CSUS), 9.775.
- FLOOR EXERCISE: 1. Kelly Parkinson (BYU), 9.800; 2. Jenny Ebdon (DU), 9.775; 3. Toni Peterson (CSSU), 9775; 4. Melanie Schiff (DU), 9.750; 5. Jacquelin Young (DU), 9.725.
