DENVER (Mar. 5) - The 14th-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team rallied from its worst balance beam performance of the year to post its ninth consecutive win Sunday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium as the Pioneers defeated Illinois by a score of 194.925-194.475. The win improves the Pioneers' dual-meet record to 15-3 on the season and extends a winning streak that began after a loss at two-time defending NCAA National Champion Georgia on Feb. 3.
The Pioneers started off well after compiling their second-best vault total of the season (48.750). Junior Christina Parratt (Reno, Nev.) led off the meet by posting a career-high-tying 9.750. Sophomore Melanie Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.), competing on the vault in place of an injured Jennifer White for the second straight meet, posted her second straight 9.775 to tie her career high. Junior Jenny Ebdon (Marietta, Ga.) closed out the rotation with another 9.775 to tie Schiff for the event title.
Six days after breaking the school record on the uneven bars, the Pioneers posted their highest score at home this season - and sixth-best in school history - by combining for a 49.125. Schiff earned a 9.900 to win the event for the sixth time this season and lead a Denver sweep of the top six places.
As Denver moved to the balance beam - an event in which the Pioneers are ranked seventh in the country - hopes took a literal fall when the team suffered three falls from the beam and had to take a full-point deduction on the apparatus. The resulting 48.100 in the rotation set a season low on the beam. Not all the news was bad, though, as Ebdon's 9.900 was enough to win the title over Illinois' Jana Gallagher (9.875). Senior Sachi Ena (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) placed third with a 9.850.
A strong score of 48.950 on the floor exercise to close the meet gave the Pioneers the win. Ebdon won again with a 9.900 which also gave her a winning score of 39.400 - second only to her school-record 39.425 last week at Texas Woman's - in the all-around competition. Sophomore Jill Gunter (Lincoln, Calif.) tied for second on the floor with a career-high score of 9.85.
"It was an OK meet for us," said head coach Melissa Kutcher. "We're getting closer, but we still haven't put all four rotations together. Taking three falls on an event that has been our strongest all year was tough, but I was pleased that they attacked the beam instead of being cautious. The team did a great job on vault, bars and floor."
The Pioneers make their last road trip of the regular season this coming weekend when Denver travels to Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the six-team Wolfpack Invitational. The meet begins on Saturday at 5 p.m. (MST).
DENVER GYMNASTICS -- at Hamilton Gymnasium, Denver
FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. #14 DENVER, 194.925; 2. Illinois, 194.475. ALL-AROUND: 1. Jenny Ebdon (D), 39.400; 2. Phaedra Dixon (I), 38.975; 3. Karen Hawley (I), 38.775; 4. Melanie Schiff (D), 38.700. VAULT: 1. (tie), Jenny Ebdon (D), Melanie Schiff (D) and Michelle Buranich (I), 9.775; 4. (tie), Dana Mims (D), Christina Parratt (D) and Phaedra Dixon (I), 9.750.
UNEVEN BARS: 1. Melanie Schiff (D), 9.900; 2. (tie), Jenny Ebdon (D), Dana Mims (D) and Debbie Groom (D), 9.825; 5. Sachi Ena (D), 9.750.
BALANCE BEAM: 1. Jenny Ebdon (D), 9.900; 2. Jana Gallagher (I), 9.875; 3. (tie), Sachi Ena (D) and Gina Wiechmann (I), 9.850; 5. Karen Hawley (I), 9.800.
FLOOR EXERCISE: 1. Jenny Ebdon (D), 9.900; 2. (tie), Jill Gunter (D) and Phaedra Dixon (I), 9.850; 4. Carissa Ericson (I), 9.800; 5. Debbie Groom (D), 9.750.
