Jan. 26, 2002

Complete Results

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The 18th-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team posted its highest team score in a road dual meet in program history Saturday night but No. 8 Alabama was just too strong as the Crimson Tide edged the Pioneers 195.675 - 195.225 in front of 7,206 fans at Coleman Coliseum. Denver had one gymnast tie for top honors in the vault and competed well on the road in a tough environment. With the narrow loss, the Pioneers drop to 2-1 on the season. Alabama improves to 6-1.

Denver began the night on the bars, and seemed energized by the large Alabama crowd. The Pioneers were led on the apparatus by junior Michelle Kasuga (Defiance, Ohio), whose 9.80 led the Pioneers and was the fourth-best score in the meet. Freshman Jessica Kennedy (West Chester, Ohio) also performed well for Denver, tying her season-best score with a 9.75.

Denver then moved to the vault, where they posted the best team score of the season on the apparatus and were once again led by sophomore All-American Ashley Shible (Palm Harbor, Fla.), who scored a 9.9 and tied with Alabama's Kristen Sterner for top honors. Two other Denver vaulters set season-best scores in the meet as senior Jill Gunter (Lincoln, Calif.) had her season-best with a 9.775 and Kennedy set her personal best with a 9.775. The Pioneers trailed following the first two rotations by the score of 98.350 - 97.525.

The floor exercise was next for the Pioneers, and Denver made a nice run at the Crimson Tide, who was struggling on the balance beam. Denver posted five solid scores on the floor, led by Kasuga's 9.8 and Shible's 9.775. Sophomore Emily Bankhead (Houston, Texas) had her season-best score on the floor, she also scored a 9.775.

Denver finished on the balance beam, and the Pioneers posted some solid scores to give the Crimson Tide a scare but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit with the Tide performing on their best event. Senior Melanie Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.) easily had her best beam routine of the season and scored a 9.85, good for second place in the meet behind Alabama's Jeana Rice's 9.875. Shible and Kasuga both scored 9.8s to help Denver's cause.

"I'm just very proud of how our athlete's did tonight," head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said. "I thought the crowd here was fantastic, really supportive of both teams and the girls seemed to feed off the energy of the crowd. We came here because we think that we need the experience of competing in front of seven thousand people and I am really pleased with how we came out of this meet. We were down an important gymnast tonight (Karyssa Ancellotti) and to still come within .45 of one of the top teams in the country on their home floor is really something."

Denver is next in action next Sunday, Feb. 3 when it continues its three-week road trip at No. 14 Stanford at 2 p.m.