March 9, 2002

Complete Results

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The fourth-ranked University of Michigan gymnastics team used a school-record score of 49.625 on the floor exercise and tied the second-best overall score in school history with a 197.775 to power to a first place finish in a tri-meet with the University of Denver and Washington Saturday afternoon at Crisler Arena. The 13th-ranked Pioneers finished second at 194.300 and Washington was third with a 194.250. The loss ends a four-meet winning streak for Denver, who with a win and a loss now stands at 9-3 on the season. Michigan improves to 16-3 and Washington drops to 3-7.

Denver began the afternoon on the floor exercise for the second consecutive week as the Pioneers scored a 49.000 on the event, led by junior Michelle Kasuga's (Defiance, Ohio) 9.90. That mark tied her second-best score of the season that she set in the season opening win over Oregon State on Jan. 12 and gave her a tie for fourth place in the meet. Next for Denver was sophomore Ashley Shible (Palm Harbor, Fla.), who scored a 9.825, and senior Jill Gunter (Lincoln, Calif.), who tallied a 9.775 for Denver's third-best score. Denver was in second place after the first rotation and trailed Michigan, 49.475 - 49.000. Washington was a distant third at 47.200.

The second rotation saw the Pioneers on the vault, where Denver scored a 48.785 to still trail the host Wolverines heading to the third rotation. For the second time this season, freshman Karyssa Ancellotti (Sugar Land, Texas) led the Pioneers on the event, as she came in with a 9.85, her second-best vault of the season. That score also placed her fifth in the meet, as Michigan vaulters took the top four spots in scoring a 49.225. Shible was next for Denver with a 9.825 and sophomore Emily Bankhead (Houston, Texas) and freshman Jessica Kennedy (West Chester, Pa.) finished tied for third on the team as both scored a 9.725. Michigan widened its lead after the second rotation to 98.700 - 97.775.

The third event for Denver was the uneven bars, where the Pioneers scored a 48.350, their lowest score on the apparatus since Feb. 8. Kasuga led Denver with a 9.8 and was followed by senior Melanie Schiff (Highland Park, N.J.), who scored a 9.775. It was the second time this season that Kasuga led the Pioneers on the bars and tied her second-best score of the season. After three rotations, the Wolverines widened their gap further and carried a 148.150 - 146.125 lead heading to the fourth and final rotation.

The final rotation had Denver on the balance beam, where Kasuga tied for second place in the event with a 9.9, her second-best score of the season. She tied with Michigan's Calli Ryals in second, behind UM's Elise Ray, who scored a 9.975 in winning. Kasuga's tie for second in the meet was also Denver's highest individual finish. Schiff was next for Denver with a 9.825 and Ancellotti finished third for the Pioneers with a 9.75. Denver finished the fourth rotation with a score of 48.025.

Elise Ray of Michigan won the all-around with a school record tying 39.825 and finished first in the vault, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. Bankhead was Denver's only all-around competitor and her 38.800 tied her with Washington's Tanya Powers for third.

The Pioneers return to action this Thursday, March 14 when they host No. 23 North Carolina State and Air Force in a tri-meet at 7 p.m. The meet will be the first to be contested in Magness Arena and will also be the last regular season home meet for Denver's two seniors, Melanie Schiff and Jill Gunter.