Jan. 15, 2004
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NO. 24 PIONEERS HOST MARYLAND SATURDAY IN HOME SEASON OPENER: The 24th-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team opens its home season this Saturday night, Jan. 17 when it welcomes in Maryland for the annual Alumni Challenge presented by Star Market at 6 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium. The Pioneers (0-5) are coming off a sixth-place finish at last weekend's Super Six Challenge in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and are looking to open the home season with a victory for the sixth consecutive season. Live meet updates will be also be available HERE!!!
NEW ADDITION TO GYMNASTICS FAMILY: Last weekend Denver was without the services of its head coach, Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, who missed her first meet in six seasons when she stayed in Denver expecting the birth of her first child. On Sunday, Jan. 11 Kutcher-Rinehart and her husband Todd welcomed William Baker Rinehart to the Denver family, entering the world around midnight and weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces.
PIONEERS WILL HAVE TO KEEP STREAK ALIVE WITHOUT KUTCHER-RINEHART: The Pioneers have won their home opening meet five consecutive seasons dating back to 1998, when the Pioneers lost to Nebraska. Kutcher-Rinehart was hired in August of 1998 and coached her first meet in January of 1999. She is unbeaten in home season openers, earning a perfect 7-0 mark. Denver will try to make it 8-0 without her on Saturday.
RANKINGS, ETC,: The Pioneers dropped from a preseason national ranking of No. 18 to No. 24 in the latest GymInfo national poll. Gymnastics, unlike most other college sports, uses performances to rank its teams. The first two polls are based on a team's high score and beginning on Monday, Jan. 26 the poll converts to team's meet averages. On Monday, Feb. 23 the poll changes to rank teams based on its regional qualifying score (RQS). Denver's season-opening score of 193.600 is the 24th-best score in the country following most teams' first meet of the season.
ABOUT MARYLAND: The Terrapins enter Saturday's meet coming off a third-place finish in a tri-meet at Ohio State, scoring a 192.825 and finishing behind the Buckeyes (193.775) and Pittsburgh (193.450). Sophomore Rachel Martinez was the bright spot for Maryland as she won the all-around title with a meet-high 39.300 that included a 9.85 on both vault and floor exercise and a 9.825 on uneven bars. For her performance, she was named East Atlantic Gymnastic League (EAGL) Gymnast of the week for the third time in her career. Maryland is coached by Bob Nelligan, who is in his 26th season in College Park and who has a career-record of 404-345-2.
DENVER VERSUS MARYLAND: The Pioneers and Terrapins have met just twice in previous seasons, with each team defeating the other once. The first meeting between the two teams came in December of 1983, a 174.150 - 171.650 Maryland win. In the last meeting between the two teams, Denver won a quad-meet on Jan. 12, 2001 in a home season-opener with a score of 194.175 as Maryland finished third at 191.925.
TOUGH SPOT WITH SIX FRESHMEN: Last weekend's Super Six Challenge was the first collegiate meet for Denver's six freshmen, and three saw significant action. Freshmen Katie Andrews (Crawfordsville, Ind.) and Heather Huffaker (DeSoto, Texas) both competed in the all-around in their first collegiate meet and scored a 37.050 and a 37.850, respectively. Fellow freshman Casey Dobyns (Woodinville, Wash.) also competed in her first meet and scored a 9.650 on vault and a 9.7 on floor exercise.
SENIORS STEP UP: Denver has three returning seniors in 2004, and all three are being counted on to show the way for the underclassmen and carry much of the load for Denver in 2004. They did just that last weekend at the Super Six Challenge, competing 10 routines on the night and having all 10 count toward's Denver's team total. Emily Bankhead (Houston, Texas) and Ashley Shible (Palm Harbor, Fla.) both competed in the all-around and had all eight of their scores count, including Bankhead's team-best scores on uneven bars (9.725), balance beam (9.8) and floor exercise (9.875). Rose Kiernan (Aspen, Colo.) also had her routines count, posting Denver's fourth-best scores on both uneven bars (9.625) and balance beam (9.675).
ALUMNI REUNION: Saturday's meet in Hamilton Gymnasium is the annual Alumni Challenge presented by Star Market, a meet held every year to welcome back former gymnasts who have contributed to the building of the Pioneer gymnastics program. Returning back to Denver will be 26 former gymnasts, including four-time All-American Karen Beer-Cannon (1981-84), and 1983 All-American Heidi Messer (Sjordal).
