Jan. 31, 2004
Complete Results
DENVER - Sparked by a perfect 10.0 on vault from freshman Heather Huffaker (DeSoto, Texas) and season-high team scores on vault, uneven bars, and balance beam, the University of Denver gymnastics team routed Air Force Saturday night, 196.500 - 188.175 in front of 980 fans in Hamilton Gymnasium. With the win the Pioneers improve to 2-7 on the season. Air Force drops to 2-7.
Denver opened the meet on vault, where the Pioneers' team score of 49.350 set a season-high and stands as the third-best team score in school history. The Pioneers had each of the top five scores in the meet, led by Huffaker's school-record tying perfect 10.0, only the fourth perfect 10.0 on vault in Denver history. She became just the second Denver gymnast to ever earn a perfect 10.0, joining teammate Ashley Shible (Palm Harbor, Fla.), who has accomplished the feat three times. Finishing second was senior Emily Bankhead (Houston, Texas) with a season-high 9.875 and right behind her was sophomore Meredith Fricke (Midlothian, Texas), who set a new career-high with a 9.825 that tied with Shible and freshman Casey Dobyns (Woodinville, Wash.).
Uneven bars was Denver's second event, and the Pioneers set another season-high with a 48.975. The Pioneers held each of the top six spots, as Bankhead and Shible split top honors at 9.875. Alone in third place was fellow senior Rose Kiernan (Aspen, Colo.), who set a season-high with a 9.825 and was followed by Huffaker, junior Stephanie Lorber (San Carlos, Calif.) and freshman Katie Andrews (Crawfordsville, Ind.), who each tied for fourth a 9.7.
Balance beam was next for the Pioneers, and it was perhaps Denver's strongest event of the night. Denver's team score of 49.225 is tied for the fifth-best score in school history and is the Pioneer's best score on that event since a 49.250 set in January of 2003. After setting a career-high in Denver's last home meet, Bankhead one-upped herself Saturday night, setting a new personal best with a 9.95 that is tied for the second-best score in school history. Right behind her in a tie for second was a pair of new career-highs as Willingham and Huffaker each scored a 9.9. Fricke rounded out the placing for the Pioneers in fourth with a 9.8.
Bankhead captured her first all-around title of the season with a career-high 39.600, the fourth-highest score in Pioneer history. Huffaker also set a new career-high with a 39.475.
Denver is next in action next Friday, Feb. 6 when it travels to take on No. 5 Iowa State at 6 p.m MST.
