Jan. 6, 2006

Complete Results

CANCUN, Mexico - Juniors Casey Dobyns (Woodinville, Wash.) and Heather Huffaker (DeSoto, Texas) scored a pair of second place finishes in the vault and floor exercise, respectively, leading the No. 21-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team to a third place finish at the season-opening 2006 Cancun Classic. The Pioneers registered a team score of 193.850 and finished behind top-ranked Georgia (195.700) and No. 9 Stanford (194.950). DU scored a pair of upsets however, finishing ahead of No. 10 Oklahoma (193.325) and No. 17 Arizona (192.925).

DU began the meet on floor exercise, and were solid top to bottom in posting a 49.050 team score, the second-best score of the meet on floor. The Pioneers posted three scores of 9.8 or better, led by Huffaker's 9.925 in the sixth position of the lineup that was second only to Georgia's Katie Heenan's 9.95. Freshman Jessica Lopez (Caracas, Venezuela) posted a 9.85 to finish tied for sixth in her first collegiate competition, and Dobyns scored a 9.825 that placed her 12th.

Vault was next for the Pioneers, where Dobyns paced the way for DU with a 9.875, bested only by Stanford's Glyn Sweets' 9.925 in the competition. Huffaker was next for the Pioneers with a 9.775, helping DU to a 48.650 team score on the event.

Lopez was stellar for the Pioneers on uneven bars, leading Denver's 48.025 with a 9.775 that was tied for seventh.

The Pioneers got some excellent first-time performances on balance beam in scoring a 48.125. Freshmen Nikki Brown (Louisville, Ky.) and Lauren Garan (Cos Cob, Conn.) both scored 9.75 in their first career competitions and Lopez pitched in a 9.725 to help the Pioneers close out the meet on a positive note.

DU is next in action next Saturday, Jan. 14 when they travel to take on Minnesota at 6 p.m. MST.