Jan. 5, 2007

Complete Results

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Sophomore Jessica Lopez (Caracas, Venezuela) won the uneven bars title with a career-high 9.975 - the third-highest score in school history and the first-ever 9.975 - helping the University of Denver gymnastics team to a fifth-place finish at the Super Six Challenge hosted by the University of Arkansas. The Pioneers tallied a team score of 192.975, finishing behind meet winner Florida (196.550), Nebraska (195.200), Penn State (194.575), and LSU (194.125). DU finished ahead of the host Gym'Backs, who rounded out the field with a 192.800.

In 33 years of DU gymnastics, there have been two perfect 10.0 scores on uneven bars, by Leneé Berumen in 1996 and Michelle Kasuga in 2003. Lopez's score of 9.975 broke her career-best score of 9.95 set last season and is the school's first-ever score of 9.975 on uneven bars. There have been nine routines of 9.95 in school history. It also tied the best score in the eight-year history of the Super Six Challenge.

Lopez helped DU to a team score of 48.675 on the uneven bars, as both senior Casey Dobyns (Woodinville, Wash.) and sophomore Nikki Brown (Louisville, Ky.) posted scores of 9.825. For Dobyns, that score tied her career-high.

The Pioneers had a solid performance on floor exercise, posting the second-best team score of the meet with a 48.875 with three gymnasts scoring a 9.8 or higher. Lopez led the way for the Pioneers with a 9.85, followed by junior Sasha Sullivan (Glen Allen, Va.) with a 9.825 and senior Gretchen Goerlitz (Neenah, Wis.) with a 9.8.

On vault, sophomore Liz Meals (Gibsonia, Pa.) tied her career-high with a 9.85 to finish tied for fifth as DU scored a 48.675. Sullivan was next for the Pioneers with a 9.775 and freshman Kelley Hennigan (The Woodlands, Texas) scored a 9.725.

"It was a good early test for us," head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said. "We counted too many falls and when you do that you won't finish where you want to be. One thing I can take from this meet is that I can see the potential we have to be a very good team. We'll continue to improve and I'm excited for our home opener next weekend."

DU is next in action next Saturday, Jan. 13 when the Pioneers host Air Force at 6 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium.