USAF Academy, Colo. Senior Jessica Lpez (Caracas, Venezuela) won all five individual event titles to lead the No. 25 University of Denver gymnastics team to a 195.600-190.85 win over Air Force at Cadet West Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The win marked Denver’s third consecutive first-place finish. The Pioneers also scored their second consecutive 195.600, tying their highest road score of the season.
Sophomore Taylor Sanford (Omaha, Neb.) had a career night for the Pioneers as she tied her career highs in both of her events with a pair of second place finishes on vault (9.800) and beam (9.850).
Lpez and senior Nikki Brown (Louisville, Ky.) took first and second on uneven bars in the first rotation. Lpez picked up her first title of the evening with a 9.850, while Brown scored a 9.800. Junior Kelley Hennigan (The Woodlands, Texas) and Air Force’s Brittany Dutton tied for third place at 9.725.
DU posted a 49.000 team score on vault in the second rotation, led by Lpez’s sixth individual vault title of the season. Lpez led the way with a 9.850, while senior Liz Meals (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Sanford tied for second with scores of 9.800.
Lpez improved to three-for-three in individual titles with a first-place 9.875 on floor in the third rotation. Sophomore Amanda Johanson (Park City, Utah) and Hennigan tied for second at 9.800. Meals tied her season high score with a 9.775 on floor.
The fourth rotation saw the Pioneers earn the top three places on beam. Lpez won with a 9.925, while Hennigan and Sanford tied for second at 9.850. The score tied Sanford’s career high and marked a new career best for Hennigan.
Lpez and Hennigan claimed the top two places in the all-around with scores of 39.500 and 39.150, respectively. Air Force’s Jenna Dudley was third with 38.475.
Tonight’s meet marked the conclusion of regular season competition for the Pioneers. Denver now awaits its fate in the 2009 NCAA Regional draw. The six 2009 Regional competitions will be held April 4 in Seattle, Wash., Fayetteville, Ark., Raleigh, N.C., Iowa City, Iowa, Tuscaloosa, Ala. and Columbus, Ohio.
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