DENVER - Kristina Coccia (Bethlehem, Pa.) scored a 9.900 on floor to clinch a first place victory for the No. 14 Pioneers in the Mile High Gymfest on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 2,000 at Hamilton Gymnasium.
"I thought we showed a lot of confidence tonight and I was pleased with our performances on vault and floor," said head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. "Kristina Coccia came through again with another big floor performance that helped us get the win."
The Pioneers posted a score of 194.200 to finish with their third first-place victory of the season. Michigan finished in second place with a score of 194.025 and BYU placed third with a score of 192.500.
Sophomore Brianna Artemev (Arvada, Colo.) claimed the all-around title for the second consecutive week, posting a career-best score of 39.250, while senior Kelley Hennigan (The Woodlands, Texas) scored 38.100 to place fifth overall.
Hennigan's 9.850 vault score helped Denver take a slight 49.000-48.550 over Central Michigan after the first rotation. BYU posted a 47.900 team score on the balance beam to hold third place.
Artemev led the Pioneers during the second rotation, earning a 9.850 on the uneven bars. Denver held a 96.750-96.300 advantage over Central Michigan halfway through the meet.
Taylor Sanford (Omaha, Neb.) tied a career-high score on the beam with a 9.875, and Denver held a narrow 145.075-144.825 lead over the Chippewas with just one event remaining. BYU posted a 48.100 in the vault to finish the third rotation with a team score of 144.150.
Central Michigan posted an impressive 49.200 score on vault in the final rotation, but for the second week in a row, Coccia scored a 9.900 on floor to secure a Denver victory.
Next Saturday, the Pioneers hit the road for a quad meet with Maryland, West Virginia, and Rutgers at College Park, Md. Competition begins at 2 p.m.
Notes: 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Alicia Sacramone was in attendance as DU's guest of honor and honorary coach. She also handed out post-meet awards. Junior Amanda Johanson (Park City, Utah) sang the National Anthem before the meet.
-PIONEERS-
