LOS ANGELES - The No. 12 University of Denver gymnastics team scored a 193.850 and finished third at the Sixth Annual John Wooden Challenge in Los Angeles, Calif. Host UCLA won the meet with a score of 196.650, while Minnesota finished second with a 194.575.
"Unfortunately today wasn't our best performance," said head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart . "You can't expect to have a balance beam performance like we did and get the results you want. We'll bounce back and be ready for this weekend."
The Pioneers started on balance beam in the first rotation with a 47.350. Freshman Jorie Hall (Denver, Colo.) led the Pioneers with a 9.750. After the first rotation, Denver trailed Minnesota (49.125) and UCLA (49.100).
DU found its stride in the second rotation on floor exercise and scored a 49.100. Junior Louise Mercer (Nottingham, England) and senior Kristina Coccia (Bethlehem, Pa.) each penciled in scores of 9.875 to lead Denver. After two rotations, DU posted a score of 96.450.
The Pioneers posted a 48.600 on vault in the third rotation, led by freshman Melodie Pulgarin Linero (Barcelona, Spain), who charted a 9.775.
In the final rotation, freshman Jaleesa Wilson (Cary, N.C.) led DU with a 9.825 on uneven bars to help Denver score a 48.800. Senior Annamari Maaranen (Tampere, Finland) added a 9.800.
UCLA also recognized the DU gymnasts with fall GPAs of 3.0 or higher. The following Pioneers were honored at the meet:
| Name | Fall GPA | Cumulative GPA |
| Simona Castro Lazo | 3.40 | 3.20 |
| Kristina Coccia | 3.38 | 3.30 |
| Amanda Johanson | 3.43 | 3.39 |
| Annamari Maaranen | 4.00 | 3.67 |
| Moriah Martin | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Louise Mercer | 3.10 | 3.11 |
| Kaitlin Moorhead | 3.44 | 3.44 |
| Melodie Pulgarin Linero | 3.63 | 3.63 |
| Alexa Riech | 3.43 | 3.43 |
| Taylor Sanford | 3.30 | 2.99 |
| Brianna Springer | 3.92 | 3.89 |
| Paige Tollefson | 4.00 | 4.00 |
The Pioneers will hit the road again next week to face host No. 2 Stanford, No. 6 Oregon State and host California in Berkeley, Calif. on Mar. 6.
- PIONEERS -
