DENVER - The University of Denver gymnastics team found itself on display numerous times during the 2011 season and for good reason. Head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart continued building a strong Pioneer program as DU finished the season ranked No. 17 in the country and sent two gymnasts to the NCAA National Championships.
The highlight of the Pioneer season came at the NCAA North Central Regional Championships on April 2. After finishing the regular season ranked No. 19, the Pioneers opened the doors of Magness Arena, playing host to Arkansas, Florida, Boise State, Arizona and BYU. It was the first time since 2007 that DU had hosted a regional and the Pioneers did not fail to impress the home crowd of 2,756, sending Denver area natives junior Brianna Springer (Arvada, Colo.) and freshman Jorie Hall (Denver, Co.) to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio.
Springer finished fifth in the all-around at the regional meet, posting a 38.250 to secure her second-straight trip to the NCAA Championships. At the national meet she scored a 38.325 in the all-around and finished 17th.
Hall scored a career-best 9.900 in the balance beam at the regional meet, sharing the event title with Bekah Gher of Boise State. In her first NCAA Championships appearance Hall scored a 9.575, finishing 35th overall on the balance beam.
Alabama won the team competition en route to its fifth NCAA Championship, edging defending champ UCLA 197.650-197.375.
The Pioneers finished fourth as a team at the 2011 NCAA North Central Regional Championships. No. 12 Arkansas took the regional title, upsetting No. 1 Florida. No. 13 Boise State finished third.
The Pioneers averaged 1,911 fans at five home meets and finished No. 15 nationally in average attendance. The crowd of 3,462 that filled Magness Arena for Denver's home-opener against Georgia, BYU and Air Force on January 8 was the 12th-largest regular-season crowd in the country.
Denver garnered its No. 17 ranking with an NQS score of 391.060. The NQS is a combination of the score from the regional meet core and the RQS (Regional Qualifying Score, a combination of the top three away scores, top three other scores -home or away- with the high tossed out and the remaining five scores averaged).
On individual events, Denver finished the 2011 season 13th on vault (49.120), 16th on floor (49.080), 18th on uneven bars (48.960) and tied for 29th on beam (48.660).
In the individual rankings, freshman Moriah Martin (Lake Mary, Fla.) tied for 16th on vault (9.890) along with Springer who finished tied for 24th (9.880). Junior Louise Mercer (Nottingham, England), Springer and senior Annamari Maaranen (Tampere, Finland) finished tied for 29th (9.860), tied for 42nd (9.850) and tied for 72nd (9.825) on bars, respectively.
Senior Taylor Sanford (Omaha, Neb.) finished 2011 tied for 37th (9.840) on beam, while Springer finished tied for 61st (9.815) and Hall finished tied for 67th (9.810). Springer finished the season tied for 22nd on floor (9.875), Mercer tied for 41st (9.860), senior Kristina Coccia (Bethlehem, Pa.) tied for 77th (9.835) and freshman Kaitlin Moorhead (Palo Alto, Calif.) finished tied for 97th (9.820). Springer finished tied for 21st in the all-around (39.205), while Mercer tied for 51st (39.010).
2011 marked the final season for four Pioneer seniors: Coccia, Amanda Johanson (Park City, Utah), Maaranen and Sanford. Coccia competed on floor for DU in all meets this season, finishing with a 9.717 average. She also took part on beam in seven meets, averaging a score of 9.343. Johnson represented DU on floor in 13 meets this season, competed 11 times on bars and once on vault. Her 9.900 on floor against Air Force on March 11 was a career high.
Maaranen competed 12 times on bars for Denver averaging a score of 9.794 for the season and setting a career-high mark with 9.875 at Iowa on February 11. Sanford was a staple on vault and beam for DU in 2012. She competed in both events during all meets, averaging 9.702 on vault and 9.675 on beam. Sanford recorded a career-high score of 9.875 on beam twice in 2012, at Oklahoma on January 21 and again versus Ohio State on February 4.
Mercer and Springer will return in 2012 as the leaders of a young, but experience group of Pioneer student-athletes. Mercer competed in the all-around in 11 meets, and only competed in the bars at the NCAA North Central Regional due to injury. Mercer did set career-highs in all events during the season, including a 9.825 on vault at Southeast Missouri on January 28, at Iowa on February 11 and in the Burnsley Invitational on February 19. Her 9.900 on bars against Texas Woman's University on January 15, 9.775 on beam against Ohio State on February 4 and 9.875 at Southeast Missouri, in the Burnsley and at UCLA on February 27 were also career-highs. Mercer's career-best mark of 39.300 in the all-around came at the Iowa meet in February.
Springer also competed in the all-around in all meets, including the NCAA Championships. She recorded career-best marks on vault, bars, floor and all-around in 2011, including a score of 39.425 in the all-around against Ohio State. She scored a 9.925 on floor twice this season, first against Arkansas on March 12 and against at Air Force on March 14. She scored a 9.900 on bars against Texas Woman's on January 15 and recorded a 9.925 on vault against Ohio State on February 4.
Simona Castro (Santiago, Chile) and Jaleesa Wilson (Cary, N.C.) represent next year's junior class for DU. Castro competed on beam three times this season and four times on bars. She tied a career-best 9.775 on bars at Iowa on February 11. Wilson competed on bars eight times, on beam five times and on floor four times for Denver this season. She had career-highs of 9.875 on bars against Ohio State on Febrary 4 and 9.775 on beam at Iowa and again in the Burnsely Invitational on February 19.
Hall, Martin and Moorhead headline a talented group of freshman who along with Melodie Pulgarin Linero (Barcelona, Spain) and Paige Tollefson (Longmont, Colo.) will make-up a dominant group of second-years in 2012. Hall represented DU on beam during all meets this season, participating on floor four times and on vault three times. She averaged a 9.623 on beam and her career-high of 9.900 in the regional meet helped punch her ticket to the NCAA Championships. Martin was a mainstay on vault, participating in all DU meets, but saw action on bars, beam, floor and in the all-around for Denver this season.
After finishing third to No. 7 Georgia and BYU in the home opener on January 8, the Pioneers went on a home-meet winning-streak that lasted until the regional meet April 2. Denver beat Texas Woman's University on January 15 before upsetting No. 16 Ohio State 196.375-195.575 on February 4. DU then upset No. 10 Nebraska in Hamilton Gymnasium by a score of 195.850-195.725 on February 19. The Pioneers finished their home regular season with another defeat of a top-25 team, this time taking down No. 12 Arkansas 195.725-195.700 on March 12.
Denver's road wins included victories at Southeast Missouri State on January 28, at Illinois State on January 30, at Sacramento State on February 25 and at Air Force to finish the regular season on March 14.
Martin led the team in vault average (9.839) with Springer close behind (9.825). Mercer finished first on the team on bars (9.735), just ahead of Springer (9.698) and Maaranen (9.784). Sanford led Denver on beam (9.675), followed by Springer (9.563) and Hall (9.623). Springer was first for the Pioneers on floor (9.791) with Mercer (9.755), Coccia (9.717) and Moorhead (9.796) rounding out a great event for Denver in 2011. Springer (38.877) and Mercer (38.780) finished 1-2 for Denver in the all-around, respectively.
