COLUMBIA, Mo. - Led by an All-Around Title by sophomore Melodie Pulgarin Linero (Barcelona, Spain), the No. 16 University of Denver women's gymnastics squad finished its three-meet road stretch to open the 2012 season with a 194.625.With the meet, the Pioneers raised their team average to 194.517.  No. 22 Missouri edged DU by a tenth of a point to improve to 3-0 this season.

"This was our best away meet yet," said head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. "We stuck so many landings; we polished and cleaned up everything. Every event was improved from the last two meets. I saw fight and character from this team, they just did a tremendous job and I'm very proud of them."

Pulgarin Linero won the All-Around competition after a 9.675 on Bars, a 9.750 on Vault, a 9.800 on Floor and a 9.675 on Beam gave her a 38.900, just edging junior Simona Castro (Santiago, Chile) who finished with a 38.800 in the All-Around.

In the first rotation, the Pioneers were led by sophomore Moriah Martin (Lake Mary, Fla.) with a 9.750 and sophomore Emily Warfield (Lafayette, Colo.) who posted a 9.725. Missouri tallied a 48.825 on Vault and the Pioneers accumulated a 48.550 on Bars, giving the Tigers the lead after the first rotation.

Martin led the Pioneers on the second rotation as well with a 9.800 on Vault. Sophomores Kaitlin Moorhead (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Pulgarin Linero each finished with a 9.750 on the Pioneers way to a 48.675. Denver still trailed 97.375-97.225 heading into the third rotation.

Senior Louise Mercer (Nottingham, England) led DU on Floor for the second meet in a row with a 9.850 to anchor the Pioneers third rotation. Sophomore Jorie Hall (Denver, Colo.) added a career-high 9.825 to lead the Pioneers to a season-high 49.000 on Floor. The Crimson and Gold took a 146.225-145.725 lead into the fourth and final rotation.

"I honestly thought I saw all the work from the last week in practice payoff tonight," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "The score is not what's important, it's the process, and we did a great job improving on our routines from last weekend."

The Pioneers posted a 48.400 on Beam in the fourth rotation, led by Castro's 9.725, but it wasn't enough as a 9.925 from Rachel Updike and a 9.900 from Mary Burke helped the Tigers match the Pioneers 49.000 on Floor en route to pulling out the narrow victory.

Pulgarin Linero's All-Around Title is the first individual title for the Pioneers this season.

Denver will open its 2012 home slate, when it hosts Air Force and Centenary College on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. inside Hamilton Gymnasium.

Individual and season tickets are on sale for the 2012 season. For information, please visit www.DenverPioneers.com or call the Ritchie Center Box Office at (303) 871-2336.