2008 Woodie Awards
En fuego!
Junior All-American Jessica López competes in Tyson American Cup
Arianna Ranahosseini
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Sports
The No. 13 Pioneer gymnastics team (11-4) continued the season with strong performances as DU defeated Utah State in Utah on Friday, then returned home and fell to No. 11 Auburn Sunday afternoon.
The Pioneers posted a 195.250 - 192.300 victory against Utah State despite competing without junior All-American Jessica López who was in New York preparing for the 2008 Tyson American Cup. The Pioneers had a season-high performance of 196.575 on Sunday, but it just was not enough as they were a mere quarter of a point short of Auburn's 196.600. The Pioneers are now 11-4 in the season.
"I'm really proud of how they did," said Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. "Especially after coming off of a road meet at Utah State on Friday night coming home Saturday afternoon and then turning around and competing on Sunday. Overall, I think, they did a really good job."
López represented her native Venezuela in the 2008 Tyson American Cup at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday where she finished sixth, posting scores of 14.225 on the vault, 14.075 on balance beam, a 14.80 on the uneven bars and a 14.30 on the floor exercise. Her all-around score was 57.400.
"It was a really great experience for me to go up there and do all the routines in my preparation for the Olympics," López said. "I did not know I was going to compete until 10 minutes before the meet, so when they told me I just went up there and took advantage of the opportunity."
López was the second-highest international finisher in women's competition.
López returned to Denver to win her sixth all-around title of the season on Sunday improving her NCAA ranking to No. 3 in the nation in the all-around and in the top-20 in three events.
In Utah, Senior Sasha Sullivan won her first all-around title of the season with a 39.250 followed by sophomore Kelley Hennigan in second with a 38.450.
The Pioneers began Friday's meet on the uneven bars posting a 49.800 as senior Courtney Butler led the way finishing second overall recording a 9.825 behind Utah State's Nicole Simoneau's 9.85. Sullivan finished tied for third with a score of 9.8 followed by sophomores Ellen McCarthy and Hennigan in a tie for fifth with scores of 9.775.
The Pioneers posted a 195.250 - 192.300 victory against Utah State despite competing without junior All-American Jessica López who was in New York preparing for the 2008 Tyson American Cup. The Pioneers had a season-high performance of 196.575 on Sunday, but it just was not enough as they were a mere quarter of a point short of Auburn's 196.600. The Pioneers are now 11-4 in the season.
"I'm really proud of how they did," said Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. "Especially after coming off of a road meet at Utah State on Friday night coming home Saturday afternoon and then turning around and competing on Sunday. Overall, I think, they did a really good job."
López represented her native Venezuela in the 2008 Tyson American Cup at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday where she finished sixth, posting scores of 14.225 on the vault, 14.075 on balance beam, a 14.80 on the uneven bars and a 14.30 on the floor exercise. Her all-around score was 57.400.
"It was a really great experience for me to go up there and do all the routines in my preparation for the Olympics," López said. "I did not know I was going to compete until 10 minutes before the meet, so when they told me I just went up there and took advantage of the opportunity."
López was the second-highest international finisher in women's competition.
López returned to Denver to win her sixth all-around title of the season on Sunday improving her NCAA ranking to No. 3 in the nation in the all-around and in the top-20 in three events.
In Utah, Senior Sasha Sullivan won her first all-around title of the season with a 39.250 followed by sophomore Kelley Hennigan in second with a 38.450.
The Pioneers began Friday's meet on the uneven bars posting a 49.800 as senior Courtney Butler led the way finishing second overall recording a 9.825 behind Utah State's Nicole Simoneau's 9.85. Sullivan finished tied for third with a score of 9.8 followed by sophomores Ellen McCarthy and Hennigan in a tie for fifth with scores of 9.775.
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