No. 19 Pioneers Upset 14th-ranked Arizona State
DU posts season-highs on three events and wins home season finale with highest score of season

DENVER — The 19th-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team posted season-high scores on uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise and sent off its two seniors with the highest team score of the season in a 196.475 – 196.125 win over No. 14 Arizona State Saturday night in front of 1,369 fans in Hamilton Gymnasium. The win improves DU’s season record to 16-5 and enables the Pioneers to drop one of their home scores in their Regional Qualifying Score (RQS).

Four Pioneers set or tied career-high scores Saturday, as the Pioneers snapped a two-meet losing streak. Sophomore Courtney Butler (Naperville, Ill.) captured her fourth uneven bars title of the season with a 9.9 that tied her career-high and both freshmen Jessica López (Caracas, Venezuela) and Lauren Garan (Cos Cobb, Conn.) set career-highs on balance beam in going 1-2 on that event with a 9.95, and a 9.9, respectively.

DU took each of the top three places on uneven bars and tied its season-high score on the event with a 49.150. Butler and López tied for top honors with scores of 9.9 and junior Katie Andrews (Crawfordsville, Ind.) matched her season-high with a 9.85 to finish third. Sophomore Nikki Brown (Louisville, Ky.) finished sixth with a score of 9.775.

The Pioneers had their most impressive team balance beam of the season Saturday night, posting four scores of 9.8 or higher and finishing with a season-high team score of 49.150. López won her third beam title of the season to pace the Pioneers, and Garan was right behind her. Junior Casey Dobyns (Woodinville, Wash.) tied her season best with a 9.825 to finish tied for fourth and senior Cassidy Willingham (Mountain View, Calif.) was sixth with a 9.8.

Entering the final rotation with a slim, 147.175 – 147.125 lead, DU needed a solid floor exercise and got it with a season-high 49.300 that included five scores of 9.8 or better. Leading the way were Dobyns and sophomore Sasha Sullivan (Glen Allen, Va.), who shared top honors with scores of 9.9. Right behind them in third place was López with a 9.875 and Andrews followed in fifth with a 9.825. Huffaker posted DU’s final counting score with a 9.8.

The Pioneers now will close out the regular season with a trip down I-25 to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force and Alaska Anchorage Monday night at 7 p.m.