Pioneer Gymnastics Three new additions to team The transition period for any freshmen can be difficult, but add in the pressure of competing as a Division I gymnasts, and things could get bad. However, the three new Pioneers are not having any issues with their adjustments. Part of the success of the DU gymnastics team can be chalked up to the personal attention that the coaching and support staff gives to each gymnast, and the search for athletes that have a great combination of athletic skill, academic prowess and character. Julia Ross, Leah Lamonte and Rachel Fielitz fit the bill perfectly. "We recruited three great studentathletes," said Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. "Not only are they talented athletically and academically, but they have great character. All three are coachable, respectful and have a passion for their university, sport and team. Their positive attitude and work ethic has been a tremendous asset. I know they want nothing more than to contribute to the teams overall success. The three freshmen have so far enjoyed their time at the University - getting to know the other team members, becoming a part of the team and taking advantage of all the opportunities that are available to college students. "I love living on campus, I am adjusting well to my new surroundings," says Ross. CALLING ALL ALUMNI: Fielitz concurs, "I am most surprised about how comfortable and at home I feel. I thought it would be more challenging to adapt to college life and being away from home, but everyone has been so welcoming and helpful that the transition has been great! The team has a been a great support system and I am so thankful to be a part of it. "Adjusting to college life and dorm life has been a lot of fun, she continued. "We room with basketball players, and it has been a great getting to know all of them. I can't wait to go support them at a basketball game! Everyone here has been so welcoming and has made the adjustment so much easier than I had expected!" Lamonte, the third of the new freshmen, feels the same way. "I'm actually adjusting really well. I really love being in Denver and I love being a part of the team! I'm having so much fun and I can't wait for season to start!" The freshmen would all like to compete as All-Arounders, but also remember that sometimes the team goals trump individual goals. The team goal is finish in the top 10 in the country. Ross sums it up the best: "I am just very happy to call myself a Pioneer and couldn't be more blessed to be at such an amazing university filled with such inspirational people! " The annual alumni meet is January 11, 2014. Please come and support the 2014 team and be feted by the current Pioneers. It is an honor to walk on the floor and a really neat way for the audience to see the former athletes come back and what great tradition we have here at DU, says Jen White Smock. For more information, please contact Carl Leland. Notes from the floor Follow the Pioneers on Facebook www.facebook. com/denvergym nastics Twitter @DU_Gymnastics Instagram DU_Gymnastics There are only FOUR home meets this season. Last season we had 2 sell-outs (71 tickets short of the third shutout). Let s sell all four out this year! Looking for stocking stuffers? How about season gymnastics tickets? Join the kids Club or 10.0 club
Season Review The University of Denver Pioneer around. gymnasts squad finished another successful season, with a record of 22-3, including a 12-0 at home. DU McGee received regular season Second Team All-America honors on bars and floor. was ranked as high as No. 11 last Martin also earned postseason year, three times. They were also First Team All-America honors ranked No. 13 for five consecutive on vault, finishing second in the weeks. DU finished the regular season at No. 15 in the Regional Qualinals. The Pioneer junior would first session of the NCAA Semififying Score (RQS) rankings with a later finish 17th in the event finals. 196.470, which is the program s highest RQS in history. Martin was named First Team All "Last season was a very consistent and confident season," said -WAC in the all-around. Moorhead and Martin both Head Coach Melissa Kutcherearned First Team All-WAC honors on vault, McGee earned first- Rinehart. "It was filled with a lot of great teamwork, character and team honors on bars and McGee chemistry. They learned a lot and and Moorhead both were recognized with first-team honors on grew both as individuals and as a team." floor. Event by event, the Pioneers finished with the 12 th -best vault, bars All-WAC Second Team honors went to Martin on bars, Springer and floor RQS. Denver also finished and Martin on beam and Hall on the season the 15 th -ranked team on floor. beam. Eight different Pioneers won titles: Moriah Martin, Nina McGee, Five student-athletes earned 14 Kaitlin Moorhead, Jorie Hall, Melodie WAC gymnast of the week and Pulgarin Linero, Maggie Laughlin, specialist of the week honors, Ellese Sakai-Hart and Brianna doubling our conference recognition in these categories from last Springer. Other highlights include: year. Martin's perfect 10 on vault. Martin qualified for the vault final at the NCAA championship Martin earned regular season and joined Jessica Lopez, Ashley First Team All-America honors Shible, Jenny Ebdon and Karen on vault and Second Team All- Beer as one of five Pioneers in American honors in the all- DU history to earn All-American status. Denver scored 196 or higher in five of its last six meets and counted scores of 196 or higher in all six of its RQS scores. The Crimson and Gold s highest score of the season was a 197.200 on Jordyn Wieber Night (March 9), led by a 49.450 on floor. The 197.200 is the fourthbest in program history, and the 49.450 on floor was the program s seventh-highest score on the event. DU turned in the seventh-best beam score in program history, a 49.250 and the fourth-best bars score, a 49.325. Denver s highest road score of the season came on March 3 at West Virginia, as the Pioneers put together a 196.800. Eleven Gymnasts established career highs this year, setting a total of 40 career highs during the season. The event average leaders by score were Moorhead on vault with a 9.871, McGee on bars with a 9.871, Melodie Pulgarin Linero on beam with a 9.800, McGee on floor with a 9.881 and Martin in the All-around with a 39.300. The 2014 seniors are pictured on the left. The annual ropes course is always a preseason highlight (right) Page 2
By Carl Leland The introductory text for this award states presented to the athlete that demonstrates the passion and zeal for gymnastics which characterized Jack s 20+ year affiliation with the Denver Gymnastics Program. Since its inception in 2006 this award honors the memory of D. Jack Pommrehn, longtime Pioneer gymnastics fan and former registrar for the University of Denver. Jack Pommrehn s love for Pioneer athletics was not exclusive to gymnastics but much like he treated everyone with whom he had contact, we d like to believe it was foremost in his heart. When you met Jack he always made you feel you were the most important person in the room. Jack was a native Hawkeye, born on a family farm in Iowa. He attended Morningside College in Sioux City, where he later worked as the registrar and director of admissions. He migrated to Denver in 1970. He was hired to be the registrar for the University of Denver and acted in that capacity for 29 years, from 1970 to 1999. During that time, he was instrumental in implementing a computer aided APR (academic progress report) for the university in 1976. Upon retirement he was bestowed the title Amicus Universitatis or Friend of the University and received the founders day Distinguished Service Award in 2000. Supporting the University in its mission was not his only interest. While at DU he fostered another passion, Pioneer Athletics. Jack was a frequent visitor to Pioneer athletic events. It was not uncommon for him to attend at least one contest in every sport during the year. He was a founder and board member of the DU Hockey Club for 20 years and received the Phil Hammond III award three times for outstanding spirit and support of DU athletics. While he was involved with Pioneer athletics he also became, to our benefit, enamored of gymnastics. Jack was a regular denizen of the bleachers at D. Jack Pommrehn Spirit Award gymnastics meets. His enthusiasm for our beautiful sport was contagious and it wasn t unusual for him to rope someone into attending a meet. He and fellow fan, Dr. Terry Toy, got a kick out of letting the officials know when they weren t happy with the scores, something that was a little less fashionable in more recent years. When I started at DU as an assistant coach I found an early photograph, probably from the early 80 s, taken of Jack in the bleachers at a meet in Alumni Gymnasium, hat in place and looking exactly the same as I met him in 1998. When Melissa Kutcher became the head coach in 1998, Jack was instrumental in helping build the fan base at Denver and assisted in the formation of the Friends of group, now the 10.0 club. He was a frequent visitor to the gymnastics offices, always bringing ideas on how to bring more fans to the meets and generate more interest in gymnastics. When the Ritchie Center opened in 1999 Jack started a volunteer tour group which led people through the building and educated many about Pioneer athletics. Jack made sure to inoculate as many as he could; his wife and children were not exceptions. Wife Janet and daughter Jill were well versed in our sport, both attending gymnastics meets since the 80 s. Jill is bringing in another generation as she and her children continue to support Denver gymnastics in the stands. Jill is also the writer and editor of the Denver Gymnastics Newsletter. Jack Pommrehn dedicated 36 years of his life to the University of Denver and its outstanding athletic programs. We know that Jack would have been proud to be associated with the many who have been recognized with our spirit award. The most recent of which was Nina McGee, a sophomore standout who overcame significant odds to return to the competition floor in 2012 and score 9.9 s or higher on all the events on which she competed. We are blessed to have known Jack and honored to keep his memory alive. From Melissa Kutcher Rinehart: To me, Jack is a mentor, friend, supporter and father figure. His passion and enthusiasm was contagious. Jack was on the search committee that hired me and I will always be grateful for the opportunity he helped to provide. Jack s vision for DU Gymnastics gave me inspiration and momentum. This program would not be where it is today without Jack s support. Although I miss hearing Jack s voice, I m thrilled to still see and stay in touch with family members Janet and Jill. The continued Pommrehn/Krug connection means the world to me. I think about Jack all the time and know that he s watching us and proud of what our student-athletes have accomplished. From the Family We were touched and honored to have a gymnastics award named after Jack. He simply loved gymnastics and the program and wanted it to be successful. I remember watching meets in the alumni gym, in the nearly empty Fieldhouse and now enjoy the sold-out meets in Hamilton Gym. My dad would be so proud at the success that each team has and how the program continues to grow. Some of my favorite memories are of going to meets with my dad. It was our special time. During his fight with cancer, it meant so much to him to receive flowers and cards from former gymnasts. I don t think I ever got around to thanking them. I still have the card that came with the flowers. For all the gymnasts who knew Jack, please know how proud of you he was both in the classroom and in the gym. For the present and future gymnasts, Jack is looking down and yelling stay on the beam and stick that landing. Page 3
University of Denver 2201 East Asbury Ave. Denver, CO 80208 Phone: 303-871-3397 Fax: 303-871-3845 E-mail: mkutcher@du.edu http:// denverpioneers.com/ Editor: Jill Pommrehn Krug Co-editor: Melissa Kutcher Rinehart Pictures: Denver Athletics 2014 Schedule Date Opponent Time Dec. 14 Intrasquad Jan. 11 Cal Berkley Alumni reunion, camp reunion Jan. 17 @Boise State 7 p.m. Jan. 25 Air Force Winterfest Jan. 31 @ BYU 7 p.m. Feb. 8 Southern Utah, North Carolina State Burnsley Invitational, Link to Pink Feb. 14 @ Southern Utah 7 p.m. Feb. 21 @ Utah State 7 p.m. Feb. 28 @ Michigan State University 7 p.m. March 8 @Georgia 4 p.m. March 15 Boise State, Iowa State Senior Night, Fan Appreciation, Kids Club Mar. 23 @ BYU TBA April 3-5 NCAA Regionals (TBD) TBA April 18-20 NCAA National Championships (Tuscaloosa, AL) TBA *All times Mountain (MT)
Order 2014 Season Tickets NOW! Season Tickets - $28 (4 meets) Individual Meet Tickets - $9 Season Ticket Holder Benefits w Discounted Ticket Prices w Personal Account Manager w Season Ticket Holder Hotline w Team Store Discount w Online Account Management w Email Tickets to Friends/Clients w Update Account Profile w Pay Invoices/Renew Seats w Purchase Individual Game Tickets Follow us DenverPioneers 2014 Pioneer Home Schedule Jan. 11 California Alumni/Camp Reunion Jan. 25 Air Force Winterfest Competition Feb. 8 Southern Utah and North Carolina State Burnsley Invitational Porter Hospital Pink Night Mar. 15 Boise State and Iowa State Senior Night, Fan Appreciation Kid Club Member March Out @DU_Pioneers @DU_Pioneers Denver Athletics Schedules subject to change. All times are Mountain. PROSPECTIVE SEASON TICKET HOLDER INFORMATION Name: E-mail: Address: City: State: Zip: TICKET INFORMATION Seats @ $28 each = $ +$7 Handling Fee = $ Total PAYMENT INFORMATION VISA MASTERCARD DISCOVER AMEX # Name on card: Signature: Phone: Make checks payable to University of Denver. Fax: 303-871-3890 Questions, 303-871-4625 Return order form & payment to Ritchie Center Box Office 2201 E. Asbury Avenue Denver, CO 80208 Order online at www.denverpioneers.com/tickets Expires: /