Senior gymnast Kelley Hennigan and sophomore Brianna Artemev will represent the University of Denver at the 2010 NCAA national championships April 22–24 in Gainesville, Fla.
At the NCAA regional meet in Salt Lake City, Utah, last week, Artemev posted a 39.20 in the all-around competition, tying for second-highest individual all-around score. The individual qualifier was determined by the gymnast with the highest event scores. Artemev posted a 9.85 on vault and floor, edging the other second-place qualifier because her floor score was .05 points higher.
“Going 24-for-24 for routines, setting a season-high score and having two individual qualifiers are big accomplishments for the program this season,” says head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. “I am very proud of this team and am excited to see what Kelley and Brianna will be able to achieve on the national stage.”
Hennigan, the top performer on a team that didn’t qualify for the championships, will be making her second appearance at nationals as an individual all-around competitor. In 2009, she tied for 27th overall in the all-around with a score of 39.20. This will be the first appearance at nationals for Artemev.