Melodie Pulgarin Linero and Moriah Martin aren’t the most experienced members of the University of Denver gymnastics team, but they’re not bashful in making youthful enthusiasm a key ingredient in postseason competition that they hope will lead to the NCAA championships later this month.
The two sophomores — Linero is from Barcelona, and Martin is from Lake Mary, Fla. — have mixed some Spanish and American traits and come up with some international chemistry. DU coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart credits the pair’s combined attitude as a positive factor going into Saturday’s NCAA regional at the University of Illinois.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Kutcher-Rinehart said. “They provide the biggest part of the spirit for our team.”
The Pioneers are in the regionals for the 14th consecutive season, and the top two teams in the regional (which includes Oklahoma, Stanford, Illinois, Kentucky and Illinois-Chicago) will advance to the NCAA championships, which are April 20-22 in Duluth, Ga. Individual gymnasts can also advance to the NCAAs.
“We have a unique team,” Kutcher-Rinehart said of DU’s chances to advance to the NCAA championships for the first time since 2008. “We don’t have any superstars, but we have a strong steady group with a great work ethic.”
The Pioneers won the Western Athletic Conference title March 24 to qualify for the regionals. Martin was second in the all-around at the WAC meet, and Linero was third.
“We were roommates in our first year here,” Martin said. “We like the same music and both like to have fun. We became soul mates.”
Added Linero, “We’re different in some ways, but at the same time, we’re alike.”
Though they have strong credentials in the all-around competition, their objective is to help the Pioneers advance as a team.
Linero said she’s not like most other gymnasts because she doesn’t have aspirations of making an Olympic team. She wants to become a psychologist.
“The Olympics aren’t my goal,” she said. “I want to help people be happy and to find their way.”
She hopes to start by showing the way in the regional tournament.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Regionals
What: NCAA regional gymnastics tournament
Where: University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill.
When: Saturday, 3 p.m. MDT
Information: DU is ranked 14th in the nation and is the third seed in the tournament. The top two teams advance to the NCAA championships April 20-22 in Duluth, Ga.
