Whetting its appetite for nationals, the Grand Canyon University Club Gymnastics team excelled in their first appearance at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs Regional Competition, taking advantage of the fact that the event was held in the familiar confines of Aspire Kids Sports Center – the Lopes' home gym – in Chandler.
 
Lopes' freshman Bella Scott took 1^st place in the All-Around on Level 9 with an impressive 36.7 overall score while also finishing tops in the vault with a 9.6; while Lopes' student leader Adia Friesen finished 1^st on the uneven bars with an even 9.0 finish. Meanwhile, on the platinum level, another Lopes' freshman, Nahlea Haun, also won the All-Around with a finishing score of 38.15.
 
Scott was no worse than 3^rd in her three main events. Besides winning the vault, the native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, finished right behind Friesen on the bars with a mark of 8.65, and then took 3^rd place on the balance beam with an impressive 9.75 score. Haun powered through to the All-Around title bolstered by her top mark of 9.55 on the vault.
 
Meanwhile, Friesen had to overcome a fall during her time on the bars to still finish first. The sophomore from Littleton, Colorado, also finished just in front of Scott on the balance beam, taking 2^nd place with a score of 9.8. The Lopes also saw a couple of top performances from fellow sophomore Khylie Young-Garayt. The Centuria, Wisconsin, native – who has spent much of the first four months of the season recovering from injury, built some extra confidence for April with a 9.8 score on the balance beam, as well as a 9.55 mark on her floor exercise.
 
The Lopes' final tuneup before heading east for nationals in early April happens ten days from now on Friday, March 15 at the Canyon Activity Center on the GCU campus. For the second straight year, the Lopes will host the GCU Spring Break Meet beginning at 5PM that night, then will be help host the St. Patty's Day Gymnastics Invite (along with Aspire Kids Sports Center) Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17 at the CAC. The Lopes will then begin their final preparations for the NAIGC National Championships, which take place April 2 to 5 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's the third straight year GCU has been a part of the national tournament.