Showing the maturity of being one of the most tenured members of the Grand Canyon University Club Gymnastics team, Lopes' junior Jordyn Contreras wowed the crowd at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs Western Regionals at Aspire Kids Sports Center – the Lopes' home gym – in Chandler, taking the gold medal in the Xcel Diamond division with an all-around score of 38.025. Meanwhile, paving the road for those they are helping direct this season, Lopes' Student Leaders Kynsley Hobbs and Bella Scott finished 2^nd in their respective divisions, with Hobbs narrowly missed taking the All-Around title in the Diamond division, finishing with an all-around score of 37.8. Meanwhile, Scott came .25 points short of repeating as All-Around champion in Level 9, finishing with a final score of 36.4.
 
Contreras – who was one of the team's student leaders a year ago – dazzled on the floor exercise last April at nationals and picked up where she left off then at regionals this year. The Gilbert native (and Campo Verde High School alum) was 2^nd in the Diamond category in floor with a 9.65. She used that and a 1^st-place finish on bars (a 9.675) to rise to the gold. Hobbs – who also stayed home to go to college after graduating from Valley Christian High School in Gilbert a year ago – showed how much she learned over the past season by posting a 9.45 score on beam, a 9.55 finish on the uneven bars, then placing 4^th on the vault to finish just below Contreras with a score of 9.2. Meanwhile, in the tournament's toughest division – Level 9 – fellow sophomore Scott finished no worse than 2^nd in all categories and finishing above everyone else on the bars.
 
Speaking of those about to make a return to the NAIGC National Championships, Lopes' senior Audrey Love prepped for that with a 9.1 score on vault – which placed 2^nd in the Platinum category. The only one to top Love in the event was Lopes' newcomer Lilah Seedroff, who earned a 9.6. The Lopes actually swept the medal spots in that event, thanks to a 3^rd-place finish by Lopes' freshman Jaedyn Duck, who also finished just .35 points outside of a top-5 overall Platinum finish with a final tally of 36.6. Finally, fellow freshman Emma Smith earned a top-5 finish in Diamond with an overall score of 37.25 in her 1^st postseason college meet.
 
With all of their prep events out of the way – including the GCU Spring Break Meet and the St. Patty's Day Gymnastics Invite at the Canyon Activity Center over Spring Break – the Lopes' contingent of Hobbs, Scott, Contreras, Love, Seedroff, Duck, Smith and returner Madison Kaheaku head east for the NAIGC National Championships, which start this Thursday, April 9 in Birmingham, Alabama.