DENVER – The No. 7-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team competes again on the road this week, traveling to Morgantown, W. Va., to compete against Big 12 Conference teams West Virginia and Iowa State on Saturday. Competition is set for 7:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. MT.
 
BIG 12 BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
Saturday's meet is the second of three consecutive competitions featuring Big 12 Conference opponents. After seeing No. 1 Oklahoma last weekend, Denver will compete against West Virginia and Iowa State for the first time this week. DU and OU will then meet again next week in Denver.
 
All four Big 12 teams will meet at the 2019 Big 12 Championship on March 23 in Norman, Okla. Denver and Iowa State will meet two more times before then: on February 24 in Denver and on March 15 in Ames, Iowa.
 
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
During last weekend's Metroplex Challenge, two Pioneers added themselves to the record books. Junior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) scored a 9.950 on bars, tying the eighth-highest score in program history. It also earned her a third-consecutive bars title, bringing her career haul to 56, which is tied for the fifth-most in DU history.
 
Freshman Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.), too, earned a 9.950 last weekend, doing so on beam and matching DU's fifth-highest all-time score on the event. The score is also the highest by a Denver freshman on beam.
 
BIG 12 HONOR FOR VASQUEZ
After her 9.950 beam performance, Vasquez was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, the first conference honor of her career. It is the second weekly Big 12 award for Denver after sophomore Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) won Gymnast of the Week on January 14.
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Vault: Five of DU's six vaulters at the Metroplex Challenge had their best showings of the year so far including new personal bests from sophomore Mia Sundstrom (Boulder, Colo.) and freshman Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.). Karr and Brown, both of whom have 10.0 start values, scored 9.900s last week. After the first month of the season, the team's top-three vaulters by average score are Brown, Karr and Sundstrom.
 
Bars: Bars continues to be a strong event for the Pioneers with the team setting a new program record on January 19 (49.525) and seeing four scores of 9.900 or higher – including a 9.975 and a 9.950 from Karr over the last two meets. The junior leads the team in average scoring and has captured at least a share of the bars title in every meet this season. Brown and sophomore Emily Glynn (Longmont, Colo.) have the team's second- and third-best average scores, respectively.
 
Beam: Vasquez's 9.950 performance on beam last weekend led the team and was DU's second such score on the event so far this year, joining senior Kaitlyn Schou's (Orlando, Fla.) routine from January 19. Ruiz competed on beam for the first time in her career, tallying a solid 9.825. Brown has been a consistent beam competitor for DU in the lead-off spot as well.
 
Floor: Brown, Karr and Schou have Denver's top floor scores so far in 2019, each scoring at least a 9.900 during the season. Among those with scores of 9.875 are Brown, Schou and Sundstrom. Ruiz and senior Claire Kern (Charlotte, N.C.) have rounded out DU's six floor competitors with solid routines early in the lineup.
 
EYE ON THE RANKINGS
Denver maintained its No. 7 national ranking this week after improving its season average (196.267) following Saturday's season-best 196.350 at the Metroplex Challenge. DU is in the top 25 on all four events – including top-10 rankings on three events. The Pioneers are No.5 on bars (49.342), No. 9 on floor (49.108), tied for No. 10 on vault (49.067) and No. 23 on beam (48.750).
 
Karr moved up to No. 2 in the nation on bars with a season average of 9.933. That is the highest a DU gymnast has been ranked on the event since Week 1 of 2013 (Nina McGee). The junior is also back in the vault rankings at No. 20 (9.858).
 
Brown also improved her national ranking in the all-around this week, now at No. 11 (39.392). She is also tied for No. 11 on vault (9.875).
 
Vasquez is nationally-ranked for the first time in her career, doing so on beam where she is currently tied for No. 17 (9.875).
 
LAST TIME OUT
In a match-up of four top-25 teams, DU finished second at the Metroplex Challenge with a season-high 196.350. Karr captured her third-consecutive bars title with a 9.950 while tying with teammate Brown for second on vault. Vasquez finished second overall on beam, and Brown was third in the all-around.
 
Career highs set or tied during the meet include Sundstrom's 9.875 on bars and Vasquez's 9.950 on beam. Freshman Ruiz also made her collegiate debut on beam (9.825) and in the all-around (39.200).
 
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers won their home opener last weekend, scoring a 194.925 to top Kent State and George Washington. WVU is ranked just outside the top 25 overall but is tied for No. 10 on floor and No. 17 on vault. Kirah Koshinski helps lead West Virginia, sitting at No. 7 nationally on vault and tied for No. 15 on floor. She captured the titles on both events last meet, joining teammates Jaquie Tun (bars and floor), Esperanza Abarca (bars) and Carly Galpin (beam) as event winners.
 
Denver is 11-6 all-time against West Virginia including two wins in 2018. They last met at the 2018 Big 12 Championship where DU's 197.075 topped WVU's 195.625. The Pioneers made the trip to Morgantown, W. Va., last on January 29, 2017, where the Mountaineers edged out the win over DU 196.300-195.900.
 
ABOUT IOWA STATE
The Cyclones beat Lindenwood last weekend at home, scoring a 195.975 overall. Meaghan Sievers took home the all-around, vault, beam and floor titles while Laura Burns won on bars. Meixi Semple tied with Sievers for the win on beam. Like West Virginia, Iowa State is ranked just beyond the top 25 but is tied for No. 21 on vault. Though not nationally-ranked, Sievers has the team's top averages on vault, floor and in the all-around.
 
Denver holds a 17-7 record against Iowa State. The teams last met at 2018 NCAA Regionals in Minneapolis where DU topped ISU 196.275-195.925.
 
NEXT UP
The University of Denver women's gymnastics team, presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, returns to Denver for a three-meet home stand beginning on Sunday, February 10, to host Big 12-opponent and No. 1-ranked Oklahoma at 2 p.m. in Magness Arena.
 
Single meet tickets are on sale for DU's remaining four home meets, starting at $9. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Ritchie Center Box Office at 303-871-4625.
 
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