DENVER – The University of Denver women's gymnastics team will welcome five student-athletes for the 2020-21 season, head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart announced on Thursday.
 
Rose Casali (Weddington, N.C.), Jessica Hutchinson (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Isabel Mabanta (Frisco, Texas), Rylie Mundell (Parker, Colo.) and Abbie Thompson (Sanford, Fla.) have signed their National Letters of Intent to attend DU beginning in fall 2020.
 
"This is a phenomenal class," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "All five are competitive and fit into our philosophy of character, teamwork and excellence. All of them take their academic and athletics commitments seriously. They are the total package and will balance each other out beautifully with their individual strengths. We're excited to welcome them to the legacy and tradition of the DU Gymnastics family."
 
Rose "Rosie" Casali is a Level 10 gymnast from Southeastern Gymnastics in North Carolina. She twice qualified to the prestigious Nastia Liukin Cup, finishing second in the all-around in 2017 and tying for third on bars in 2018. At the 2019 JO Nationals, she placed fifth on bars and sixth in the all-around. She captured the all-around, vault and beam titles at the 2018 Region 8 Championships while also finishing second on floor. She added a bars title at 2019 Regionals along with a tie for fifth on floor and finished sixth in the all-around.
 
"Rosie brings an unbelievable balance of athleticism on all four events," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "She has a great foundation of gymnastics, beautiful lines and high-level skills. She has a fun, dynamic personality, and she's free spirited and fun loving."
 
WATCH: Rosie Casali video: Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor
 
Jessica Hutchinson is a former junior elite and current Level 10 gymnast from Pennsylvania's Silvia's Gymnastics. In 2016, she represented Bulgaria at the European Championships, finishing tenth on vault. That same year, she won the vault and floor titles at JO Nationals and finished eighth in the all-around. She is a three-time Region 7 all-around champion (2019, 2016, 2015). Additionally at the 2019 Region 7 Championships, she won the floor title and a share of the vault title while placing in the top three on bars and beam.
 
Hutchinson comes from a gymnastics family. Her mother and grandmother both represented Bulgaria at the Olympic Games.
 
"Jessica shows a lot of resiliency, grit and toughness," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "Gymnastics runs in her blood, and she has competed at the highest level domestically and internationally. She has a quiet inner presence and showmanship, but she's also competitive and wants to be a team that performs at the highest level possible."
 
WATCH: Jessica Hutchinson videos
 
Isabel "Bella" Mabanta is a former elite gymnast and current Level 10 gymnast from Denton Gymnastics Academy in Texas. At 2018 JO Nationals, she won the beam title and tied for third on vault. She captured the all-around and beam titles at the 2018 Region 3 Championships while also finishing second on vault, third on bars and fifth on floor. In 2018, she also earned five top-10 finishes at the Texas State Championships including second on vault and fourth in the all-around.
 
"Bella is resilient and hardworking, not to mention sincere, genuine and kind," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "Her gymnastics is elegant and refined, and she has high scoring potential. Her presentation and style sets her apart. She is a beautiful gymnast and already has a passion for this team and her future teammates."
 
WATCH: Bella Mabanta videos
 
Rylie Mundell is a Level 10 gymnast from Colorado Gymnastics Institute. She is a three-time Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier, tying for sixth on bars and placing seventh in the all-around and on beam in 2017. In 2019, she was named to the JO National Team following her fourth-place finish in the all-around where she also tied for sixth on vault and floor. At 2018 JO Nationals, she tied for second on beam, and she captured the 2016 JO Nationals bars title. Twice, she won the all-around title at the Region 3 Championships, adding titles on vault, bars and floor in 2019.
 
"Rylie has character, integrity and leadership ability, and has been invested in this program for many years as a local Colorado athlete," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "She excels at balancing athletics and academics at the highest level. She's competitive and a consistent athlete who has great showmanship, and she continues to challenge herself to be the best."
 
WATCH: Rylie Mundell videos
 
Abbie Thompson is a Level 10 gymnast from Orlando Metro Gymnastics. Three times she qualified for the Nastia Liukin Cup, winning the beam title and finishing fifth in the all-around in 2016 and placing second on beam in 2015. She is a five-time JO Nationals qualifier, most recently finishing sixth in the all-around and tying for fourth on floor in 2019. She made the JO National Team in 2018 with a fourth-place finish in the all-around and a win on beam. She has amassed eight Region 8 titles including in the all-around in 2016 and 2018.
 
"Abbie is incredibly competitive, powerful and strong, and she is a phenomenal decision maker who will operate with integrity," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "She is passionate about gymnastics and wants to be on a team that is focused on success both academically and athletically."
 
WATCH: Abbie Thompson videos
 
Denver celebrated a historic 2019 season in which the Pioneers finished a record-shattering fourth at the NCAA National Championships. Among the student-athletes returning for the 2020 season are 2019 NCAA floor champion Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) and postseason All-Americans Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.), Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) and Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.).
 
Season tickets for the 2020 season as now on sale. Season ticket holders from the 2019 season can renew their tickets by calling 303-871-4625. New season tickets can be purchased online or by calling 303-871-4625.
 
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