DENVER – The No. 6-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team will host the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday, February 16, at 6 p.m. The meet will be held in Hamilton Gymnasium, and tickets are already sold out.
 
FANTASTIC FANS
DU fans packed Magness Arena on Sunday, February 10, to help the Pioneers set a new all-time attendance record with a sell-out crowd of 6,100. It shattered the previous program record of 4,634 from January 14, 2018.
 
This Saturday's meet will mark the second-consecutive sold-out gymnastics meet. DU announced the sell out in Hamilton Gymnasium on January 29, more than two weeks in advance.
 
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Denver's performance last weekend against Oklahoma included some of the top scores in program history, beginning with the fourth-highest score overall (197.400).
 
The team's 49.475 on beam was not only a season high on the event but tied the second-highest score in school history. DU's 49.375 on bars also tied the program's eighth-highest mark.
 
Junior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) posted a 39.650 in the all-around, which matched DU's eighth-highest score overall. Both Karr and senior Kaitlyn Schou (Orlando, Fla.) scored 9.950s on beam to tie the fifth-highest score in program history.
 
PERFECTION FOR BROWN
Sophomore Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) finished DU's meet against Oklahoma in style, earning a perfect 10.0 with her floor routine. It was Denver's first perfect score since Karr did so on vault in 2017 and the team's first on floor since Nina McGee did it three times in 2016.
 
Brown is now one of six DU gymnasts to ever score a perfect 10.0 on floor and one of 11 gymnasts to do so on any event.
 
BIG 12 HONORS BROWN
For the second time this season, Brown was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week following her 10.0 on floor and her career-best 39.625 in the all-around against Oklahoma. The sophomore also earned Gymnast of the Week honors on January 14 following her performance at Alabama in the season opener.
 
KARR CLOSING IN
Karr continued her streak of winning at least one individual title in every meet this season, capturing the win in the all-around against Oklahoma. She now owns 61 career event titles, which is fourth-most in DU history. Two more titles will bring her into a tie with Heather Huffaker for third-most all-time.
 
HOME SWEET HAMILTON
Saturday's meet is Denver's second of a three-meet home stand and the final home meet to be held in Hamilton Gymnasium this season. Denver's final two home meets will be hosted in Magness Arena.
 
Four of the last five meets in Hamilton Gymnasium have seen attendance numbers of at least 2,000 – including three standing-room-only crowds during the 2018 season. This Saturday's meet is already at a maximum capacity of 2,500 fans to extend DU's streak.
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Vault: Denver made slight adjustments to the vault lineup last week, moving freshman Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) into the lead-off position and senior Diana Chesnok (Charlotte, N.C.) into the third spot. Karr and Brown anchor the rotation for the Pioneers and have the team's highest season averages, both above 9.850. Sophomore Mia Sundstrom (Boulder, Colo.) is third in average scoring this season with a 9.830.
 
Bars: For the second straight week, DU scored a 49.375 on bars with all five counted scores at or above 9.800. Senior Claire Kern (Charlotte, N.C.) and Ruiz both led off the rotation with career-tying 9.875s, and Brown and Karr added a 9.900 and a 9.925, respectively. Five Pioneers have season averages above 9.800, led by Karr's 9.930. Brown's 9.870 average is second-highest on the team, and sophomore Emily Glynn (Longmont, Colo.) has the third-highest average with a 9.850.
 
Beam: Denver's final three beam workers all scored above a 9.900 during Sunday's meet with Karr and Schou earning 9.950s, and freshman Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) a 9.925. All five of DU's counted scores against Oklahoma were at least 9.800s including a season-high 9.850 from Brown. Vasquez is closing in on a season average of 9.900 while Schou, Ruiz and Brown all hold averages above 9.800.
 
Floor: DU posted a season high-tying 49.425 against Oklahoma on floor, highlighted by Brown's perfect 10.0. Karr's 9.925 was a near season high, and Schou tied her career high with a 9.900. Glynn competed in the floor lineup for the first time this season as well. Brown holds the team's highest average score this season with a 9.900 while Schou and Karr round out the top three with averages above 9.850.
 
EYE ON THE RANKINGS
Denver tied its all-time rankings record this week, moving up to No. 6. The Pioneers have only been ranked No. 6 twice previously, doing so during Week 1 of the 2003 and 2010 seasons. This week (Week 6) marks the latest in the season that DU has held the No. 6 ranking.
 
For the first time this year, DU is ranked inside the top 10 on all four events. The bars squad is back to a program-record No. 4 in the nation on bars. Denver moved up in the beam and floor rankings as well, sitting at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively. DU is also ranked No. 9 on vault.
 
Brown moved into the top-10 all-around rankings, earning the No. 9 spot this week to go with her tie for No. 12 on floor and No. 21 ranking on vault.
 
Karr is also inside the top 10 rankings this week, owning the No. 4 spot on bars and No. 8 on vault.
 
Vasquez makes it three Pioneer gymnasts who hold top-10 individual rankings this week. She is tied for No. 9 on beam, which is a new career high for the freshman.
 
LAST TIME OUT
For the second-straight week, Denver posted a team score above the 197 mark, scoring a 197.400 to finish just three tenths behind No. 1 Oklahoma. It was the smallest margin of victory between the two teams since DU's last win over OU on January 6, 2006 (193.850-193.325).
 
Karr took home the all-around title for the second meet in a row, posting a 39.650 this week. Brown was second with a 39.625, and Ruiz was third with a 39.175 to complete DU's sweep. Brown also captured the floor title with her perfect 10.0.
 
DU also earned podium finishes from Karr on bars, beam and floor; Brown on vault and bars; and Schou on beam.
 
ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE
The Redbirds finished second behind MIC-opponent UIC on February 9 by a final score of 194.700-193.525. Gabrielle Cooke won in the all-around and shared the beam title with teammate Savannah Remkus. Sofia Iribarren tied for the bars title, and Mia Quigg won on floor.
 
Cooke leads the team in average scoring on vault and floor. ISU's highest average score on bars comes from Meredith LaRoche, and Savannah Remkus has the highest beam average.
 
Denver and Illinois State have met five times previously with all five wins going to DU. Their last meeting was on February 26, 2017, in Denver in which DU won 196.975-192.175. The last time the teams met in a dual meet was on January 31, 2011, at Illinois State.
 
NEXT UP
The University of Denver women's gymnastics team, presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, will wrap up its three-meet home stand on Sunday, February 24, against No. 10 Boise State and No. 23 Iowa State in Magness Arena.
 
Single meet tickets are still on sale for the February 24 meet, starting at $9. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Ritchie Center Box Office at 303-871-4625.
 
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