DENVER – The University of Denver women's gymnastics team is set to begin its 2020 campaign with a top-25 showdown at the Collegiate Challenge in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, January 4. Joining Denver in the first session of the meet will be No. 13 Auburn, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 25 Penn State. Competition starts at 2:00 p.m. MT (1:00 p.m. PT) at the Anaheim Convention Center.
 
ABOUT DENVER
DU is coming off a historic 2019 season in which the Pioneers advanced to the program's first-ever NCAA team final, placing a DU-record fourth overall. In route to the NCAA National Championships, Denver captured its first NCAA regional team championship with its first-place finish at the Corvallis Regional.
 
Four of Denver's five postseason All-Americans from 2019 return in 2020, including junior Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.), who won a share of the national title on floor. Senior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) and sophomores Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) and Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) also return this season.
 
Head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart will lead the Pioneers for her 22^nd season. In 2019, she was named the National Head Coach of the Year and earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three years. Associate head coach Linas Gaveika helped sweep the national coaching honors, sharing the co-National Assistant Coach of the Year award with then-DU assistant coach Jay Hogue, who retired following the season. Jimmy Pratt joins the Denver coaching staff in 2020 following 18 years at All American Gymnastics in Utah.
 
FRESH FACES
The Pioneers welcome five freshmen to the 2020 roster. Combined, the newcomers bring 16 JO Nationals appearances and four Nastia Liukin Cup qualifications.
 
Emma Brown (Adel, Iowa) is from Chow's Gymnastics. She competed at the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2014 and qualified for JO Nationals five times, placing sixth in the all-around in 2018.
 
Victoria Fitts (Fort Collins, Colo.) joins DU from Premier Gymnastics and graduated from high school early to join the Pioneers this season. She placed sixth in the all-around at the 2019 Colorado State Championships.
 
Amoree Lockhart (Fort Worth, Texas) also graduated high school early and is from Empire Gymnastics. In 2016, she won the JO Nationals all-around title and qualified for the Nastia Liukin Cup three times.
 
Callie Schlottman (Savage, Minn.) trained at Legacy Gymnastics. She is a four-time JO Nationals qualifier and placed fourth in the all-around at the Region 3 Championships in three different seasons.
 
AK Subject (Wayzata, Minn.) is Denver's second gymnast from Twin City Twisters. Most recently, she placed fourth in the all-around at 2019 JO Nationals and qualified for the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2016.
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Vault: Lynnzee Brown and Karr both finished in the top 10 nationally on vault in 2019 and will again anchor Denver's lineup. Junior Emily Glynn (Longmont, Colo.), too, brings a 10.0 start value that earned her a career high at the 2019 NCAA team final. Junior Mia Sundstrom (Boulder, Colo.) and Ruiz both return after being mainstays in the vault lineup last season. Vasquez and newcomers Subject, Emma Brown and Lockhart will look to add depth throughout the season.
 
Bars: Regular-season All-Americans Lynnzee Brown and Karr will also lead the bars squad in 2020. Glynn, who finished the 2018 season nationally-ranked on the event, will also return to the lineup. Sundstrom and Ruiz also competed on bars in nearly ever meet last year. Among those helping provide depth to the event this season are freshmen Subject and Lockhart, and sophomore Natalie Morton (Waycross, Ga.).
 
Beam: Vasquez, who tied for fourth at the 2019 NCAA National Championships on beam as a freshman, will continue to lead the beam lineup. Among those returning on the event are regular-season All-American Karr and 2019 lineup regulars Lynnzee Brown, Ruiz and Sundstrom. Freshmen Emma Brown, Subject, Lockhart and Schlottman will all look to add depth and compete for lineup spots.
 
Floor: Reigning NCAA national co-champion on floor Lynnzee Brown will once again anchor the floor lineup this season. Karr and Ruiz competed on the event in every meet in 2019, and Sundstrom did so in nearly every meet. Glynn will look to become a regular competitor in 2020 after making two appearances last year. Vasquez is hoping to join the lineup after competing in exhibition twice in 2019, and newcomers Emma Brown, Lockhart, Schlottman and Subject are in line to compete as well.
 
EYE ON THE RANKINGS
Denver enters the 2020 season ranked No. 7 in the WCGA Preseason Coaches' Poll. It is the highest DU has ever been ranked in the preseason.
 
The Pioneers finished 2019 ranked a program-record No. 4 in the nation while also setting or tying the school records for final national rankings on all four events. For the first time ever, DU was ranked inside the top 10 on every event at the end of the season: No. 5 on beam, tied for No. 5 on bars, No. 6 on floor and tied for No. 7 on vault.
 
Karr finished in a record-tying fourth in the all-around in 2019 while adding national rankings on vault (No. 4), bars (No. 9) and beam (No. 12).
 
Lynnzee Brown also held four national rankings to finish 2019 including tied for No. 4 on floor and No. 7 in the all-around. She was also tied for No. 10 on vault and tied for No. 14 on bars.
 
Vasquez finished ranked No. 6 on beam in 2019, a DU record for highest final ranking on the event.
 
LAST TIME OUT
For the first time ever, DU competed on the final day of the NCAA gymnastics season, making the program's first appearance in the NCAA team championship meet and placing fourth overall. Prior to 2019, the highest DU had ever finished at the NCAA National Championships was ninth in 2017. Earlier in the season, DU set a program-record with its first top-five national ranking, and Denver's final ranking of No. 4 is the highest the program has ever been ranked at any point of any season.
 
During DU's NCAA Nationals appearance, five Pioneers (Lynnzee Brown, Karr, Ruiz, Vasquez and Kaitlyn Schou) combined for nine postseason All-American honors. Lynnzee Brown also won Denver's second individual national title with her tie for first on floor.
 
ABOUT AUBURN
The Tigers begin 2020 ranked No. 13 in the preseason poll after finishing last season ranked No. 16. Among the returners to Auburn's roster is NCAA national co-champion on vault, sophomore Derrian Gobourne.
 
Denver leads Auburn 4-2 in its previous six meetings, the most recent coming at the 2017 Fayetteville Regional where DU topped AU 197.050-196.600.
 
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE
The Sun Devils are ranked No. 21 in the preseason coaches' poll and were No. 25 in the final 2019 rankings. Junior Cairo Leonard-Baker leads ASU after earning All-American honors on bars last year.
 
DU moved to 8-13 all-time against ASU after their March 10 meeting in Denver last season that saw the Pioneers win 197.675-194.825. Denver has won the last six meetings.
 
ABOUT PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions will start 2020 ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll, one spot below their final 2019 ranking of No. 24. Sophomore Jessie Bastardi, an individual NCAA national qualifier, and junior Lauren Bridgens will help lead PSU in 2020.
 
This will be the 10^th meeting between Denver and Penn State with DU holding a 6-3 record. The teams have not met since a February 20, 2016, quad meet at Penn State where DU topped PSU 196.350-195.100.
 
NEXT UP
The University of Denver women's gymnastics team, presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, will host No. 14-ranked Minnesota in its home opener on Sunday, January 12, at 2 p.m. in Magness Arena.
 
DENVER TICKET OFFICE
Tickets for the 2020 DU Gymnastics season are now on sale. Season tickets are still available starting at $35, and single meet tickets are also on sale. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 303-871-4625.
 
SHOP PIONEERS
Get dressed for game day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.
 
DONATE 
Fans interested in making a donation to the gymnastics program can do so online. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.   

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