WHO: No. 7 Denver vs. Air Force
WHAT: First home meet of the 2021 season
WHERE: Hamilton Gymnasium (Denver, Colo.)
WHEN: Sunday, January 24, at 2:00 p.m. MT
 
LAST TIME OUT:
DU began its 2021 campaign on January 15 at Big 12 Conference opponent Iowa State, defeating the Cyclones 196.600-195.500. Denver's score was the second-highest season-opening tally in school history.
 
EYE ON THE RANKINGS:
Denver is ranked No. 7 in the nation, making it five years in a row that DU has entered the season ranked inside the top 10. The Pioneers are also ranked No. 2 on beam, tied for No. 4 on bars and No. 14 on floor.
 
Six DU gymnasts appear in the individual rankings as well, led by senior Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.), who is at No. 8 in the all-around and No. 2 on bars, among others; and junior Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) tied for No. 3 on beam. Joining Brown and Vasquez with at least one national ranking each are senior Mia Sundstrom (Boulder, Colo.) and freshmen Jessica Hutchinson (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Rylie Mundell (Parker, Colo.) and Abbie Thompson (Sanford, Fla.)
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS:
Air Force opened its season at Southern Utah on January 16, scoring a 190.450. Senior Heidi Sand and sophomore Briona Carswell earned weekly awards from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation following their performances at SUU.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
The University of Denver gymnastics team, presented by Your Front Range Toyota Stores, hosts its second of three consecutive home meets, welcoming Iowa State on Sunday, January 31, at 2:00 p.m. MT.
 
QUICK HITS:

• Vasquez and Mundell earned weekly recognition from the Big 12 Conference following the season opener, capturing Event Specialist and Newcomer of the Week honors, respectively.
• Brown returned to competition at Iowa State almost exactly 11 months after a season-ending Achilles injury in 2020. She won the all-around, bars and floor titles.
• Sundstrom, too, made her return from a season-ending elbow injury and lead Denver's scoring on vault with a 9.875 that was just .025 off her career high. She tied for second in the final event standings.
• Four DU freshmen made their collegiate debuts on January 15, totaling 11 of the Pioneers' 24 routines. All 11 of their performances were hit routines.
• DU highlighted its variety and difficulty in skills at Iowa State including a Tsukahara full on vault from senior Emily Glynn (Longmont, Colo.), a new pike full-in on floor from junior Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) and a final-pass triple full on floor from Thompson.

VIRTUAL SEASON TICKET: Activate exclusive virtual benefits for the 2021 season! Denver Athletics & Recreation is committed to making the best out of an unprecedented situation and, if we are not able to be together in person at the Ritchie Center, then we will do our very best to bring Denver Gymnastics to you! When you opt-in to be a Virtual Season Ticket Holder you gain access to exclusive season-long benefits including:

• 5280 TOGETHER limited-edition commemorative poster
• Access to individual home meet tickets (based upon availability and guidelines set forth by the NCAA, DU, and local and state health officials)
• Exclusive invitation to the coaches "chalk talk" (virtual)
• Virtual meet notes/program for home and away meets
• Post-meet recap and downloadable stats package

For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.
 
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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