DENVER – The No. 8-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team recorded a 196.725 on Sunday, despite nearly half of the team's roster being unavailable to compete.
 
It is the team's second-highest score of the season and came with hits in all 21 of the team's routines, including five-up, five-count scenarios on three events.
 
In the three-team showdown that featured two teams ranked in the top 10, Denver finished second with No. 5 Oklahoma scoring a 197.800 and Temple a 194.850.
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "This ranks among one of my all-time top performances with Denver Gymnastics. The mental toughness, resiliency and grit of this team today was outstanding.
 
"When you're missing half of your lineup and are putting up five student-athletes on multiple events, there's a tremendous amount of pressure; and I'm so impressed with how they handled and excelled under that pressure. I'm excited to see – when we're back at full strength – how these opportunities and performances lead to success and greatness down the road."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS

• Senior Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) had one of the top meets of her career, scoring a 39.700 in the all-around with three scores above 9.900 mark – including a career high-tying 9.925 on beam.
• DU gymnasts swept the all-around podium with Brown in first and junior Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) in second with a 39.400. Freshman Abbie Thompson (Sanford, Fla.) placed third with a 39.300 in her first collegiate all-around appearance.
• In her first routine of the 2021 season, sophomore Callie Schlottman (Savage, Minn.) scored a 9.825 on beam, just .025 off her personal best.
• Junior Natalie Morton (Waycross, Ga.), too, narrowly missed her career high on bars, scoring a 9.725. She also made her first DU floor appearance.
• Junior Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) competed on three events for the first time in her career, logging new career highs on vault and floor.

VAULT RECAP
Denver opened the meet with its first five-up, five-count lineup of the day, earning the team's second-highest score on the event of the season (48.975). Brown's 9.875 led DU's scoring while Thompson scored a 9.800 in her first vault appearance for the Pioneers. Ruiz and senior Emily Glynn (Longmont, Colo.) each scored 9.775 while Vasquez logged a 9.750, which was a new personal best.
 
BARS RECAP
Denver scored a 49.175 overall on bars, again with just five student-athletes in the lineup. Brown captured a share of the meet's highest score on the event with a season-high 9.950. Glynn and Ruiz both scored 9.875, just missing the podium. In her first bars routine for Denver, Thompson scored a 9.750, and Morton made her first appearance of the season with a 9.725.
 
BEAM RECAP
For the third-straight rotation, Denver competed five-up, five-count and excelled with a 49.275. Brown led off the lineup with a career high-tying 9.925. Thompson followed it up with a new personal best of 9.900, and Ruiz matched her season high with a 9.875. Schlottman competed for the first time this season, securing a 9.825 that was just off her career high. Vasquez added a 9.750 to secure another hit rotation.
 
FLOOR RECAP
DU continued to build its team scores each rotation, finishing with a season-best 49.300 on floor. For the first time since her return from injury, Brown earned a score in the 9.9 range, her 9.950 winning the event title outright. Glynn's 9.875 was just .025 from her personal best, and Ruiz matched the score – a season high for both gymnasts. Thompson, too, narrowly missed her career high by .025 with her 9.850. Vasquez improved in just her second floor appearance with a 9.750, and Morton added a 9.625 in her first-ever floor routine for DU.
 
PODIUM FINISHES
All-Around
Brown: First Place – 39.700
Ruiz: Second Place – 39.400
Thompson: Third Place – 39.300
 
Vault
Brown: Third Place (tie) – 9.875
 
Bars
Brown: First Place (tie) – 9.950
 
Beam
Brown: Third Place (tie) – 9.925
 
Floor
Brown: First Place – 9.950
 
NEXT UP:
The University of Denver gymnastics team, presented by Your Front Range Toyota Stores, travels to West Virginia for another Big 12 Conference match-up on Thursday, February 11.
 
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 weekly 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.
 
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