DENVER – The No. 10-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team began its 2022 campaign in record-setting fashion, scoring a 197.000 to top San Jose State (195.950) in the teams' season opener on Sunday.
Denver's score marks the program's highest mark in the first meet of the season – achieved while DU was without key routines across all four events due to COVID-19 health/safety and "return to play" protocols.
COACH'S NOTES:
From head coach
Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "I'm incredibly proud of the heart, grit and resiliency that this team demonstrated today. It's a challenging time for everyone, and we're not at full strength. But so many individual student-athletes gained competition experience, and that will pay off and add depth."
She added: "Even short-handed, today shows that we can compete at the highest level, and we look forward to people returning to the lineups over the next few weeks."
SIGNIFICANT STATS
- DU's 197.000 eclipses the previous school record for top season opening score (196.700 set in 2020). It also marks the earliest Denver has hit the 197 mark in any season, improving on the second meet from the 2021 season.
- As a team, Denver also set or tied season-opening records on vault (49.225) and floor (49.350).
- Sophomore Rylie Mundell made her long-awaited all-around debut, earning a 39.450 to finish second overall and winning the bars title.
- Four DU gymnasts set or tied career highs on Sunday: Mundell on vault and floor and in the all-around, junior Emma Brown on beam, and sophomores Abbie Thompson and Bella Mabanta on floor.
- Denver did not have its full complement of routines for Sunday's meet including – but not limited to – all-around performances from senior Alexandria Ruiz and sophomore Jessica Hutchinson, and multiple events each from freshmen Mia Hebinck and Momoko Iwai.
VAULT RECAP
Denver opened the season with 49.225 on vault, which would have been the team's third highest score on the event in all of the 2021 season. Mundell's stuck Yurchenko 1.5 was the highlight of the rotation, earning her a career high-tying 9.925. All four remaining counted scores were at or above the 9.800 mark for graduate students
Lynnzee Brown,
Emily Glynn and
Mia Sundstrom, and sophomore Hutchinson.
BARS RECAP
Mundell continued her stellar start to the season with a team-leading 9.900 on bars. Once again, DU counted only routines in the 9.800 range or higher from
Lynnzee Brown, Glynn, Ruiz and Sundstrom. Sophomore
Rosie Casali also made her season debut in the bars lineup.
BEAM RECAP
Lynnzee Brown started the beam rotation in her normal lead-off position, hitting her routine despite a lengthy delay at the start of the rotation. Three DU gymnasts scored 9.850s including Mundell and fellow sophomore
Abbie Thompson. The third 9.850 came from junior transfer
Emma Brown, who tied her career high in her first routine back as a Denver student-athlete. Sophomore
Bella Mabanta hit her routine immediately following a fall to help get the rotation back on track and keep DU from counting the fall to the team score.
FLOOR RECAP
Denver capped off its historic meet with its best event rotation of the meet, led by
Lynnzee Brown's near-perfect 9.975 on floor. Thompson set a new personal best with her 9.925 in the fifth spot while Mabanta matched her personal best with a 9.875 as the lead-off gymnast.
Emma Brown also filled in on floor, scoring a 9.800, while Mundell made her first floor lineup appearance, scoring a 9.775.
PODIUM FINISHES
All-Around
Lynnzee Brown: First Place – 39.475
Mundell: Second Place – 39.450
Vault
Mundell: First Place – 9.925
Lynnzee Brown: Second Place – 9.850
Glynn: Third Place (tie) – 9.825
Sundstrom: Third Place (tie) – 9.825
Bars
Mundell: Second Place – 9.900
Glynn: Third Place (tie) – 9.875
Beam
Emma Brown: Third Place (tie) – 9.850
Mundell: Third Place (tie) – 9.850
Thompson: Third Place (tie) – 9.850
Floor
Lynnzee Brown: First Place – 9.975
Thompson: Second Place – 9.925
Mabanta: Third Place – 9.875
NEXT UP:
Denver opens up a three-meet road trip its first of two away meets at Big Ten schools when DU travels to No. 22 Ohio State on Saturday, January 15.
DU will return home on Sunday, February 6, against New Hampshire. Season tickets, single meet tickets and group tickets are all on sale and can be
purchased online or by calling 303-871-4625.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Masks are required at all indoor athletic events. For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2022 DU Gymnastics season are now on sale. Season tickets are available starting at $40, and single meet tickets begin at $12. 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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