DENVER – The No. 9-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team tied the 10^th highest score in program history (197.425) in front of a record-setting crowd on Sunday.
 
DU's new season-high score came with DU's largest-ever home attendance of 6,473, breaking the previous record by more than 350 fans.
 
In the final team standings, Denver finished second behind No. 1 Oklahoma (198.425).

COACH'S NOTES:
From Joy S. Burns Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "We competed with tremendous energy today and kept that energy high from the beginning to end. I'm proud of the people who stepped into lineups and did so at a high level – like Kiley (Rorich) on bars and Lynnzee (Brown) on vault.
 
"We made improvements from our last meet. We have great potential, and there is still more to come. There was a lot of good tonight, but we aren't trying to peak right now.
 
"The crowd was incredible. It was amazing to have a record-setting crowd and one that was engaged, loud and electric. It made a big difference for our student-athletes. They feed off that kind of energy, and it's what makes competing at home so much fun!"

SIGNIFICANT STATS

• DU's team score of 197.425 ties the seventh-highest home score in school history and becomes the program's second-highest January score.
• The final attendance of 6,473 tops the previous Denver home attendance record of 6,100, which also came in a home meet against Oklahoma (February 10, 2019).
• For the first time in DU history, Denver's vault lineup featured four Yurchenko 1.5s, and it was the first time DU had four 10.0 start values in its vault lineup since the Yurchenko full was devalued to 9.950 in 2016.
• For the third meet in a row, Denver improved its bars team score. It's 49.400 now ties for ninth-highest on the event at DU home meet.
• Freshman Kiley Rorich made her collegiate debut, stepping into the bars lineup and scoring a team-high-tying 9.900, which matches the highest bars score by a DU freshman in her first meet.

VAULT RECAP
Denver began the day with four 10.0 start values, anchored by graduate student Lynnzee Brown's return to the lineup nearly one year since a season-ending injury in 2022. Her 9.900 was DU's top mark of the rotation. DU also earned a 9.875 from junior Rylie Mundell, a 9.850 from junior Jessica Hutchinson and a 9.800 from junior Rosie Casali – each joining Brown with Yurchenko 1.5s. Freshman Mila Brusch and junior Bella Mabanta both scored at least 9.800 as well to give DU six scores at or above the 9.800 mark for the second time this season.
 
BARS RECAP
Rorich's 9.900 in her first competitive routine tied with Hutchinson for DU's top score on bars, helping the team to a season-best 49.400 overall. As was the case on vault, all six of DU's bars scores were at least 9.800, beginning with graduate student Alexandria Ruiz's 9.850 in the leadoff. Brown and Mundell added matching 9.875s.
 
BEAM RECAP
Denver's 49.350 on beam was its second-highest score of the season so far, earned in a rotation that started with Brown's season-high-matching 9.900 in the leadoff. Denver then used four consecutive hit routines in spots 3-6 to ensure the team wouldn't count a fall from the second routine. Junior Abbie Thompson got the lineup back on track with a 9.850, a score that Mundell would match in the No. 5 spot. Mabanta added a 9.825, and Hutchinson nearly tied her career high with a 9.925 in the anchor position.
 
FLOOR RECAP
DU wrapped up the meet with a season-best 49.400 on floor and another rotation of six scores above 9.800. Sophomore Momoko Iwai returned to the lineup after missing one meet, scoring 9.825. Casali rebounded from a fall at Oregon State to score a 9.850 while Ruiz and Mundell each tallied a 9.875 – all three setting or tying a season high. Mabanta matched her career high of 9.900, which Hutchinson would also score in the No. 6 spot.
 
PODIUM FINISHES
Vault
Brown: Third Place (tie) – 9.900
 
Floor
Hutchinson: Third Place (tie) – 9.900
Mabanta: Third Place (tie) – 9.900
 
All-Around
Hutchinson: Second Place – 39.575
Mundell: Third Place – 39.475
 
NEXT UP:
Denver hosts its only quad meet of the regular season when it welcomes George Washington, Pitt and Air Force to Magness Arena on Sunday, February 5, at 1:45 p.m. MT.
 
TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2023 University of Denver gymnastics season are now on sale and can be purchased online, by calling 303-871-4625 or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office. Season ticket renewals can be purchased by calling 303-871-4625.

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