DENVER – The No. 13-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team finished second in Session II of the NCAA Regional Second Round on Friday, clinching a berth in Sunday's NCAA Regional Final.
DU's final team score of 197.450 became a new postseason program record, placing Denver in second place behind No. 3 Michigan (198.025) but ahead of No. 18 Minnesota (197.200) and Arizona (196.975).
COACH'S NOTES:
From Joy S. Burns Head Women's Gymnastics Coach
Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart:
"This team has so much grit and resiliency. To end on beam in a high-pressure situation says so much about the team's toughness. They kept fighting all the way through the meet.
"There were some really bright spots tonight, but there's still room to improve. We're excited to advance to Sunday and have another opportunity to chase excellence.
"It's so fun to compete in front of your home crowd, and the energy was electric. The support from our friends, fans, alumni and supporters is incredible. Hopefully people will come out and see great gymnastics and an exciting competition on Sunday."
SIGNIFICANT STATS
- Junior Jessica Hutchinson won the NCAA Regional beam title by way a near-perfect 9.975, standing along at the top of the podium.
- She became Denver's 13th gymnast to win an NCAA Regional title and the first since graduate student Lynnzee Brown on floor in 2021.
- Her title is now the 22nd NCAA Regional individual title in program history.
- In addition to its overall team score of 197.450, Denver set program records for NCAA Regional competition on floor (49.600) and beam (49.500).
- The 49.600 on floor is the highest DU has scored on any event in the postseason in program history, and the score is now tied for the third-highest in DU history (at any time of the season).
- DU's 49.500 on beam is now the third-highest postseason score on the event in school history.
- When results from both second-round sessions were combined, Denver's team score ranked second overall (out of eight teams).
FLOOR RECAP
Denver began the meet with six floor scores at or above 9.875 – five of them in the 9.900 range – to hit the second-highest event score of the session (49.600). Graduate student
Alexandria Ruiz led off with a 9.875 while three of her teammates followed with 9.900s in sophomore
Momoko Iwai – a career high – and juniors
Abbie Thompson and
Bella Mabanta. Denver concluded the lineup with matching 9.950s from Hutchinson and Brown – both earning unanimous 9.950s from the complete four-judge panel.
VAULT RECAP
Denver shuffled its vault lineup and used five hits to keep the team from counting a fall in the No. 4 spot. Hutchinson scored a 9.755 while Brown added a 9.800 on their Yurchenko 1.5s. Ruiz returned to the lineup for the first time since February 17 and matched the team's top score of 9.850. Iwai made her season debut on the event and also scored a 9.850, matching her career high. Mabanta was just off their pace with a 9.825 in the leadoff.
BARS RECAP
Denver also adjusted its bars lineup and posted three routines of 9.875 or higher, highlighted by Brown's season best-tying 9.950. Ruiz and Hutchinson both scored 9.875s in the leadoff and anchor positions, respectively. Thompson and freshman
Kiley Rorich had the final counted scores for DU with matching 9.775s.
BEAM RECAP
DU's beam squad clinched the team's berth into the NCAA Regional Final under immense pressure. Brown led off the lineup with a career high-tying 9.950 – earning a 10.0 from one judge – while Mabanta tied her season high of 9.875 in the No. 2 spot. Senior
Callie Schlottman came in clutch once again for DU in the postseason, subbing into the lineup at the last minute and hitting for a 9.850 to get the lineup back on track. Thompson followed with a 9.850 of her own, and Hutchinson's near-perfect 9.975 in the anchor sealed DU's spot for Sunday's meet,
PODIUM FINISHES
Bars
Brown: Second Place (tie) – 9.950
Floor
Brown: Third Place (tie) – 9.950
Hutchinson: Third Place (tie) – 9.950
All-Around
Brown: Third Place (tie) – 39.650
NEXT UP:
The University of Denver will continue to host the 2023 NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships with the NCAA Regional Final on Sunday, April 2, in Magness Arena. Advancing to Sunday's session are LSU, Oregon State, Michigan and Denver.
Tickets are now on sale and can be
purchased online or by calling 303-871-4625.
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