FORT WORTH, Texas – The No. 13-ranked University of Denver gymnastics team finished its record-setting 2023 season with some of its best NCAA Nationals scores in program history on Thursday.
 
No. 13 Denver finished fourth in the first semifinal of the NCAA National Championships with a 196.5000. No. 6 LSU (197.4750) and No. 2 Florida (197.4000) advanced to the NCAA Championship Final while No. 7 California was third in the semifinal (196.9125).
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS

• Despite competing five-up, five-count in the final rotation, Denver set a school floor record for NCAA Nationals competition with its 49.3625. It was a full tenth above its previous record of 49.2625 from the 2019 NCAA semifinals.
• DU also added a new program NCAA Nationals record on vault with its 49.2250, topping the prior record of 49.2125 from the 2019 NCAA Championship Final.
• In the final meet of her career, graduate student Lynnzee Brown again broke her own program record for top all-around score at NCAA Nationals with a 39.6625.
• Junior Jessica Hutchinson joined Brown with another top-three all-around performance at NCAA Nationals, scoring a 39.5625.
• Together, Brown and Hutchinson also tied DU's floor record for NCAA Nationals competition with their matching 9.9500s to close out the meet.
  • Brown also tied DU's highest vault score at NCAA Nationals (9.9250) while freshman Kiley Rorich matched the program's NCAA Nationals bars record (9.9125).

VAULT RECAP
Denver started the day with its best-ever vault score at the NCAA National Championships, hitting a 49.2250 with four scores at or above 9.8250. Freshman Mila Brusch returned to the lineup after missing NCAA Regionals and led off the rotation with a 9.8500. Hutchinson started her day with a 9.8375, and Brown immediately followed with her meet best-tying 9.9250. Graduate student Alexandria Ruiz posted a 9.825 in the No. 6 spot for DU while junior Bella Mabanta 's 9.7875 became the team's final counted score.
 
BARS RECAP
DU used five counted scores above the 9.8000 mark to post a 49.3625 on bars, which became the third-highest score in DU history at the NCAA National Championships. In what would be her final collegiate appearance in her five-year career, team co-captain Ruiz scored a 9.8250 in her usual leadoff spot while Hutchinson and Brown would add a 9.8500 and a 9.8750, respectively, later in the rotation. Junior Rosie Casali nearly hit her career high with a 9.9000, and Rorich eclipsed her personal best with a 9.9125 to lead DU's lineup and rank in the top five for the entire session.
 
BEAM RECAP
DU's beam squad started and finished strong in the third rotation, led off and anchored by two scores above 9.9000. Brown began the lineup with a 9.9125 while Hutchinson added a 9.9250 in DU's final routine with both scores now ranking in the top three all-time for DU at NCAA Nationals. After mistakes in two routines, senior Callie Schlottman again came in clutch, hitting her final collegiate routine for a 9.8375. Junior Abbie Thompson followed with a 9.8750.
 
FLOOR RECAP
Denver opted to compete with just five student-athletes in the final rotation and still posted the best floor score the program has ever seen at the NCAA National Championships with a 49.3625. Sophomore Momoko Iwai kicked off the lineup with a 9.8500, and Thompson earned a 9.8250. Casali returned to the lineup after not competing on the event at NCAA Regionals, scoring a 9.7875 with a slightly reworked routine. Hutchinson posted her top score of the day with a 9.9500 to tie DU's individual floor record at NCAA Nationals. Brown, too, matched that score to close out the competition and finish what was one of the best careers in Denver Gymnastics history.
 
SEMIFINAL FINISHES:
All-Around:
Brown: Second Place – 39.6625
Hutchinson: Fourth Place (tie) – 39.5625
 
Vault:
Brown: First Place (tie) – 9.9250
 
Bars:
Rorich: Fifth Place – 9.9125
Casali: Sixth Place (tie) – 9.9000
 
Beam:
Hutchinson: Fifth Place (tie) – 9.9250
 
Floor:
Brown: Third Place (tie) – 9.9500
Hutchinson: Third Place (tie) – 9.9500
 
NEXT UP:
The University of Denver gymnastics team will await results from the second semifinal session to determine final individual standings. The NCAA National Semifinal Session II is set for 8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. MT.

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