Sunday, January 14
Denver, Colo.
1:45 p.m. MT
University of Denver
vs
Arizona State
Photo by: Brittany Evans
No. 6 DU Gymnastics Hosts Arizona State in Home Opener
1/12/2024 2:44:00 PM | Gymnastics
Denver welcomes future Big 12 Conference opponent to Magness Arena on Sunday
WHO: No. 6 Denver vs. Arizona State
WHAT: DU's first home meet of 2024
WHERE: Magness Arena (Denver, Colorado)
WHEN: Sunday, January 14, at 1:45 p.m. MT
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver began its 2024 campaign at the Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships in Las Vegas on January 5, winning its session with a 196.850 that would finish tied for the third-highest score of the 16-team, four-session meet. It also became Denver's third-highest score in a season opener and a new program record for top score in a season opener that was held on the road. Additionally, the team set new season-opening program records on vault (49.250) and bars (49.350).
DU swept the event titles in its session with senior Jessica Hutchinson winning the all-around, bars and floor titles outright and sharing the vault win with freshman Madison Ulrich. Senior Bella Mabanta captured the beam title.
EYE ON THE RANKINGS:
DU debuted in a tie for No. 6 in the first national rankings of the season, marking the eighth-consecutive season that Denver has been in the top 10 nationally following its first meet of the year. It also tied the third-highest ranking in program history following a season opener.
Denver is ranked inside the top 15 on all four events including in the top 10 on beam (No. 5), vault (No. 8) and bars (tied for No. 8).
Four Denver gymnasts hold national rankings, led by Hutchinson at No. 8 in the all-around. Ulrich also sits in the all-around rankings in a tie for No. 21 and joins Hutchinson in a tie for No. 9 on vault. Mabanta is nationally ranked for the first time, tying for No. 6 this week. Hutchinson and fellow senior Rylie Mundell are tied for No. 13 and tied for No. 21 on bars, respectively.
QUICK HITS:
Arizona State began its season at home against Central Michigan on Monday, January 8, and won the meet with a 195.725, earning event wins from Hannah Scharf on vault and floor, Anaya Smith on vault and Sarah Clark on beam.
Because ASU's season opener came after Week 1 had already concluded, the Sun Devils do not appear in the Road to Nationals rankings yet. They held the No. 21 spot in the WCGA Preseason Coaches' Poll and ended last year ranked No. 15.
ASU leads the head-to-head against Denver, 9-13, but DU has won the last seven meetings and nine of the last 11. They last competed against each other in the 2020 opener at the Collegiate Challenge in Anaheim, California, where Denver finished in first (196.700) and Arizona State was second (194.675). The Sun Devils last competed in Denver on March 10, 2019, in a 197.675-194.825 win for DU.
View DU's complete history against Arizona State.
WHAT'S NEXT:
No. 6 Denver welcomes three of the biggest names in collegiate women's gymnastics on Sunday, January 21, in two-time reigning NCAA National Champion Oklahoma, seven-time NCAA Champion UCLA and seven-time Super Six qualifier Stanford. The meet is set for 1:45 p.m. MT in Magness Arena.
TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2024 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.
Denver's Home for College Sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Gymnastics on Facebook.
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Gymnastics on Twitter.
Follow @DenverPioneers and @Denver_Gymnastics on Instagram.
WHAT: DU's first home meet of 2024
WHERE: Magness Arena (Denver, Colorado)
WHEN: Sunday, January 14, at 1:45 p.m. MT
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver began its 2024 campaign at the Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships in Las Vegas on January 5, winning its session with a 196.850 that would finish tied for the third-highest score of the 16-team, four-session meet. It also became Denver's third-highest score in a season opener and a new program record for top score in a season opener that was held on the road. Additionally, the team set new season-opening program records on vault (49.250) and bars (49.350).
DU swept the event titles in its session with senior Jessica Hutchinson winning the all-around, bars and floor titles outright and sharing the vault win with freshman Madison Ulrich. Senior Bella Mabanta captured the beam title.
EYE ON THE RANKINGS:
DU debuted in a tie for No. 6 in the first national rankings of the season, marking the eighth-consecutive season that Denver has been in the top 10 nationally following its first meet of the year. It also tied the third-highest ranking in program history following a season opener.
Denver is ranked inside the top 15 on all four events including in the top 10 on beam (No. 5), vault (No. 8) and bars (tied for No. 8).
Four Denver gymnasts hold national rankings, led by Hutchinson at No. 8 in the all-around. Ulrich also sits in the all-around rankings in a tie for No. 21 and joins Hutchinson in a tie for No. 9 on vault. Mabanta is nationally ranked for the first time, tying for No. 6 this week. Hutchinson and fellow senior Rylie Mundell are tied for No. 13 and tied for No. 21 on bars, respectively.
QUICK HITS:
- Ulrich was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week following her collegiate debut at the Super 16 where she posted the third-highest all-around score by a Denver freshman in her first collegiate meet (39.325).
- Joining Ulrich in making her collegiate debut was fellow freshman Maddison Reidenbach, who did so on floor. She also competed in exhibition on vault and beam.
- Sophomore Kiley Rorich made her first appearance on an event other than bars when she led off DU's floor lineup on January 5.
- Senior Rosie Casali also made her collegiate debut on beam, putting her in the all-around for the first time in her career as well.
- Denver welcomed back junior Mia Hebinck on bars last week after she missed the entire 2023 season with an injury. She owns a career high of 9.950 on bars and tallied a 9.850 in her first post-injury routine.
Arizona State began its season at home against Central Michigan on Monday, January 8, and won the meet with a 195.725, earning event wins from Hannah Scharf on vault and floor, Anaya Smith on vault and Sarah Clark on beam.
Because ASU's season opener came after Week 1 had already concluded, the Sun Devils do not appear in the Road to Nationals rankings yet. They held the No. 21 spot in the WCGA Preseason Coaches' Poll and ended last year ranked No. 15.
ASU leads the head-to-head against Denver, 9-13, but DU has won the last seven meetings and nine of the last 11. They last competed against each other in the 2020 opener at the Collegiate Challenge in Anaheim, California, where Denver finished in first (196.700) and Arizona State was second (194.675). The Sun Devils last competed in Denver on March 10, 2019, in a 197.675-194.825 win for DU.
View DU's complete history against Arizona State.
WHAT'S NEXT:
No. 6 Denver welcomes three of the biggest names in collegiate women's gymnastics on Sunday, January 21, in two-time reigning NCAA National Champion Oklahoma, seven-time NCAA Champion UCLA and seven-time Super Six qualifier Stanford. The meet is set for 1:45 p.m. MT in Magness Arena.
TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2024 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.
Denver's Home for College Sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Gymnastics on Facebook.
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Gymnastics on Twitter.
Follow @DenverPioneers and @Denver_Gymnastics on Instagram.
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