NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 12-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team wrapped up the month of January with a 197.150 at No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday.
 
Denver kept the competition tight through the first three rotations and finished just a quarter tenth off the team's season high set at home on January 21.
 
No. 1 OU posted a 197.775 in the final regular-season meeting between the teams as members of the Big 12 Conference.
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From Joy S. Burns Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "There were a lot of highlights and a lot of areas for continued to improvement, and I thought they showed adaptability when we needed to change lineup spots.
 
"They are an extremely hard-working team, and that hard work will continue to pay off. Our goal is to continue to be patient so that we're peaking at the right time."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS

• Senior Jessica Hutchinson finally set a new career high in the all-around with a 39.725 after hitting her previous personal best (39.625) five times in her career including in DU's last meet.
  • She finished with three scores of 9.950, which set a new career best on vault.
  • Her 39.725 is tied for the ninth-highest score in DU history and is tied for the third-highest road all-around score in program history.
  • She finished atop the all-around podium for the third time in the first four meets of the year.
• Freshman Madison Ulrich also set a new personal best in the all-around by .150 with her 39.550, earning her first 9.9+ on bars and adding a 9.925 on floor that became her best single-routine score so far.
• Senior Rylie Mundell made her first appearance of the season in the all-around after making her 2024 debut on floor while fellow senior Rosie Casali competed in the all-around for just the second time in her career.
• Freshman Maddison Reidenbach stepped into the vault lineup as a substitution following warmups, marking her first competitive lineup appearance on the event.
• Denver's 49.425 on vault tied the fifth-highest score in program history and is now also tied for the fourth-highest road score in program history.

BARS RECAP
DU opened up a .150 lead over OU following a 49.325 performance on bars in the first rotation with five counted scores above the 9.800 mark, highlighted by Ulrich's career-best 9.900 that tied for third overall. Hutchinson and Mundell posted matching 9.875 in the final two spots in the lineup, and junior Mia Hebinck continued her consistency on the event with a 9.850. The final counted score, a 9.825, came from sophomore Kiley Rorich in the second slot.
 
VAULT RECAP
The meet tightened up in the second rotation, though Denver remained within a quarter tenth of OU after a season-best 49.425 on vault. All six scores were at least 9.800s, and the lineup's three Yurchenko 1.5s all made it into the 9.900 range, highlighted by Hutchinson's personal-best 9.950 that was the best score of the meet by .050. Casali and Mundell both earned 9.900s for their Y1.5 and followed a 9.850 for Ulrich's front handspring front pike half. Sophomore Mila Brusch continued as the rotation leadoff competitor with a 9.825, and Reidenbach made her collegiate vault debut with a 9.800 for her powerful Yurchenko full.
 
FLOOR RECAP
Denver and Oklahoma remained within .025 of each other following the third rotation and Denver's second-consecutive 49.4+ floor rotation. Once again, all six scores were at or above 9.825 including season-best marks from Hutchinson (9.950) and Ulrich (9.925) in the Nos. 5 and 6 spots. Casali and junior Momoko Iwai each narrowly missed their best performances of the season with a 9.875 and 9.825, respectively, and Rorich kicked things off with a 9.850 in the leadoff. Mundell made her first floor appearance of the season with reworked tumbling and leaps from last year's routine and matched Iwai's 9.825.
 
BEAM RECAP
DU finished the meet with a substantially shuffled beam lineup, beginning with senior Abbie Thompson taking on the role of leadoff for the first time before Iwai, the season's previous leadoff competitor, moved to the No. 2 spot. Both gymnasts would scored 9.750s. Casali made the lineup for just the second time in her career while Mundell slotted into the No. 5 spot that was previously Thompson's. Ulrich went fourth for just the second time this season and equaled the best mark of her young career with a 9.875. The highlight of the rotation came from Hutchinson, who remained in her standard position as anchor and delivered a season-best 9.950.
 
EXHIBITION NOTES
Despite moving around lineups and being without senior Bella Mabanta on her three events, Denver still fielded exhibition performances on three of the four events. Iwai continued in the bars exhibition as she has all season with a 9.775. Reidenbach took the beam and floor slots this week, scoring 9.850 and 9.800, respectively.
 
PODIUM FINISHES
Vault
Hutchinson: First Place – 9.950
Casali: Second Place (tie) – 9.900
Mundell: Second Place (tie) – 9.900
 
Bars
Ulrich: Third Place (tie) – 9.900
 
Beam
Hutchinson: Second Place – 9.950
 
Floor
Hutchinson: First Place (tie) – 9.950
 
All-Around
Hutchinson: First Place – 39.725
Ulrich: Third Place – 39.550 
 
NEXT UP:
Denver returns home for the first of two home meets when it welcomes Towson to Magness Arena on Sunday, February 4, at 1:45 p.m. MT.
 
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. Season ticket renewals can be purchased by calling 303-871-4625.

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