PROVO, Utah – The No. 7-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team finished the month of February with a 196.900 win over host tie-No. 24 BYU (196.500) on Friday night.
 
DU was without senior Jessica Hutchinson, who rested on all four events after competing in the all-around in each of the first seven meets of the year. She was one of multiple Denver gymnasts to not compete on at least one of their regular events in the meet.
 
Despite notable adjustments to all four of its lineups, DU overcame an uncharacteristic fall in its very first routine to not only not count the fall in that rotation but to do so in the remaining three rotations as well.
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From Joy S. Burns Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "With having only one day of training this week and all of the shifts in the lineups, I'm proud of how they stepped up – including some people who had never been in lineups before.
 
"We're looking forward to starting to get back to full strength as we work into our postseason lineups and make the push into the final weeks of the regular season. We can't wait to get back home and celebrate our seniors on Sunday in Magness Arena."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS

• Freshman Madison Ulrich won the first all-around title of her career and, along with senior Rosie Casali, kept Denver's streak alive for winning the floor title in every meet so far this season.
• Denver welcomed newcomers to three of its four rotations:
  • Juniors Momoko Iwai and Mia Hebinck made their collegiate debuts on bars and beam, respectively, after only having competed in exhibitions on those events previously.
  • Sophomore Mila Brusch competed in the full floor lineup for the first time this year.
• Denver's floor squad matched its second-highest score of the season and set a new road high score with its 49.475, helped by career bests from Brusch, Ulrich and Maddison Reidenbach.
• Iwai also matched a personal best with a 9.950 on beam, winning her an event title for the second time in her career.

BARS RECAP
Denver showed its determination right from the start, answering a fall in its very first routine of the night with five consecutive hits. Sophomore Kiley Rorich got the rotation back on track in the No. 2 slot with a 9.850, and Ulrich kept it going with her meet-high-tying 9.900. Hebinck was just off her pace at a 9.875. Some stellar handstands from senior Rylie Mundell helped add a 9.825 to DU's rotation. In her first countable bars routine, Iwai anchored the lineup with a 9.775 to ensure the fall from the leadoff would not count.
 
VAULT RECAP
DU mixed up its vault lineup once again, welcoming back Mundell after a week off and seeing the senior stick her Yurchenko 1.5 to equal classmate senior Rosie Casali for a team-best 9.850. Denver's third 10.0 start value on the night netted a 9.825 from Ulrich. Brusch and Reidenbach bookended the rotation with matching 9.800s, and freshman Amanda Hargraves made her second-straight appearance in the lineup after making her collegiate debut last week.
 
FLOOR RECAP
The team's best performance of the night came on floor with a 49.475 in the third rotation. All six scores were at or above the 9.850 mark, starting with such a score from Rorich and Brusch in the first two routines – Brusch's matching her personal best. Iwai followed with a 9.875 that was only a quarter tenth from her career high, and Reidenbach continued to build the scores with her personal-best 9.900. Casali equaled her best floor score of the season with a 9.925, which Ulrich would also score in the anchor position.
 
BEAM RECAP
Denver ended its night on beam after changing two of its six competitors from its last meet. Senior Abbie Thompson continued in the leadoff and notched her second-best score of the season with a 9.825. Later in the rotation, senior Bella Mabanta would build on that with a 9.850 in just her second routine since an injury at the end of January. Iwai had the highlight of the rotation with a stunning 9.950 to match her career high and tie atop the final standings. Casali and Ulrich had the final two counted scores for Denver while Hebinck made her first appearance of her career in the lineup.
 
EXHIBITION NOTES
Despite the shuffled lineups, DU welcomed exhibition appearances on bars and beam with Thompson going on bars for the first time this season and Reidenbach filling in on beam once again.
 
PODIUM FINISHES
Vault
Casali: Second Place (tie) – 9.850
Mundell: Second Place (tie) – 9.850
 
Bars
Ulrich: First Place (tie) – 9.900
Hebinck: Third Place – 9.875
 
Beam
Iwai: First Place (tie) – 9.950
 
Floor
Casali: First Place (tie) – 9.925
Ulrich: First Place (tie) – 9.925
Reidenbach: Third Place (tie) – 9.900
 
All-Around
Ulrich: First Place – 39.325
Casali: Second Place – 38.825
 
NEXT UP:
Denver returns to Magness Arena for its final home meet of the season when it hosts San Jose State, Lindenwood and Air Force on Sunday, March 3, 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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