DENVER – The No. 10-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team captured the second 198 score in program history on Sunday with a 198.000 against Towson (195.600) in Magness Arena.
 
It became the second-highest team tally in Denver history and just .150 off the all-time record, also set against Towson on March 5, 2023.
 
Helping DU to its 198.000 was a program-best 49.750 on bars, as well as a new season high on beam (49.425) and a matched season high on floor (49.475).
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From Joy S. Burns Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "I'm so proud of the overall the strength of the performance. It was such a strong confidence booster. We put together all four events, and this what were capable of. Their gymnastics looked strong, effortless and powerful, and they did the best job they've done all season carrying momentum from event to event and being in the moment.
 
"This meet felt like how the week went in practice. They worked incredibly hard, and the level of discipline and focus in practice really paid off in terms of confidence coming into the meet."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS

• Denver's 49.750 on bars is the second 49.7+ event score in school history, joining the team's 49.825 on floor on March 5, 2023.
• Senior Jessica Hutchinson continued her winning streak on floor, collecting her fifth-consecutive title on the event to begin the season.
  • She also won her fourth all-around title through the first five meets of 2024.
  • Adding her ties atop the bars and beam podiums, she now owns 42 career titles, moving her into the top 10 in Denver history.
• Six DU gymnasts set or tied at least one career high in the meet including Hutchinson, junior Mia Hebinck and sophomore Kiley Rorich with 9.975s on bars, and senior Rosie Casali in the all-around (39.325).
• DU scored at least a 9.800 in 22 of its 24 routines, tied for the third-most in program history.
• For the first time, DU eclipsed the 99+ mark through the first two rotations with a 99.100 midway through the meet. DU's 148.525 through the first three rotations was also a program record by .150.

VAULT RECAP
Denver started the meet with its second-best vault rotation of the season, scoring a 49.350 off six scores above 9.800 and all five counted scores at or above 9.850. Sophomore Mila Brusch set the tone with a 9.850, just a quarter tenth off her career best, while freshman Maddison Reidenbach followed with a 9.825 that was an improvement of .025 off her collegiate debut on the event last week. Fellow freshman Madison Ulrich had DU's first 10.0 start value with her front handspring front pike half, scoring a 9.875 that, too, was .025 from her personal best. Seniors Rylie Mundell, Casali and Hutchinson each hit their Yurchenko 1.5s, Mundel notching the best score of the entire meet with a 9.900.
 
BARS RECAP
Denver's best-ever bars rotation featured six scores above 9.800, five of which were higher than 9.900. Casali continued as the leadoff performer and scored 9.825 to start things off. Ulrich added a 9.900 two routines later, matching her best score yet that she first earned in the team's last meet. Mundell anchored the rotation with a 9.925, her second-highest score of the season and her fourth score in the 9.9 range this year. DU's remaining three bars workers all posted near-perfect 9.975s, beginning with WCGA Postseason All-American on the event in Rorich. Hutchinson, too, scored a 9.975, a quarter tenth above her previous career high. In one of the standout moments of the entire meet, Hebinck added her own 9.975, also an improvement of .025 from her previous best, set her freshman season and before missing the entire 2023 season with an injury.
 
BEAM RECAP
DU continued to build momentum in the third rotation and got their beam lineup back on track with a 49.475 using five counted scores above 9.800. Mundell and Hutchinson capped the rotation with matching 9.925s, following up 9.875s from Ulrich – which equaled her career high – and junior Momoko Iwai – which was a new season's best. For the second meet in a row, senior Abbie Thompson took over the role as beam leadoff with her second-highest score of the season in a 9.825.
 
FLOOR RECAP
The floor squad sealed a 198.000 on the day, pulling together for a 49.475 to match the team's best score of the season on the event. Mundell competed on the event for the second time this season, improving over her debut by a quarter tenth with a 9.850. Rorich and Iwai added 9.875s in the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, the junior missing her career high by just .025. Casali had the first 9.9+ score of the rotation with a season-best 9.925, helping to set up Hutchinson for her third-consecutive 9.950 in the anchor slot. Ulrich rounded out the lineup but overpowered her open double tuck and bounced out of bounds.
 
EXHIBITION NOTES
Denver returned to having an exhibition on all four events after competing without one on vault on January 26. Freshman Amanda Hargraves took the spot on vault, her second time doing so this season and scoring a 9.725. Iwai once again went on bars with her best exhibition score so far, a 9.850. On beam, DU competed with two exhibitions including Hebinck, who had not competed on the event in any capacity since the Crimson & Gold Intrasquad her freshman season. Reidenbach took the second exhibition slot with a 9.600. The team's exhibitions concluded with Brusch on floor, marking the sophomore's return to the event as part of her comeback from an injury late in the 2023 season. She scored a 9.600 after an out-of-bounds deduction.
 
PODIUM FINISHES
Vault
Mundell: First Place – 9.900
Casali: Second Place (tie) – 9.875
Ulrich: Second Place (tie) – 9.875
 
Bars
Hebinck: First Place (tie) – 9.975
Hutchinson: First Place (tie) – 9.975
Rorich: First Place (tie) – 9.975
 
Beam
Hutchinson: First Place (tie) – 9.925
Mundell: First Place (tie) – 9.925
Iwai: Third Place (tie) – 9.875
Ulrich: Third Place (tie) – 9.875
 
Floor
Hutchinson: First Place – 9.950
Casali: Second Place – 9.925
Iwai: Third Place (tie) – 9.875
Rorich: Third Place (tie) – 9.875
 
All-Around
Hutchinson: First Place – 39.700
Mundell: Second Place – 39.600
Casali: Third Place – 39.325
 
NEXT UP:
Denver hosts its penultimate home meet of the season when it hosts Iowa State and SE Missouri State on Sunday, February 11, 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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