BERKELEY, Calif. – The No. 6-ranked University of Denver women's gymnastics team fought back from fourth-place standing in first rotation to win the first session of the NCAA Regional Second Round on Friday.
 
After training by more than five tenths following the first rotation, DU rose to third place after the second rotation and was .125 from first place after beam in the third rotation.
 
By way of Denver's first-place finish in the session, DU has advanced to Sunday's NCAA Regional Final where two team berths to the NCAA National Championships will be on the line.
 
Joining DU in the NCAA Regional Final will be unseeded Arizona State, which finished in second with a 197.150. No. 11-seeded UCLA placed third (197.050), and Washington was fourth (196.650).
 
COACH'S NOTES:
From Joy S. Burns Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart: "I'm so incredibly proud of our team and the fight they had after an uncharacteristic start. They showed tremendous grit and resiliency. I'm proud of how the beam lineup progressed as the momentum started to shift.
 
"It was an incredibly competitive meet. You can't take anything for granted at these meets. It was an opportunity for our team to show our mental toughness, and I'm proud of how they did just that. Today was a confidence booster. We weren't at our peak, and Sunday will be a great opportunity for us to improve."
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS

• DU's 197.275 ties the fourth-highest score in program history at NCAA Regionals and the sixth-highest postseason score.
• Denver's 49.575 became the program's second-highest NCAA Regionals score on the event and its third-highest postseason floor score ever.
• On beam, DU's 49.425 matched the program's third-highest score on the event at an NCAA Regional competition and its seventh-highest beam score at a postseason meet.
• Senior Jessica Hutchinson 's 9.950s on beam and floor, and senior Bella Mabanta 's 9.950 on beam all tied for the second-highest scores by a Denver gymnast on those respective events in NCAA Regional competition.
  • The dual finished the session tied atop the individual standings on those events as well – with final individual results to be determined following the second session on Friday evening.
• Senior Rylie Mundell was also tied atop the bars standings after session I with a 9.900.

VAULT RECAP
DU started the day with a 49.025 on vault, led by a near-stuck Yurchenko full from sophomore Mila Brusch. Freshman Amanda Hargraves followed with a hit Yurchenko full of her own for a 9.800 while fellow freshman Madison Ulrich followed with a 9.825 for the first of four 10.0 start values for DU. Senior Rosie Casali returned to the lineup after two meets away and overpowered her Yurchenko 1.5, and classmates Rylie Mundell and Jessica Hutchinson added two more hits for Denver with matching 9.775s.
 
BARS RECAP
Denver began its fight back on bars, led by Mundell's 9.900 in the anchor spot to move DU up to third place overall. All six of Denver's bars scores were in at least the 9.800 range, beginning with consecutive 9.850s from Casali, sophomore Kiley Rorich and Ulrich in the first half the lineup. Junior Mia Hebinck showed off her strong handstands on her way to a 9.800, which Hutchinson matched in the next routine.
 
BEAM RECAP
The beam squad continued to build momentum for Denver, using three scores of 9.925+ to propel the team to a 49.425 and within striking distance of a spot in the NCAA Regional Final. Junior Momoko Iwai led off with a solid 9.825, and senior Abbie Thompson hit her set for what would be Denver's final counted score of a 9.775 after a large step on her dismount. For the second meet in a row, Hebinck delivered a spectacular beam routine and equaled her career-high 9.925 set at the Big 12 Championship. Seniors Bella Mabanta and Hutchinson closed out the rotation with consecutive 9.950s, matching the highest score of the session on any event for any team.
 
FLOOR RECAP
Denver sealed the comeback with a lights-out floor rotation, posting five counted scores in the 9.9+ range. DU's first three gymnasts scored matching 9.900s, beginning with Rorich, whose matched her career best. Iwai and Casali added their own 9.900s before Mabanta earned a 9.925 in the No. 4 spot, equaling her best floor score of the year. Hutchinson secured the win with a 9.950 in the anchor position – her third 9.950+ score in a row and all at away meets.

PODIUM FINISHES (sessions I and II combined)
Beam
Hutchinson: First Place (tie) – 9.950 
Mabanta: First Place (tie) – 9.950

Floor
Hutchinson: First Place (tie) – 9.950
 
NEXT UP:
Denver will compete in the NCAA Regional Final on Sunday, April 7, at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m MT where it will seek a return trip to the NCAA National Championships.
 
TICKETS:
Season ticket deposits for the 2025 University of Denver gymnastics season are now on available and can be purchased online, by calling 303-871-4625 or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.

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