DENVER – The University of Denver gymnastics team will enter the 2026 season ranked No. 16 nationally in the 2026 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association's Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released on Tuesday.
DU has now been ranked inside the top 16 in the national preseason rankings for 11 consecutive years.
Denver is the second highest ranked team from the Big 12 Conference, behind only No. 5 Utah. In total, four of the conference's seven teams are ranked in the top 25, and two more appear in the top 36 with the seventh member receiving votes.
On Denver's 2026 schedule are seven teams that appear in the preseason rankings, starting with No. 13 Stanford in the season opener on January 11. DU will also host No. 5 Utah and No. 18 Arizona while making trips to No. 17 Oregon State, No. 25 Arizona State, No. 30 BYU and No. 35 West Virginia. When including teams that received votes in the poll, all 10 of DU's 2026 regular-season opponents make appearances.
A season ago, DU ended with a No. 13 national ranking following a run to the NCAA Regional Final as an unseeded team with upset wins over then-No. 10 Minnesota and then-No. 13 Stanford. DU was within three tenths of earning a spot at the 2025 NCAA National Championships. Denver has finished inside the top 15 nationally for 11 years in a row.
Helping lead the 2026 Denver squad are Big 12 Preseason Team members
Mila Brusch,
Cecilia Cooley,
Maddison Reidenbach and
Kiley Rorich. DU also welcomes seven newcomers to the roster including the No. 9 ranked freshman class in the country, which features six star-rated gymnasts, according to College Gym News, led by five-star recruit
Shyla Bhatia.
The University of Denver gymnastics team begins its 2026 season when it hosts No. 13 Stanford on Sunday, January 11, at 1:45 p.m. MT in Magness Arena.
Fans can get their first look at the Denver team at the annual Crimson & Gold Intrasquad on Sunday, December 21, at 1:45 p.m. MT in Magness Arena. Admission is free.
2026 WCGA Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Oklahoma (1960 points) (39 first-place votes)
2. LSU (1859 points) (5 first-place votes)
3. Florida (1804 points) (4 first-place votes)
4. UCLA (1784 points)(4 first-place votes)
5. Utah (1751 points) (1 first-place vote)
6. Michigan State (1638 points)
7. Missouri (1589 points) (2 first-place votes)
8. Alabama (1518 points)
9. Kentucky (1434 points)
10. Arkansas (1433 points)
11. Auburn (1367 points)
12. Georgia (1332 points)
13. Stanford (1256 points)
14. Michigan (1200 points)
15. Minnesota (1199 points)
16. DENVER (1132 points)
17. Oregon State (1004 points)
18. Arizona (990 points)
19. Clemson (985 points)
20. California (880 points)
21. Ohio State (870 points)
22. Iowa (779 points)
23. NC State (739 points)
24. North Carolina (634 points)
25. Arizona State (627 points)
25. Penn State (627 points)
27. Nebraska (598 points)
28. Maryland (567 points)
29. Southern Utah (532 points)
30. BYU (443 points)
31. Illinois (429 points)
32. Boise State (354 points)
33. Utah State (248 points)
34. Washington (240 points)
35. West Virginia (145 points)
36. Rutgers (131 points)
TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2026 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.
