WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – University of Denver gymnast Shyla Bhatia was named the 2026 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year, the conference announced on Saturday evening.
 
The DU freshman was recognized as the Big 12 Conference's top newcomer during the post-meet awards ceremony at Saturday's Big 12 Gymnastics Championship.
 
In her first collegiate season, Bhatia competed on vault, bars and floor in every meet, including during Saturday's meet, and added an all-around appearance in January. She owns NQSs above 9.800 on three events, led by her 9.890 on floor that is tied for the sixth highest in the Big 12. Her 9.860 NQS on vault is also the Big 12's sixth highest mark. Together, her conference rankings on vault and floor earned her All-Big 12 Conference Team honors on vault and floor, making her the first Denver freshman to earn multiple spots on the full All-Big 12 Team. She was also recognized as one of six members of the All-Freshman Team, becoming the first DU gymnast to do so.
 
Bhatia is now the third Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in Denver program history, joining Lynnzee Brown (2018) and Madison Ulrich (2024).
 
The Big 12 Conference "of the year" awards, including the Newcomer of the Year, are determined by a head coaches' vote in which the coaches cannot vote for student-athletes from their own teams.

During Saturday's Big 12 Gymnastics Championship, Denver placed second overall with a 196.575.
 
The University of Denver gymnastics team has mathematically secured a spot at NCAA Regionals and will learn to which of the four campus sites it has been assigned during the NCAA Gymnastics Championship Selection Show on Monday, March 23, at 10 a.m. MT, which will be televised live on ESPNU.