WHO: Shyla Bhatia at NCAA Nationals
WHAT: DU freshman to compete as individual vault qualifier in national semifinal II
WHERE: Dickies Arena (Fort Worth, Texas)
WHEN: Thursday, April 16, at 8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. MT
 
HOW TO WATCH:
Thursday's semifinals will be televised live on ESPN2.
 
ESPN will also provide multiple live streams to follow specific teams/gymnasts during the competition:
ESPN2/ESPN+ Feed
Oklahoma/Minnesota Feed (featuring Denver's Shyla Bhatia)
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver advanced to NCAA Regionals for a 27^th consecutive time and earned a bye into the NCAA Second Round at the Corvallis Regional. DU competed in the first of two second-round sessions on April 3 and finished fourth in its session and seventh overall with a 195.950.
 
Among the highlights of the meet was Bhatia's stuck Yurchenko one-and-half on vault in the third rotation. Her 9.900 tied her atop the first-session standings and ultimately tied her for third overall when the two session results were combined.
 
Bhatia won a three-way tiebreak to secure the region's NCAA Nationals berth on the event. After a tie remained following the first tiebreak procedure (average of all four judges' scores), Bhatia stood along after winning the second tiebreak (highest chief judge's score).
 
QUICK HITS:

• Denver has now had at least one gymnast qualify for the NCAA National Championships in 25 of the last 26 seasons in which the tournament has been held (excluding the 2020 canceled postseason).
• Bhatia is the 22^nd different Denver gymnast to qualify to NCAA Nationals as an individual.
  • She is the third DU gymnast to advance as an individual vault specialist, joining Rosie Casali (2025) and Casey Dobyns (2004, 2006).
  • She is also the fifth Denver gymnast to qualify individually as a freshman and the first since Lynnzee Brown in 2018.
• Bhatia will compete for the national title on vault, as well as WCGA All-America honors on the event.
  • Denver has two individual NCAA national titles: Lynnzee Brown (2019, floor) and Nina McGee (2016, floor).
  • Bhatia will look to become the ninth individual qualifier from Denver to earn postseason All-America honors from the WCGA.
  • Five Denver gymnasts have earned WCGA Postseason All-America recognition on vault, most recently Lynnzee Brown in 2023, who finished as a national co-runner-up on the event.

NCAA NATIONALS FORMAT:
The NCAA National Championships begin with two semifinal sessions on Thursday, April 16. Bhatia will compete in National Semifinal II at 8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. MT and will rotate with the University of Minnesota. She will compete in the third rotation, doing so after Minnesota has completed its vault lineup.
 
All individual national titles are awarded based on combined results from both of Thursday's semifinal sessions. An awards ceremony recognizing the top eight finishers – including the NCAA champions – on each event and in the all-around will be held following the completion of the second semifinal.
 
WCGA postseason All-America honorees are also determined based on Thursday's semifinals. The top eight finishers within each semifinal, including ties, will earn the awards as given by the coaches' association.
 
SCOUTING THE FIELD:
Bhatia will compete against some of the biggest names in the sport for national titles and All-American honors.
 
The Denver freshman – who is tied for No. 64 nationally on vault – is one of four individual event qualifiers on vault, joining Sage Kellerman from Michigan State (tied for No. 5 nationally), Cameron Smith from Ohio State (tied for No. 91) and Gwen Fink from North Carolina (tied for No. 81).
 
The top three vaulters in the country (No. 1 Kailin Chio from LSU, No. 2 Addison Fatta from Oklahoma and No. 3 Jordan Chiles from UCLA) are all in the field with Fatta and Chiles competing in the second semifinal alongside Bhatia.