The No. 5 University of Denver Gymnastics team punched their ticket to the 2019 NCAA National Championships after winning their first-ever NCAA regional title on Apr. 4. Denver scored 197.375, the highest postseason for the program, as well as its ninth-best score overall.
DU topped No. 4 Florida (196.700), No. 15 Oregon State (196.900) and No.12 Boise State (196.075).
“I am incredibly proud of our team. They showed grit, resiliency, mental and physical toughness, and consistency in back-to-back days in the championship new format.” Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said following the meet. “They came out on floor with great energy and focus and joy, and then they stayed in the moment and blocked out the distractions. They took it one event at a time and one routine at a time, and they stayed completely focused on the process.”
DU started the meet on floor, scoring their third-highest score at an NCAA Regional meet. Junior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) and sophomore Lynzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) earned matching 9.900s, tying for second overall. Sophomore Mia Sundstrom (Boulder, Colo.) and senior Kaitlyn Schou (Orlando, Fla.) scored matching 9.850s, while freshman Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) scored a 9.800.
Denver moved on to vault, posting a team score of 49.200 with all five scores being higher than 9.800. Karr took second in the event with a score of 9.875, while Brown scored a 9.850. Schou tied her career best with a 9.850. Sundstrom and senior Diana Chesnok (Charlotte, N.C.) scored 9.825 and 9.800.
On the bars, the Pioneers scored the program’s highest score for the event at NCAA Regionals, tying their fifth-best score. Karr took the top spot in the even with a 9.950, followed by Brown with a 9.925. Ruiz set a new personal best with a 9.900, senior Claire Kern (Charlotte, N.C.) scored a 9.850 and Sundstrom scored a 9.825.
On the beam, Denver earned a 49.925, securing their victory. Schou took first in the event with a 9.950, followed by freshman Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) who scored a 9.925, finishing second overall. Sundstrom, Ruiz and Karr all had matching scores of 9.800. Brown scored a 9.800.
Karr tied for first in the all-around with a score of 39.575, while Brown took third with a 39.475. Sundstrom returned to the all-around and earned fourth with a score of 39.350.
“It’s incredibly rewarding. This has been a special team from the beginning. And we wouldn’t be in this position and accomplishing what we are without our tremendous alumni who helped build the foundation for this program and allowed us to keep building.” Kutcher-Rinehart commented after the meet. “We’re excited for nationals. We’ve trained for this for the whole year. This isn’t a surprise, but it’s still very exciting.”
DU will be making its fifth appearance at the NCAA Nationals, last appearing in 2017. At least one Denver gymnast has represented DU at the NCAA National Championships in each of the last 20 seasons.
The 2019 NCAA National Championships will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, Apr. 19-20. Denver will compete in Semifinal II on Friday, Apr. 19 at 5 p.m., MST. Denver will be joined by No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 8 Georgia and No. 15 Oregon State. The top two teams from the two semifinals will advance to the new “Four on the Floor” meet on Sunday, Apr. 20. The meet will be televised on ESPNU, switching over later to ESPN2.
