The Denver women’s gymnastics team competed and won their first meet of the 2026 season at Magness Arena against Stanford on Sunday.
Denver came into the meet ranked No. 16 while the Cardinals were No. 13.
The last match up between these two teams was in 2025, when No. 18 Denver upset No. 13 Stanford and tied with No. 4 Utah to advance to the Regional Finals.
The meet began with a high-intensity performance from junior Amanda Hargraves, starting Denver’s season with a 9.725 on vault. Following Hargraves’ routine, Stanford’s Levi Jung-Ruivivar answered with a strong 9.875 bars routine.
Freshman Shyla Bhatia, however, had other plans. With her eyes locked on the prize, Bhatia sprinted towards the vault and stuck the landing, earning a 9.925, and giving Denver a 0.075 lead, 49.125 to 49.050, after the first event.
As the meet continued, tensions were high, but senior Mila Brusch rose to the occasion on bars. She delivered an impressive performance, finishing the routine with a stuck landing and a confident salute to the judges which landed her a 9.850.
Senior Cecilia Cooley followed with the same confidence, but slipped off the bars midway through her routine. After regrouping, Cooley delivered a phenomenal second half performance and stuck her landing, scoring a solid 9.175 despite her mistake.
Heading into the third event, Denver held the lead by only .075 of a point, with a 98.125, and Stanford with a 98.050.
The Crimson and Gold began their beam rotation with freshman Terra Rutter, who delivered a nearly flawless routine. The pressure was no match for Rutter, as she stuck the landing and saluted the judges before rushing to her teammates for much deserved high-fives and hugs. Her performance received a 9.825.
Following Rutter’s performance, junior Maddison Reidenbach had every intention of keeping Denver in front. Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart could be seen following Reindenbach’s routine from the side, cheering after each skill. With control and poise throughout her routine, Reidenbach scored a crucial 9.800 for her team.
As the fourth and final rotation began, Stanford had pulled ahead by 0.175, leading 147.325 to Denver’s 147.150.
With margins this thin, Denver knew the pressure was on and that every skill mattered.
Junior Ashley Gallen was the first athlete to step out on the floor. Gallen’s performance was high-energy that ignited both her teammates and the crowd. After finishing her routine, Gallen ran to her team with a grin, earning a 9.825 to open the floor rotation.
Shortly after, Stanford’s Sienna Robinson scored an impressive 9.925 on beam, escalating the pressure and forcing Denver to stay locked in during their final routines.
The atmosphere inside Magness Arena buzzed with excitement as Cooley stepped onto the floor for her final performance of the afternoon. Despite the setback earlier on bars, Cooley looked focused and composed. She delivered a captivating routine finishing with a salute and smile to the judges and closing out Denver’s first meet with a well-deserved 9.975.
With Cooley’s strong performance, the team pulled ahead by a tenth of a point and secured the win against Stanford 196.575 to 196.475.
The victory marked a phenomenal start to the season for Denver, showcasing the team’s composure, talent and ability to deliver under pressure.
The DU gymnastics team will compete in Texas against Texas Women’s University and Arizona in their next meet on Jan. 16.
