Senior day at Magness Arena brought a packed house as the No. 21 Denver hosted the No. 12 Utah on March 1. The energy inside the arena reflected both the stakes of the matchup and the celebration of Denver’s four seniors.
Denver opened on vault with confidence. Junior Amanda Hargraves set the tone with a stuck landing for a 9.975, sparking an immediate celebration from her teammates.
Senior Mila Brusch followed with power down the runway and a controlled landing, earning a 9.900 and second place on the event. Utah answered with a 9.950 from Avery Neff to close the rotation and take the lead 49.325 to Denver’s 49.175.
On bars, the Crimson and Gold exhibited resilience and unity. After a fall midway through her routine, freshman Sevana Kasparian regrouped and finished strong with a stuck dismount.
Senior Kiley Rorich delivered a clean and polished routine highlighted by a stuck double back layout for a 9.850. Senior Cecilia Cooley added a poised and powerful routine, sticking her landing for a 9.925 and second place on the event.
Utah matched DU’s momentum with a 9.925 on vault from Makenna Smith. Utah maintained a narrow lead 98.475 to 98.325 at the halfway mark. The competition remained tight heading into the third rotation.
Freshman Terra Rutter led off the beam with a solid routine, fighting through a slight wobble and sticking her landing to cheers and high fives. Denver’s camaraderie was visible throughout the beam rotation.
Hargraves delivered a steady performance for a 9.725, with head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rineheart closely following her routine and embracing her in a hug afterwards. Junior Ashley Gallen performed with precision as her teammates stood arm-in-arm in support, also scoring a 9.725.
Freshman Megan Aamold rounded off the beam rotation with a confident routine, sticking to her skills and smiling brightly after her dismount. Aamold earned a 9.850 and third place on the event. Utah extended its lead 147.925 to Denver’s 146.975 heading into the fourth and final rotation.
Floor brought the most unforgettable moment of the meet. Just seconds into Rorich’s routine, her music cut out.
Without hesitation, she continued to perform in silence as the crowd clapped throughout her routine to carry her through each tumbling pass. When she stuck her final skill, the arena erupted, and Rorich, overcome with emotion, embraced student assistant coach Ava Mabanta and assistant coach Mary Rice.
Rorich earned a 9.900 for her perseverance. Junior Maddison Reidenbach matched that score with a captivating and high energy routine.
Cooley closed out her day with a 9.725 after rebounding from a minor step out to sticking her final pass. Utah sealed the meet with another 9.950 from Neff on beam, securing the 197.200–196.100 victory.
Following the meet, Denver honored its seniors Brusch, Cooley, Mabanta and Rorich, as their families joined them on the floor. Though the results favored Utah, DU’s resilience and heart defined a memorable senior day.
The Crimson and Gold will compete at Air Force for a tri-meet with San Jose State in their next meet on March 6.
