Denver gymnastics ends their historic run at National Semifinals. No new records set; no return to the Final Four. In a meet where all they needed to do was be average, they counted a fall on beam, ending with a season-low score of 196.5.
Semifinal 1 Results:
- LSU 197.475
- Florida 197.4
- California 196.9125
- Denver 196.5
None of these teams had a good meet Thursday afternoon. LSU finished nearly four-tenths below their NQS. Florida had their lowest scoring meet since January 20. They are a team who has topped 198 four times this season. California, which has been consistently strong on bars, had to count a fall.
Denver finished their Regional Final four-tenths above the winner of today’s National Semifinal.
Unlike at Regional finals when Denver turned it on in the second half, the team fizzled out at Nationals. Stuck landings don’t matter when two gymnasts fall off the beam.
Also, the loss of all-arounder, Rylie Mundell impacted the team’s potential at Nationals. There had been many minor injuries and roster changes for DU this season, so they never solidified consistent lineups heading into Nationals.
Even with this sad ending, the team has A LOT to be proud of this year. No one can take away the high highs and the records that this team and these gymnasts achieved.
The name Lynnzee Brown will be on the DU record walls likely forever. She is a once-in-a-generation powerhouse, and all-around wonderful person.
Graduate student Alexandria Ruiz will also be ending her run this year. She has been a consistent and solid competitor in the lineup for five years. I nicknamed her “Pep Talk Teammate” because she can always, always be spotted with every competitor before they go, giving calming advice and assurance. Her positive energy and smile will be missed.
Lynnzee and Alexandria were the last two gymnasts who were on the 2019 National team that finished 4th.
Looking to next year, DU has a strong junior class that will continue to lead the team. All of the juniors made regular appearances in lineups and were huge parts in setting all of the DU records set this year. Yes, we’re losing two graduate students and two seniors, but the five juniors now have experience on the National stage. Hopefully, they come back next year hungry!
Jill, thanks for doing such a great job covering DU Women’s Gymnastics this season. I, like others, learned a lot more about the sport reading your articles. Thanks!
What can you say but ouch…
Watching that was a lot like DU Hockey this year — a great DU season with a terrible, wretched, awful ending.
Follow college sports long enough, and you’ll see many Pio sports endings like this, and the big consolation you take from it that at least DU was in the arena in the first place. A lot of big, Power 5 school gymnastics teams were watching it on TV, like the rest of us.
Iwai and Mabanta fell off the beam when the advancement was there for the taking, and it was all over. I’m sure they both feel awful now, but there will be future chances for redemption for both of them. Let’s hope this performance fuels their future resolve….
We’ll really miss Lynzee Brown. I’ve seen a lot of athletes at DU in or the last 4-5 decades in about 20 different sports, and Brown is in the top 5 of all of them, especially when you consider the injuries she had to deal with in her career.
Anyway, there are no moral victories in D-I sports. Yes, the Pios gave all they had, and they lost. That’s sports, and the losses are what make the victories so great…
Dunker thanks Jill for her coverage this season. She was a great professor. Still a great season Jill, so cheer up. Isn’t Hutchinson returning next year? If so, she should be a pre-season all-american
Jill, good stuff this year, thank you! Time to tune into DU women’s lacrosse, I guess.