The Big 12 has crowned a new gymnastics champion, the University of Utah.  Arizona took second place. Denver finished third. This was not the finish I would have predicted back in January, but isn’t all that surprising with how the season has gone.

Final Scores:

1. Utah, 197.775
2. Arizona, 196.675
3. Denver, 196.400
4. BYU, 196.275
5. Arizona State, 195.975
6. Iowa State, 195.775
7. West Virginia, 194.875

Denver competed in Session 2 of the Big 12 Championship which was the top 4 teams based on regular season NQS. With all of the conference changes, the Oklahoma Sooners out, and Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State joining the conference, this is a very different Big 12 than we’ve ever seen.  This is the first time that the Big 12 championships had a two-session format. BYU had the lead after the first session. Going in, Denver was the second seed.

The meet was held at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. So officially it was a neutral site. The Maverik Center is primarily a hockey arena, so DU gymnasts should have felt right at home competing on a surface on top of the ice with fans behind hockey boards covered in black fabric. But unlike at Magness, this competition was on podium, where every apparatus was on an elevated stage, which makes landings on every event a little more wobbly or bouncy than athletes are used to. The podium is essentially flooring on raised scaffolding with gymnastics equipment on top. It’s not a sturdy landing surface, and also makes every skill gymnasts compete an extra three feet or so above the arena floor.

Session 2 was head-to-head competition between #4 Utah, #18 Denver, #21 Arizona, and #24 Arizona State. In the regular season, Denver recorded losses at Utah and at Arizona. Going in, Utah had an NQS of nearly a point higher than Denver, so they were heavily favored to win the Big 12. And win they did, by over a point. But for a second time this season, the Pioneers were beat by the Wildcats in addition to the Red Rocks.

This is the lowest finish Denver Gymnastics has had in the Big 12 conference championships since becoming an affiliate member in 2016.

Grace McCallum was the Big 12 All around winner, with a 39.55. The former Olympian also took home part of the four-way vault title. A title shared by DU’s Bella Mabanta and Mila Brush as well as Utah’s Ashley Glynn. Utah took home at least part of every event title in addition to the team win. Vault was the only event that Denver had any share of event titles.

In the first rotation Utah was not perfect on vault, with many steps on landings, and even a fall from their anchor, Zoe Johnson. But the Utes were still able to start with the lead and keep it the entire night. Arizona on beam was strong, but also not perfect. They had small bobbles and steps on landings but came out of the first rotation only 0.15 behind Utah. The podium strikes all teams equally.

Denver started the meet on bars. From the start there were issues. Lead off Rosie Casali didn’t hit her last handstand, and had a hop and step on her landing. Then Madison Ulrich was too high and lacked rotation in her Pak. She barely caught the low bar and tapped her feet on the mat after the catch. Kiley Rorich and Cecilia Cooley were both good on bars, but neither could hit 9.9s. Mia Hebinck barely got any height on her Pak and had to do two glide kips to stay on the bars. Rylie Mundell was solid on bars, as she has been all season, and hit with a 9.85. In the first rotation, Denver only put up two scores above 9.8, resulting in a team score of 48.9 for a season low on bars.

Arizona State started the meet in 4^th place and stayed there the whole night. They put up an overall team score that was four tenths below their NQS.

In the second rotation, Utah’s lead off Makenna Smith started bars with a 9.925, already 0.075 higher than any DU gymnast. Avery Neff had a stunning full-twisting double layout dismount with a step, but this skill is very rare to see in the NCAA. Utah’s second Olympian, British gymnast Amelie Morgan, also displayed unique skills and impressive gymnastics for Utah. The Ute’s anchor on bars was Grace McCallum who came into conference championships with a NQS of 9.955, put up huge skills, but had a dismount landing with a couple uncharacteristic steps for a 9.825. Arizona on floor was good, but again not perfect. They had five routines of 9.8 or better; enough to stay in second place and pull further ahead of Denver at the halfway point.

Denver’s Cecilia Cooley started strong on beam with just a small hop on her dismount for a 9.85. Ashley Gallen had a large bobble on her acro series and another bobble on her full turn, but a stuck dismount. Momo Iwai had a solid performance and a 9.9. Bella Mabanta had a small bobble on her switch leap half, which has given her trouble all season. She had another small check on her acro series and a hop on her gainer full dismount. At that point, ESPN just stopped showing Denver’s routines in favor of Utah and Arizona. Denver’s beam score was above its bars score, but a 49.125, was not good enough to pass Arizona.

The third rotation was more of the same. Utah had three gymnasts score higher than 9.9 on beam, stealing the lead on that event from Denver’s Momo Iwai. Utah had a fall dropped on beam, and five counted scores above 9.875, to keep the lead heading into the last rotation.

DU’s fan presence was heard on the broadcast, with their “Let’s Go DU!” cheers in every routine. ESPN showed lead-off Kiley Rorich’s routine for a 9.825.  Then only the music and DU cheers were heard for Mila Brush and Maddison Reidenbach’s routines while the broadcast showed beam and vault. The final three routines were aired, and all were strong. Judges only awarded Madison Ulrich a 9.75 in the anchor position, putting DU at 49.15 team floor score. Denver stayed ahead of ASU, but was unable to move closer to Arizona. Arizona State struggled with handstands on bars and stayed in 4^th place.

In the fourth rotation, Denver’s Mila Brusch led off on vault with a stuck Yurchenko full, which was enough for a share of the vault title. Second up for DU was Bella Mabanta, who matched Brusch’s 9.9 for the four way tie on the vault. Utah had all six scores on floor of 9.85 or higher and cemented their first Big 12 Championship. Arizona ended strong on bars with a 49.275 which kept them in 2^nd place.

So this was not the conference final Denver had hoped for. The Pioneers finished with a score above their season average, but below their NQS. It wasn’t terrible, and there were flashes of greatness, but it’s not what Denver fans have grown accustomed to from this program. Given the experience of the athletes on this team, it’s certainly not what they hoped for either.

Now that the conference championships are over, it’s NCAA tournament time. Denver will head back to Utah for regional competition April 3^rd. With all of the ups and downs this season, perhaps the next outing will be a new high to propel Denver to finals.

Photo Courtesy of @Denver_Gymnastics