#16 Denver gymnastics lost on the road to #23 BYU on Friday evening 195.925 to 196.575. They will fall to second in the Big 12 standings. Although Denver has remained consistent on bars and floor over the last four meets, they had season lows on both beam and vault.

Going into Friday’s meet, Denver had a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 196.425. The lackluster results at BYU will drop them to 196.325. NQS is what college gymnastics uses to determine regional competition post-season assignments on the road to nationals. A one tenth drop in NQS could mean a drop of two spots in ranking. The top 36 teams at the end of the regular season will qualify to regional competition. So with Denver in the top 20, they will safely qualify. But they can’t afford to continue moving down in rankings.

Thus far this season, five teams have achieved the coveted 198+ score. Another 15 teams have scored in the 197s. Denver’s season high is 196.95. Including the Big 12 championships, Denver has five meets remaining to prove they belong in those upper echelons of gymnastics.

Denver’s next meet will be at home versus Utah on March 1. Utah remains the only Big 12 team with no conference losses. Utah has had 3 losses overall on the season to Denver’s one loss, but Utah’s NQS is 196.804. Utah’s three losses came from #1 Oklahoma, #2 LSU, and #5 UCLA. Denver hasn’t faced any challenges like those teams yet this year. They need to find consistency with confidence in their landings on all events and stay solid on the balance beam. Beating Utah is within the Pioneers’ reach and this might be a preview of regional competition later this season.

Photo courtesy DU Athletics