For the first time since 2014, Denver gymnastics did not advance from regional semi-finals and they ended the season ranked 23rd. Denver freshman, Shyla Bhatia was the only Pioneer to advance to Nationals and she had a strong performance in Fort Worth for a 37th place finish on the vault.
DU placed fourth at the Corvalis, Oregon regionals with a 195.95 team score. Their final meet was over a point below their season high and nearly four tenths below their NQS. But in a season marked by inconsistencies, this was an expected end to the season.
The last time Denver gymnastics finished as low as 23rd was back in 2012, the year Pioneer legend Nina McGee was a redshirt freshman. Since then, Denver has had a string of record setting gymnasts, including the top four all-arounders in Pioneers history: Nina McGee, Maddie Karr, Lynnzee Brown, and Jessica Hutchinson. These four gymnasts also hold the records for the most 9.9 or higher scores in DU history. And these gymnasts were also part of the teams setting nine of the top 10 team scores in the Pioneers’ record books.
Not every year can be a record setting year, and Denver knew 2026 would be a year of rebuilding. But the team had the capability to hit the high scores, just couldn’t hit consistently or an all four events in any meets, and not at regionals when it counted.
So who will be Denver’s next record setter who propels us back to the national stage? In 2027, Denver will have three seniors who are all expected to return: Ashley Gallen, Amanda Hargraves, and Maddison Reidenbach. In 2026, these three combined for 84 scores of 9.8 or higher. There will be two juniors, Sophia Hampp and Addie Hewitt who combined for 12 scores of 9.8 or higher. And the sophomore class will be Megan Aamold, Shyla Bhatia, Sevana Kasparian, Kaitlynd Kastl, Terra Rutter, and Abby Steeley. As freshmen, this class had 62 scores of 9.8 or higher. None of these gymnasts has entered the transfer portal to date, nor has Denver made any announcements of bringing transfers in from other schools. The only pioneer who has announced a transfer this year is senior Cecilia Cooley, who had an injury red shirt season two years ago and has one year of eligibility left. Cooley has announced she will be attending grad school and competing for North Carolina in 2027.
Denver’s recruiting class of 2026 includes seven athletes, according to CollegeGymNews.com. Emerson Gaa, Michelle Lin, and Stefanie Gatin are four star recruits with huge potential to boost Denver’s ranking next year. Gaa’s career high scores indicate she could be in the running for All Around records at DU.
Looking to next year, statistically Denver can be back to sweet 16 rankings. But only if they gain consistency in performances and if the 2027 freshman class lives up to their potential. Denver avoided counting a fall at all but one meet in 2026, however at many meets there were one or more falls that had to be covered by other scores. That meant that Denver was counting more scores below 9.8 than the teams who finished above them. Hitting 24 for 24 routines consistently as a team is important in this league. Every returning athlete on DU’s roster has gotten competition experience at the collegiate level, so they know what it takes and how to hit their routines. They’ve just got to find ways to do it week after week, and peak at regionals to get back into the conversation in 2027.
Photos courtesy Gopher Athletics