Battle on the Balance Beam: No. 12 Denver Faces Off Against No. 13 Michigan in 2025 Opener!

WHO: No. 12 Denver vs. No. 13 Michigan
WHAT: Denver’s 2025 season opener
WHERE: Magness Arena (Denver, Colorado)
WHEN: Sunday, January 5, at 2:45 p.m. MT
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Denver continued to establish new records during the 2024 season and reached the NCAA Regionals for the 25^th consecutive time. DU fought back from a fourth-place position after the initial rotation in the NCAA Regional Second Round held in Berkeley, California, to win the session and move forward to the NCAA Regional Final.
 
DU once more tested its determination during the NCAA Regional Final, managing to overcome falls that occurred early in its lineup across the first three events without counting them. The competition concluded with the ultimate routines, with Denver executing one of its most impressive postseason vault rotations in program history but falling just a tenth and a half short of qualifying for NCAA Nationals.
 
EYE ON THE RANKINGS:
Denver launches its 2025 season placed No. 12 in the WCGA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, marking the eighth consecutive year that DU has ranked within the top 13 at the start of the season.
 
In the concluding 2024 standings, Denver was positioned at No. 10, extending its streak of top-10 final national standings to five of the past six years and six out of the last eight. DU also finished in the top 10 across three events, highlighted by a No. 5 final ranking on bars.
 
Among returning athletes for the 2025 roster, two held individual standings at the conclusion of 2024: then-freshman Madison Ulrich at No. 22 in the all-around; and then-senior Rylie Mundell tied for No. 22 on bars.
 
QUICK HITS:

• Denver brings back 14 of the 15 athletes from last year’s lineup, retaining 20 of 24 routines from the team’s postseason performances.
  
• DU’s only newcomer is freshman Sophia Hampp from Leawood, Kansas, a three-time USAG DP Level 10 Nationals qualifier who trained at GAGE.
• This Sunday’s match will be streamed live on ESPN2, marking the first time a Denver regular-season home meet has been aired on a linear ESPN network.
  • DU also hosted the 2022 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship, broadcast live on ESPNU.
  • Previously, Denver competed in two regular-season meets that were aired on ESPN linear networks, but both occurred on the road at Oklahoma in 2020 and 2022.

• This will mark only the 15^th instance in 51 seasons that DU has participated during the opening week of a new year, and the second consecutive year after competing at the Super 16 Challenge in Las Vegas to commence 2024.
• Sunday will represent Denver’s inaugural “Crimson Out” meet. Fans are encouraged to don crimson attire while the team will feature a crimson leotard.

 
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES:
Michigan is positioned just one rank below Denver in the WCGA preseason standings at No. 13, finishing last season ranked No. 19. The Wolverines faced an upset in the 2024 NCAA Regional Second Round but advanced three gymnasts as individual qualifiers to the NCAA National Championships – including Carly Bauman, who is returning to the roster in 2025.
 
DU holds a historic record of 5-8-1 against Michigan but has triumphed in the last two encounters, including the first-ever victory at Michigan last season (197.750-197.550 on March 15). DU also emerged victorious the last time UM visited Denver, winning the 2023 NCAA Regional Final (197.875) while Michigan finished third (197.750). Michigan has not faced Denver during the regular season since March 4, 2006 (a 196.050-195.250 UM win).
 
This will be only the third occurrence the teams compete in January, with both previous meetings occurring at Michigan (January 13, 2023, and January 26, 2007). The teams have never faced off in a season opener.
 
View DU’s complete history versus Michigan.
 
WHAT’S NEXT:
Denver will host its first quad meet of the season, welcoming Missouri, Georgia, and LIU to Magness Arena on Sunday, January 12, at 1:45 p.m. MT.
 
TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2025 University of Denver gymnastics season are currently available for purchase and can be acquired online, by calling 303-871-4625, or by visiting the Ritchie Center Box Office.
 
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