The Denver Pioneers aren’t afraid to admit it: 2025 didn’t start the way they were used to. Head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart knew the eyes of the gymnastics world were on her team after a string of consistency issues early in the season.
“Traditionally, we’re a pretty consistent team,” she noted.
Denver only added one freshman to its roster in 2025 but retained four seniors for a COVID year, alongside two true seniors. Many expected the Pioneers to contend for another nationals appearance, but a rocky start dampened those hopes. In five meets during January, the team recorded three scores below 49.000 on beam, including a 47.975 in the season opener.
“It was definitely a rocky start—we’re not afraid to say it,” fifth-year senior Rylie Mundell recalled. “There were a lot of moments where we were asked, ‘What do we need?’ and we experimented with a lot of things. It was about finding that balance.”
To address the beam struggles, Denver tried several different lineup configurations. While mainstays like Momoko Iwai and Bella Mabanta remained consistent, others got their shot. Cecilia Cooley, returning from an ACL injury, became a reliable leadoff. Sophomore Ashley Gallen made her NCAA debut in mid-February, eventually scoring a 9.925 in the Utah regional final. The team also incorporated more pressure sets in practice to simulate high-stakes competition scenarios.
Kutcher-Rinehart often emphasizes themes like resilience and persistence with her athletes. But during the season, she said she saw those qualities manifest in real time as her team worked to right the ship. While veterans like Mundell contributed in multiple events, others like Abbie Thompson were limited to one. Still, all six seniors played a vital role in the team’s turnaround.
“They had the experience to figure out, how do we turn this around? How do we come together? And how do we maximize our potential and ability under pressure when it matters?” Kutcher-Rinehart said. “They did that, and I’m so ridiculously happy for those six seniors who get to end their careers with a sense of pride.”
And turn it around they did. Denver entered the Utah regional as a dangerous unseeded team and used a season-high vault score to upset Stanford and advance to the regional final. The upset may have surprised fans, but not the Pioneers.
“I think we always had it in us, and we finally chose to shine at the right moment,” Mundell said.
Their season ended at the regional final—after scoring a season-high on beam.
While Denver’s team season wrapped there, three individuals qualified to nationals—the most of any program in the country. Mundell qualified on uneven bars, joined by fellow fifth-year Rosie Casali on vault and sophomore Madison Ulrich in the all-around. Mundell, who missed competing on bars the last time Denver qualified as a team in 2023, said returning to nationals in 2025 was a special moment.
“I honestly don’t think I could have asked for anything better—except for my whole team to be there,” she said. “But I’m very proud of myself and very grateful for that opportunity.”
Looking ahead, Kutcher-Rinehart is focused on building off this season’s momentum. Ulrich, in particular, will be a cornerstone of the program after earning three All-American honors in Fort Worth.
While Mundell is moving on, she’s confident in the future of the program.
“[Ulrich] is part of the legacy,” she said. “She’s the next step in building the program that we know we can be.”
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Article by Savanna Wellman
