Denver Gymnastics: No. 23 National Ranking & NCAA Regional Bound – 2026 Update

March 24, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

DENVER – The University of Denver gymnastics team maintained its No. 23 national ranking as of Monday, March 24, according to the Week 12 Road to Nationals rankings. The ranking comes after the team secured second place at the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship on March 21, posting a season-high tying score of 196.575.

Denver’s performance at the Big 12 Championship marked the final competition before the NCAA Regionals. The team’s National Qualifying Score (NQS) is currently 196.383, calculated using a new formula implemented this season that factors in all meets with the highest and lowest scores dropped, and a maximum of five home meet scores considered.

The new NQS formula, adopted for the 2026 season, represents a shift from previous calculations that relied on a straight season average for the first six weeks. The change aims to provide a more comprehensive assessment of team performance throughout the year. Individual rankings continue to utilize the previous NQS formula.

Denver’s team event rankings stand at No. 20 on vault (49.068) and bars (49.073), and No. 12 on floor (49.365). The team narrowly missed a top-25 ranking on beam, finishing at No. 26 with a score of 9.888, just .015 points away from qualifying.

Senior Cecilia Cooley leads the individual rankings for Denver, tying for No. 23 on beam with a score of 9.910 and tying for No. 18 on floor with a score of 9.930. Cooley’s floor score is tied for 10th highest in program history. Her performance on beam earned her runner-up honors at the Big 12 Championship, tying her career-high score of 9.925.

Cooley is the first Denver gymnast since Jessica Hutchinson in 2024 to achieve at least one top-25 individual national ranking at the end of a season.

To qualify for NCAA Regionals, teams must participate in a minimum of nine meets, including at least five away competitions, with a maximum of five home meets factored into their NQS calculation. Denver met these requirements, securing its 27th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regionals.

The NCAA Selection Show, where Denver will learn its regional assignment, is scheduled for Monday, March 23, at 10 a.m. MT and will be televised live on ESPNU.