University of Denver Spring 2025

HpehaodtCo ocarecdhitMaenldiscsaapKtuiotncher-Rinehart embraces Alexandria Ruiz in 2023.

G ymnastics is often seen as the ultimate individual sport— one where gymnasts, much like swimmers, golfers or skiers, push themselves to perfect every move, striving for personal bests and higher scores to edge out the competition. But at the University of Denver, gymnastics is more than an individual pursuit. Here, gymnasts don’t just compete; they become part of a team, a culture and a community. Over the decades, DU Women’s Gymnastics has become like a finely crafted wheel, with each athlete, coach, alum and fan serving as a vital spoke. Together, they are the driving force, propelling the program to new heights of success. And success they have had. Founded in 1975, the team had two Division II championships under its belt when it was elevated to Division I in 1984, DU’s first women’s team to do so. Since then, they’ve made 25 consecutive trips to regionals, winning twice; had six team appearances at the NCAA national championships, including making it to the final in 2019; crowned two individual NCAA national champions; and, in 2021, won the Big 12 championship. But, as anyone associated with DU Gymnastics will tell you, success doesn’t come easy. It’s the result of a relentless focus on core values, a drive to be the best and 360-degree support that elevates the team to reach their fullest potential. The coaches: It starts and ends with three magic words Character. Teamwork. Excellence. You can’t miss these three words, spelled out in large, capital gold letters on the wall of the team’s practice gym. At the heart of those three core values is Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, who has helmed the team for 27 years and celebrated her 500th career win this past February. A former Division I college gymnast and 2019 National Coach of the Year, Kutcher-Rinehart says she thought long and hard about what the program’s “North Star” should be. Academic and gymnastics excellence were non-negotiable, of course, but there was something more. “In gymnastics and in life, things don’t always go your way. There’s always adversity,” she says. “We started asking of our gymnasts, are they going to make good decisions? Are they committed to pulling back the curtain on what’s going wrong? Are they going to learn and grow from that experience and not make the same mistakes over and over?” If athletes embrace a “growth mindset,” Kutcher-Rinehart believes the rest will fall into place. A focus on these values starts long before a gymnast steps on the mat at DU.

Photo by Brittany Evans

36

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025