University of Denver Spring 2025

The athletes: Teamwork is the dream work

“almost adopted them as part of myself. Outsiders may see it as something revolutionary, but for us, it’s what we live and embody every day. It’s like eating breakfast; it’s a

Before every home meet, you can find the gymnasts circled up on the floor of Magness Arena ready to bust their best dance moves. The pre-meet ritual—which they call “the Evolution of Dance”—includes a string of high-energy songs from different music eras. While it only lasts a few minutes, the dance has been a part of the program for at least a decade. It’s so engrained in the culture that alumni will dance alongside current gymnasts at the annual alumni meet, and the routine has made appearances at everything from weddings to school assemblies. It’s one of the many ways the athletes create a sense of team unity—along with team retreats, book clubs, pre-meet dinners and game nights. Every season, the team also chooses a theme: This year, it’s “adventure,” which, according to graduate student Rylie Mundell, means they are living one step, one practice and one meet at a time. “It’s about having fun and taking big risks to get big rewards. When I step onto the competition floor, I’m going to be aggressive, and I’m going to go for my handstands and take it up higher on my series. And if something goes wrong, it’s not going to stop me from trying it again. I’m going to ground myself in that, and then do it again on floor.” This is on top of the core values of character, teamwork and excellence, which, Mundell says, are so familiar that she’s

very normal set of standards we operate by.” For co-captain Bella Mabanta, what makes DU

Gymnastics special is how connected the team is every year, even as people graduate and newcomers arrive. “We’re very close-knit, to the point where if one person is feeling one way, it radiates throughout the whole team,” she says. The team also comes together to give back to the community for the annual My Ribbon, My Reason meet. Each gymnast chooses a cause to support, and they all wear colored ribbons representing their causes—which this year ranged from childhood cancer and Alzheimer’s disease to ADHD awareness and climate change. DU partners with associated campus and local organizations to raise awareness, with some of them distributing materials during the meet or setting up a table to encourage fans to learn more. Graduate student Abbie Thompson says the event is an opportunity to compete for something bigger than themselves. “Gymnastics is so small, really,” she says. “You have four, maybe five years at this level, if you’re lucky, and then it’ll be over. An event like this just helps you remember the bigger picture.”

Photo by Alysa Rubin/Clarkson Creative Photography