Denver Gymnastics Ranked No. 23, Prepares for Air Force and Oregon State Meets
DENVER – The University of Denver gymnastics team remains ranked No. 23 in the latest Road to Nationals rankings, as released on Monday, March 9, 2026. The ranking comes after a strong performance at the Air Force tri meet on March 6, where the Pioneers achieved a season score of 196.725.
Recent Performance and NQS
Denver’s score at the Air Force tri meet, which included San Jose State, boosted their overall National Qualifying Score (NQS) by nearly three-quarters of a tenth. The team’s NQS currently stands at 196.350. The upcoming home meet against Air Force on March 9 does not factor into the Week 10 rankings but will be included in the Week 11 rankings released on March 16.
The NQS is calculated by dropping the highest and lowest scores of the season and averaging the remaining scores. This formula was newly adopted in 2026 and factors in a higher percentage of each team’s meets compared to the previous formula.
Denver’s NQS Breakdown
- 196.950 – Away at Arizona State
- 196.725 – Away at Air Force Tri
- 196.600 – Home vs. Arizona
- 196.575 – Home vs. Stanford
- 196.525 – Home vs. Iowa State
- 196.100 – Home vs Utah
- 196.000 – Away at West Virginia
- 195.925 – Away at BYU
- 195.850 – Away at Texas Woman’s Tri
- NQS: 196.350
Team Rankings
- Overall: No. 23 (196.350 NQS)
- Vault: No. 22 (49.036)
- Bars: No. 23 (49.039)
- Beam: No. 23 (48.993)
- Floor: No. 13 (49.332)
Event Highlights
Denver demonstrated significant improvement on vault, climbing three spots to No. 22 with a novel season-high score of 49.250 at the Air Force tri meet. The team likewise moved up one spot to No. 23 on beam, while maintaining its position at No. 13 on floor.
Individual Performances
Senior Cecilia Cooley is tied for No. 25 on floor with a score of 9.915. Cooley continues to improve her NQS, earning her sixth score of 9.900 or higher on March 6. Junior Maddison Reidenbach achieved a career-high all-around score of 39.425 at the Air Force tri meet, bringing her closer to a national ranking.
New NQS Formula Details
The 2026 season introduced modifications to the NQS calculation, impacting NCAA Regional eligibility. The new formula includes all of a team’s meets – with a maximum of five home meets factored in – after dropping the highest and lowest scores. Denver, with only five home meets in 2026, will include all meets toward its NQS.
Individual rankings continue to apply the previous NQS formula, considering the top six scores with a minimum of three away meets, dropping the high score and averaging the remaining five.
Looking Ahead
The No. 23 Denver gymnastics team will host Air Force on Monday, March 9, at 5:45 p.m. MT, followed by a regular-season finale at No. 25 Oregon State on Saturday, March 14, at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT. Both meets will contribute to the Week 11 rankings, to be released on March 16.