Denver Gymnastics Ranked No. 23 Nationally as Season Progresses
DENVER – The University of Denver gymnastics team currently holds a No. 23 national ranking, according to the Week 9 Road to Nationals rankings released on Monday, March 2, 2026 . The team’s performance against No. 12 Utah on March 1st has positioned them for a strong finish to the regular season.
Understanding the National Qualifying Score (NQS)
This year’s rankings are determined using the National Qualifying Score (NQS), which utilizes a new formula implemented in 2026. The NQS is calculated by dropping a team’s highest and lowest scores of the season and then averaging the remaining scores. This method provides a more consistent measure of a team’s performance throughout the year.
Denver’s NQS Breakdown
Here’s a appear at Denver’s scores contributing to their current NQS:
- 196.950 – Away at Arizona State
- 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: 196.288
Team Event Rankings
Denver’s current national rankings by event are as follows:
- Overall: No. 23 (196.288 NQS)
- Vault: No. 25 (49.013) – Improved from previous week
- Bars: No. 21 (49.058) – Moved up one spot
- Beam: No. 24 (48.967)
- Floor: No. 13 (49.321)
The team has demonstrated improvement on vault and bars, achieving season-high scores in those events recently.
Individual Rankings
Senior Cecilia Cooley remains a key performer for the Pioneers, holding the following individual rankings:
- All-Around: tie-No. 25 (39.295)
- Floor: tie-No. 23 (9.905)
Despite not competing in the all-around during the March 1st meet, Cooley maintains her national ranking.
New NQS Formula Details
The 2026 season introduces modifications to the NQS calculation, impacting team eligibility for NCAA Regionals. The new formula considers all of a team’s meets, with a maximum of five home meets factored in. After dropping the highest and lowest scores, the remaining scores are averaged. Teams with more than five home meets will only use their lowest five home scores in the initial calculation.
Denver, with only five home meets this season, will include all meets toward its NQS.
Individual rankings continue to use the previous NQS formula: taking the top six scores with a minimum of three at away meets, dropping the high score, and averaging the remaining five.
To qualify for NCAA Regionals, teams must have a minimum of nine total meets, including at least five away meets and no more than five home meets.
Looking Ahead
No. 23 Denver will face Air Force in two meets within four days. The first is a tri meet hosted by Air Force with San Jose State on Friday, March 6, at 7 p.m. MT. The second meet will be in Denver on Monday, March 9, at 5:45 p.m. MT. Only the March 6th meet will contribute to the Week 10 rankings, while the March 9th meet will be reflected in the Week 11 rankings.
Tickets for Denver gymnastics are available online, by phone at 303-871-4625, or at the Ritchie Center Box Office.