University of Denver gymnast Shyla Bhatia has been named the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week, according to an announcement from the conference on Wednesday.
Bhatia, a freshman, made her collegiate debut during Denver’s season-opening meet against Stanford, which was ranked No. 13 in preseason polls. Competing in three events for Denver, she earned two top-three finishes at the meet.
She won the vault title outright with a score of 9.925 on a Yurchenko 1.5, matching the University of Denver’s program record for a freshman in her first collegiate competition. On bars, Bhatia scored a 9.800 and added a 9.875 on floor exercise—her floor score tied for third overall and matched the program’s third highest mark by a freshman in their debut.
All three scores contributed to Denver’s team total of 196.575, which is now the sixth highest opening-meet score in program history. The team also set a new record for highest floor score in a season opener with a total of 49.425 on that event.
“This is Bhatia’s first Big 12 Conference award and DU’s first weekly conference award of the season,” according to the release. The Big 12 based its weekly awards this cycle on performances from the NCAA season’s first two weeks.
The University of Denver gymnastics team is currently ranked No. 12 nationally and will travel for its first road meet of the year to face No. 25 Texas Woman’s alongside Arizona—another Big 12 member—in a tri meet scheduled for Friday, January 16.
Tickets for upcoming meets are available online, by phone at 303-871-4625 or at the Ritchie Center Box Office.
