NCAA Gymnastics season started harshly for Denver. January saw Denver’s gymnastics team, scores plummeting. Their beam scores dropped below 49.000 three separate times, including that crushing 47.975 in their season opener. Honestly, things looked bleak as they dropped to 18th in the rankings on the road to Nationals. But Regionals saw a Denver fightback; while they didn’t make the NCAA Championships finals, it was a sign of some resurgence in Regionals. First things first, Denver shocked everyone at NCAA Regionals by upsetting Stanford and tying with 4th-ranked Utah. Their miracle run didn’t stop there – they went on to topple 10th-ranked Minnesota, finishing third overall in the Regional Final with a score of 197.350. They placed behind only championship finalists UCLA (197.625) and Utah (197.825), and were less than three-tenths away from qualifying for Nationals themselves!

That marked Denver’s sixth consecutive Regional Final appearance, which is no small feat. The team has built something special over the years, consistently finishing in the national top 15 for 11 straight seasons. With their final ranking of No. 13 this year, that impressive streak continues, and Associate Head Coach Linas Gaveika has played a part in engineering this success. And with him being part of the setup, the team was already looking ahead for next season’s NCAA Championships with optimism when the earthquake hit – Gaveika suddenly announced his departure. On April 22, Assistant Coach Stephen Hood followed suit, leaving the program in an unexpected transition. But there might be even more changes coming, albeit a different one, that has fans concerned!

The shockwaves from Denver Gymnastics’ coaching exodus may not be over yet. Saturday brought stunning news when rumors exploded across social media about 19-year-old standout Madison Ulrich potentially entering the transfer portal. An X account dramatically announced: “MADISON ULRICH IN THE PORTAL????????? 🚨🚨🚨”

There is no official announcement from Madison Ulrich yet, but if it turns out to be true, this would be a major blow for Denver. Ulrich just earned three All-America honors at the 2025 NCAA Championships as an individual qualifier – second-team recognition in all-around, bars, and beam. The sophomore phenom posted impressive 9.8875s on both bars and beam, which rank among the top seven scores in Denver’s NCAA Championships history.

This comes after Stephen Hood’s April 22 announcement of departure, which read, “After an unforgettable ride, I’ve made the decision to move on from my role at the University of Denver. It’s hard to put into words what this chapter has meant to me. …………. I’ll carry for a lifetime.” Before that, Linas Gaveika had announced his departure, “After 13 incredible years coaching at the University of Denver, I’ve made the decision to step away and explore new opportunities for myself and my family…”

These developments were bound to have reactions, and they had…

Gymnastics fans react to Madison Ulrich’s Potential Transfer Portal

After a rollercoaster NCAA season that saw Denver Gymnastics claw their way back at Regionals, fans were hopeful for some stability heading into next year. But with Associate Head Coach Linas Gaveika and Assistant Coach Stephen Hood both stepping down, and now rumors of standout sophomore Madison Ulrich entering the transfer portal, anxiety is high. “That’s a devastating blow to Denver in addition to losing all the other coaches. Also, I couldn’t tell you for how long but I checked her insta and she’s following Clemson,” one fan pointed out, referring to the massive coaching turnover and speculating on Ulrich’s next move.

Another fan shared the heartbreak many felt seeing Denver finally find their rhythm at the end of the season, only to face another potential setback: “Ohhhh dear. I really hope this isn’t true 😭 it would be a huge loss for Denver. They have a strong class coming in at least..”

Given that Ulrich earned three All-America honors at Nationals, concerns were understandable. Some fans voiced frustration, especially after Denver’s late-season resurgence: “Ugh don’t do this to me! My Denver team finally started looking themselves at Regionals,” one posted.

While another speculated deeper problems, “Something must be going on at Denver for their assistants and one of their best gymnasts to leave at the same time. I don’t buy that they’re all going to Clemson – that seems to be wishful thinking.”

Still, others wished Ulrich the best for her future, saying, “Honestly good for her, I feel like she hasn’t really progressed much since going to college, and would love to see what a different coach could do with her, especially thinking about vault!”