DENVER — "Lynnzee [Brown] at heart, is a performer," University of Denver gymnastics head coach Melissa Kutcher-Reinhart said about her fifth-year star. And this past summer, Lynzee Brown performed with the best gymnasts in the world on Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles' Gold Over America Tour (GOAT).
Brown was invited on a 35-city tour to perform with Biles and her all-star team consisting of gymnasts Jordan Chiles, MyKayla Skinner, Grace McCallum, Jade Carey, Laurie Hernandez, Katelyn Ohashi, Nia Dennis, Morgan Hurd, Ellie Black, Chellsie Memmel, Shilese Jones and Melanié Johanna de Jesus dos Santos.
"It came at exactly the right time and Melissa reassured me that she has confidence in not only me as a person, but me as an athlete, and my team fully supported me," Brown said. "I was just super honored to have that backup."
Balancing a summer job with her fifth year of NCAA eligibility came with a paycheck, thanks to the newly passed Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) law, which allows student-athletes to earn compensation from an outside source.
"For her to have the opportunity to take part in this and be paid to do it so that she could save up money for after she graduates college to have a nest egg, I completely support it," Kutcher-Reinhart said.
The DU staff also supported her missing two full months of training leading up to this season. Brown said she leaned on the support of her teammates to get up to speed.
"Everyone is kind of pulling me up," she said. "We've seen such an increase in talent and determination and commitment to being the best team that we can be, has been motivating for myself."
With cash and opportunities aplenty, Kutcher-Reinhart still finds it simple to rein in her superstar athlete.
"It's really honestly pretty easy to do with Lynnzee, she does not have an ego," she said. "People would think that someone of that caliber might, but that's one of my favorite things about Lynnzee is that she's thoughtful and generous and if anything, sometimes I think she needs the opposite: a reminder about how talented she is. But not just the talent, the work ethic that goes behind it, the commitment, the passion, the love."
As the coach of a perennial powerhouse program, Kutcher-Reinhart said it falls on her responsibility to ensure she's recruiting the right people and creating the right atmosphere to prevent such situations from happening.
"We try hard to create a culture of true character, teamwork, and excellence, and make that more than just words, but actions behind it," she said.
Brown added that she's never felt more appreciated by her teammates.
"We like to share opportunities and uplift each other," she said. "Just because one person gets an opportunity, doesn't mean that somebody else won't get it or that somebody else can't shine in their own right."
The DU gymnastics team is coming off of a Big 12 championship win in 2021, and has opened up the 2022 season with three-consecutive wins versus San Jose State at home, and on the road against Ohio State and West Virginia. The No. 5 Pios take on the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Sunday, January 30.