Gymnastics: Narrow Margin in WVU Loss
January 29, 2005 05:07 PM | General
January 29, 2005
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team narrowly fell in defeat to visiting North Carolina Saturday night at the WVU Coliseum, losing by a tenth of a point, 192.2-192.1, in the Mountaineers’ home opener.
The loss came in spite of a strong finish on the floor exercise by the Mountaineers, who trailed going in to the final rotation, 144.475-143.7. West Virginia posted a season-high 48.4 on the floor while the Tar Heels rounded out the meet with a 47.725 on the balance beam.
Sophomore Tynisha Dennis anchored the Mountaineers on the floor exercise with a 9.8, tying a season high set in last week’s win at Pitt, after classmate Janáe Cox performed the team’s highest score on the event with a 9.85.
Cox, who did not compete on the floor last week as an injury precaution and missed the all-around for the first time in 15 career meets, returned with a season-high 9.85. Her floor score tied North Carolina’s Courtney Bumpers, the defending national champion on the event, for first place at the meet.
Other notables on the floor for WVU included freshman Jaime Gold and senior Jessica Bartgis with a pair of 9.6s.
North Carolina (8-0) outscored West Virginia (1-2) on the floor with its 48.575 score, while the Tar Heels also had the advantage on the balance beam, 47.725-47.3. West Virginia, meanwhile, carded higher scores on vault, 48.5-48.475, and uneven bars, 47.9-47.425.
The uneven bars produced three Mountaineers either setting or tying season highs, as Bartgis led the way with a 2005-best and first-place score of 9.85, while Cox’ 9.775 was also her highest marks of the season, as was junior Alyssa DeSantis’ 9.625, which equaled her score last week at Pitt.
West Virginia’s Kari Williams landed a 9.825 on the vault good for her second first-place finish of the season and third top three. Gold duplicated her marks from all three meets this season with yet another 9.75. Bartgis rated at 9.7, while Dennis and Cox scored 9.6 and 9.625, respectively.
The Mountaineers struggled a bit on the beam with Cox posting the highest sum of 9.725 and Bartgis and Dennis with the team’s next highest scores of 9.575 and 9.5, apiece. Bumpers took home first place on the event with a 9.8.
Bumpers won the all-around with a 39.2, while Cox finished second at 38.975 and Bartgis third with 38.725 — both of which are season highs.
West Virginia returns to action Friday, Feb. 4, for a non-conference meeting with Southern Utah at the WVU Coliseum. The meet will begin at 8 p.m.
