Gymnastics: Spirited Comeback in Wins at Rutgers
February 27, 2005 01:30 AM | General
February 26, 2005
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PISCATAWAY, N. J. – Facing early adversity on the road the West Virginia University gymnastics team stormed back impressively in the third and fourth rotations and breezed to a pair of wins in its meet at Rutgers on Saturday night at the Livingston Recreation Center.
The Mountaineers soundly defeated the host Scarlet Knights and Bridgeport (Conn.) with a team score of 193.15, while Rutgers, which led by 1.075 midway through the meet, scored a 192.525 and Bridgeport a last-place sum of 185.725.
West Virginia gymnasts won all the individual events while the Mountaineers captured three of four team events. WVU only yielded bars to Rutgers, 48.2-47.215, before winning beam (48.1), floor (48.95) and vault (48.975).
The meet was especially spirited with younger gymnasts and newcomers to the lineup stepping in and hitting their routines.
“We were a little rattled after the first rotation on bars,” said WVU head coach Linda Burdette. “Then we hit on beam and we really got the confidence going on the last two events. We had a lot of kids step up in a pressure situation and handle it and that’s going to make us a better team.”
West Virginia, ranked No. 24 in the country and now sporting a winning record for the first time this year with a mark of 6-4, came alive with a season-high 48.95 on the floor exercise in the third rotation.
The clutch performances on the floor put West Virginia over the top and all the Mountaineers hitting on their vaults added insurance points.
Freshman Jaime Gold had the best meet so far in her young college career as she established new personal bests on floor and vault and notched her first win drawing numbers of 9.85 on the floor, which is 0.125 more than her previous career best of 9.725 set twice this year.
Senior Jessica Bartgis and Gold shared the floor title at the meet with their 9.85s. The win was Bartgis’ first of the season on floor. Bartgis also won the all-around with a 38.95, her second straight win and third of the season.
The initial spark on floor came from junior Gretchen Richter, one of the Mountaineers’ top performers on floor the last two years, making her season debut in impressive fashion. Richter, who also competing on beam for the first time this year, scored a 9.825 on floor. Sophomore Tynisha Dennis then nailed her routine with a 9.825. Freshman Margaret Ann Moore, competing on the event for only her second time in her college career, also stepped up admirably on the floor with a 9.6.
The Mountaineer vault team, entering the meet ranked No. 15 in the country with a 48.755 regional qualifying score, compiled a meet-high score of 48.975 in the final rotation. Senior Kari Williams stuck her vault with a meet-best 9.9, her fourth score of 9.9 or higher of the season and her 16th of her career. Gold followed with her second career high of the meet landing a 9.85, while Bartgis scored a 9.8. Senior Lequita Williams came up big in her first attempt of the year with a 9.65, a score duplicated by Moore in her first career vault attempt.
The early adversity came in warm-ups with a key component of the team forced out of competition with injury and lingered in the first rotation with a season-low on the uneven bars.
Sophomore co-captain Janáe Cox, an all-arounder who is WVU’s highest scoring gymnast on bars and floor, missed her first career meet after sustaining a concussion during warm-ups on the uneven bars. Cox had competed in 20 career meets including 19 as an all-arounder entering the Saturday’s competition.
Senior Carri Nagle and Bartgis led the Mountaineers on the uneven bars in the first rotation. Bartgis led WVU by swinging a first-place score of 9.775. Nagle hit on her routine with a 9.65. Two Mountaineers fell on bars as West Virginia absorbed its season-low 47.125.
In the second rotation, Nagle paced WVU with a 9.75 good for a first-place tie with Rutgers’ Gina Roselle. Sophomore Cheryl Goldenfield, West Virginia’s highest scoring gymnast on beam this year, turned in a 9.7 score, her seventh of at least 9.7 this season. As a team the Mountaineers carded their fourth-highest sum of the season with a 48.05.
West Virginia returns to action at home Sunday, March 6, in a quad meet beginning at 1 p.m. Teams competing include Michigan State, Auburn and Kent State.
WVU (193.15) – 47.125 (UB), 48.05 (BB), 48.95 (FX), 48.975 (V)
Rutgers (192.525) – 48.05 (V), 48.2 (UB), 47.425 (BB), 48.85 (FX)
Bridgeport (185.725) – 46.4 (BB), 46.55 (FX), 46.65 (V), 46.125 (UB)
WEST VIRGINIA INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
VAULT (48.975) – K. Williams 9.9, Gold 9.85, Bartgis 9.8, Dennis 9.775, Moore 9.65, L. Williams 9.65.
UNEVEN BARS (47.125) – Bartgis 9.775, Nagle 9.65, DeSantis 9.425, McGregor 9.425, Gold 8.85, Noonan 8.6.
BALANCE BEAM (48.05) – Nagle 9.75, Goldenfield 9.7, Moore 9.575, Dennis 9.55, Bartgis 9.475, Richter 8.9.
FLOOR EXERCISE (48.95) – Bartgis 9.85, Gold 9.85, Dennis 9.825, Richter 9.825, Moore 9.6, Nagle 9.15.
