Gymnastics: WVU Takes Fifth, Cox Advances
April 09, 2005 09:25 PM | General
By Justin Zackal for MSNsportsNET.com
April 9, 2005
RESULTS
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team’s season came to a close Saturday night with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional held at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida in front of a crowd of 3,289.
West Virginia compiled a team score of 193.675. No. 7 Florida, the second-seeded team in the regional, won the meet with a score of 196.575. The Gators advance to the NCAA Championships along with No. 5 Georgia. The top-seeded GymDogs scored a 195.15 and overcame an early deficit from No. 17 Denver, which tied No. 25 North Carolina for third place with 194.075. North Carolina State placed sixth with a 193.575.
Denver led Georgia after three events by 0.7, but Georgia’s 49.15 on vault propelled it into second and the Pioneers went 47.375 on beam in their final rotation.
Sophomore Janáe Cox led WVU in three of four events and qualified for nationals after placing fourth in the all-around competition with a 39.15. Florida’s Ashley Reed won the all-around with a sum of 39.35. Cox advances to the NCAA Championships as an individual all-around for a second straight year. She is just the third WVU gymnast in school history to qualify for nationals as an individual in consecutive seasons and the 10th individual qualifier overall. Senior Jessica Bartgis, WVU’s other all-arounder, placed 15th overall with a 38.275.
The Mountaineers opened in the first rotation with a 48.575 on vault, their fourth-lowest of the season. West Virginia entered the meet with the nation’s 18th-best vault team in the country with a 48.975 regional qualifying score (RQS), but a sub par showing consisted of a 9.675, three 9.7s, and a team-best 9.8 landed by Cox. In 13 attempts on vault for the season, Cox has 11 scores of 9.8 or higher. She tied for eighth overall at the meet on the vault. Georgia’s Kelsey Ericksen won the vault with a 9.875.
After a bye in the second rotation, the Mountaineers collected themselves and swung an impressive 48.6 on the uneven bars with no falls. West Virginia’s bars produced similar scores than its vault scores—the team highest was a 9.8 and the lowest discarded score was a 9.6—but the team score on bars for the Mountaineers was their third-highest of the season. Bartgis anchored the team with her ninth-place score of 9.8. Cox swung the next highest score with a 9.775. Florida’s Ashley Reed and Orley Szmuch shared the title on bars with a pair of 9.9s.
West Virginia faltered in the fourth rotation on the balance beam absorbing a 47.625 for its second-lowest of the season. Cox and sophomore Cheryl Goldenfield led the team with a pair of 9.725s—tying for 17th place at the meet—followed by junior Gretchen Richter with a 9.7. The Mountaineers were forced to count one of two falls and a 9.425. Florida’s Erin Dooley won the beam competition with a 9.9.
After a fifth-rotation bye, the Mountaineers ended the meet on a strong note in the sixth rotation with 48.875 on the floor exercise. The floor score was WVU’s seventh straight over 48.8. Cox performed the highest score for the Mountaineers in any event of the meet with a 9.85 on the floor, while sophomore Tynisha Dennis tumbled a 9.8, her eighth of at least 9.8 of the year. Cox finished in a six-way tie for sixth place on the floor for the meet. Reigning NCAA champion on the floor, North Carolina’s Courtney Bumpers, won the floor with a 9.95.
Cox will compete at nationals from April 21-23 at Auburn.
