Gymnastics: WVU Too Much For Pitt, JMU
March 07, 2006 08:55 PM | General
March 7, 2006
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The 23rd-ranked West Virginia University gymnastics team cruised to a pair of wins in a three-team meet at Pittsburgh with James Madison on Tuesday night at the Fitzgerald Field House.
The Mountaineers (13-6) picked up their 12th and 13th wins of the season, including their first win in an opponent’s home gym, with a team score of 194.875. The Panthers (193.325) and Dukes (185.7) placed second and third, respectively.
WVU gymnasts won all four event titles, including freshman Erica Watson capturing her first career event win with a personal-best 9.85 on vault, tying Pitt’s Andrea Arlotta.
Junior Janáe Cox’s first-place all-around total of 39.45 included events wins on floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bars, all with scores of 9.9. Her all-around score is a season high and it is also the 24th highest in team history.
Cox now has 25 career all-around scores of 39.0 or higher and 27 career events scores of 9.9 or higher, moving her into sole possession of first place and fourth place in the respective categories in WVU team history.
West Virginia compiled a 48.725 score on uneven bars in the first rotation. Cox and freshman Mehgan Morris swung first-place marks of 9.9. Cox’s 9.9 on bars was the first of the season, while Morris has three 9.9 bar routines to her credit.
Other notable bar routines for WVU included Watson carding a fourth-place 9.8, and junior Aimee Brown making her collegiate debut in the lineup with an admirable 9.35.
The Mountaineers drew a commanding 97-55-96.2 lead over Pitt after two events, as a solid set of vaults backed by a team score of 48.825 propelled WVU to the early advantage.
Including Watson’s meet-high 9.85, the Mountaineers had four of the top five vault scores. Freshman Heather Izer landed a 9.775 for third place, while Cox and sophomore Jaime Gold tied for fourth with 9.75s. Junior Tynisha Dennis also tied a season high with 9.7.
West Virginia recovered nicely on the floor exercise with a 48.35 after a having to count a fall early in the set. Cox won the event with a 9.9, followed by Morris with a 9.85 and Dennis and Watson with 9.675s.
The Mountaineers held a modest 145.9-144.425 lead over the Panthers heading into the final rotation, but a solid showing on the balance beam of 48.975 in the final rotation secured the win for WVU.
Cox and junior Cheryl Goldenfield stuck their routines with a pair of season-high 9.9s to win the event. Goldenfield’s beam score tied a career high she’s set now three times but the first of the season.
Dennis scored a third-place tying mark of 9.725 on beam giving her the second personal season high for the meet. Overall, WVU gymnasts accounted for the top six beam scores, which also included Morris and Amie Bouchier with 9.725 sums.
West Virginia returns to action Friday night at home for a three-team meet against Pitt and California beginning at 7 p.m.
