Gymnastics: WVU Posts Best Road Score of Year
February 17, 2007 09:41 PM | General
February 17, 2007
MEET RESULTS
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| Shelly Purkat |
RALEIGH, N.C. – The No. 24 WVU gymnastics team placed second with 194.700 points and by far its best road score of the season on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the annual Hearts Invitational meet hosted by N.C. State, at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C.
No. 6 Nebraska won the meet with 196.975 points, while NC State (194.600) took third, George Washington (191.175) placed fourth and William & Mary (186.225) landed fifth.
“This was a great road score for us tonight,” head coach Linda Burdette said. “Our girls handled the pressure really well going into the last event and I am so pleased with their performance. We are going in the right direction.”
West Virginia (13-6, 7-1 EAGL) opened the meet on the floor exercise and had great success for the second consecutive week. All five Mountaineers scored at least a 9.75 with Tynisha Dennis and Jaime Gold earning 9.8s, while senior Janáe Cox led WVU with a team-high 9.85 in the event. WVU’s 48.975 was its best road floor score of the year as West Virginia held a slight edge over the rest of the field through the rotation number one.
The Mountaineers carried that momentum into vault, where they again posted their best road score of the season in that event with a 49.00. Dennis and Erica Watson scored 9.8s while teammates Cox and Gold scored 9.825s to lead the way. After two rotations, WVU led N.C. State 97.975-97.350. The Cornhuskers stayed at 48.875 because of the bye.
WVU maintained the lead through the third rotation with a team score of 146.025 after bars going into its bye. Junior Katie McGregor tallied her new season-high score with a 9.675 on bars and Mehgan Morris tied for the bars title with a 9.825.
After slipping to third during the bye, WVU finished the meet strong on the balance beam with a season-high 48.675 to take second place. Both freshman Shelly Purkat (9.825) and junior Kara Weaver (9.65) stepped up with some of their best performances of the season. Purkat’s score would tie for third in the individual results.
Cox would take fourth in the all-around with a score of 39.175. The Otisco, Ind., native now has 31 career scores of at least 39.0, a school record.
West Virginia returns home on Friday, Feb. 23, to host No. 18 Michigan State at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. WVU and Michigan State have split their previous two meetings this season.
