Gymnastics: WVU Ranked No. 19
January 26, 2009 03:52 PM | General
January 26, 2009
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| Shelly Purkat |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU gymnastics team benefited from a weekend of season-best marks and jumped two spots to No. 19 on the GymInfo Poll, announced today.
The Mountaineers, averaging 194.183 points through three meets, reentered the Top 20 for the first time this season. The squad was previously ranked No. 18 on Jan. 12.
WVU (2-3 overall, 1-0 EAGL) ranks in the Top 15 nationally in three events – No. 13 floor exercise (48.817 points per meet average), No. 15 vault (48,849 ppm avg.) and No. 15 uneven bars (48.725 ppm avg.). Those rankings each improve to No. 3 in the Southeast Region, and No. 1 in the EAGL Conference. Additionally, the Mountaineers rank No. 6 on the balance beam regionally, and No. 5 in EAGL.
Three Mountaineers earned individual national rankings this weekend. Senior Mehgan Morris leads the trio, as the Belle, W.Va., native is ranked No. 22 on bars (9.842 avg.) and No. 24 on floor (9.842 avg.). Sophomore Amy Bieski ranks No. 21 on the floor (9.850 avg.), while junior Chelsi Tabor is No. 25 on vault (9.850 avg.).
Morris and Bieski lead a group of 11 Mountaineers with regional Top 20 rankings, as each has three. Morris is No. 6 in the all-around (38.842 avg.), the bars and the floor, while Bieski is No. 5 on floor, No. 8 on vault (9.833 avg.) and No. 12 on bars (9.775 avg.). Junior Shelly Purkat also is ranked multiple times, as the Edina, Minn., native is No. 13 on floor (9.775 avg.) and No. 16 on beam (9.700 avg.).
An additional three Mountaineers join Morris and Bieski in the bars rankings – No. 13 Naja Johnson (9.767 avg.), No. 14 Erica Watson (9.750 avg.) and No. 20 Nicole Roach (9.700 avg.).
No. 20 Emily Kerwin (9.767 avg.) is the third Mountaineer ranked on vault, while No. 19 Jessica Young (9.725 avg.) and No. 20 Kiersten Spoerke (9.725 avg.) are ranked on the floor.
The Mountaineers own the No. 1 individual ranking in the EAGL on the vault (Tabor), floor (Bieski), bars and all-around (Morris).
WVU earned its first home and conference win this past weekend, as the Mountaineers defeated Pittsburgh, 194.775-192.700, on Jan. 23. The team continues its home stand and hosts its only quadmeet of the season, as George Washington, Maryland and Rutgers visit the WVU Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m.
GymInfo rankings are based on total season average until Feb. 16, when regional qualifying scores become the basis for rankings.
