Gymnastics: WVU Steady at No. 20
March 16, 2009 03:16 PM | General
March 16, 2009
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| Mehgan Morris |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team is ranked No. 20 nationally in today’s GymInfo Poll, marking the fourth-straight week the Mountaineers have earned the ranking.
WVU (9-7 overall, 4-1 EAGL) concluded its regular season with a 194.925-194.900 victory at then-No. 21 Iowa State on March 13. The winning point total pushed the Mountaineers’ regional qualifying score (RQS) to 195.275. Through 10 meets, WVU owns a 194.877 average.
The Mountaineers’ RQS is 0.25 points short of a top 18 ranking, which secures the team a seed in a NCAA Regional Championship. The team has one last chance of improving its RQS, as it competes at the EAGL Conference Championship Saturday, March 21, at 3 p.m., in Raleigh, N.C.
WVU retained its No. 20 floor ranking (48.925 RQS), and improved its bars ranking to No. 20 (48.900 RQS). The team dropped to No. 18 on the vault (49.055 RQS) and No. 37 on the beam (48.455 RQS).
Senior Mehgan Morris is the only Mountaineer to own a national top 25 ranking, as the Belle, W.Va., native is tied for No. 20 (9.880 RQS) on the floor. Additionally, Morris stands just outside of the bars rankings at No. 26 (9.865 RQS).
Regionally, WVU ranks No. 3 overall, behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Florida. The Gym Dogs are the overall No. 1 team with a 197.225 RQS. The Mountaineers also rank No. 3 in the southeast region on the bars and the floor, No. 4 on the vault and No. 5 on the beam.
Eight Mountaineers hold a regional top 25 RQS. Morris leads the group with four rankings: No. 4 floor, No. 5 all-around (39.220 RQS), No. 7 bars and No. 21 beam (9.720 RQS).
Sophomore Amy Bieski matches Morris’ four regional rankings with four of her own. The Nanticoke, Pa., native is ranked No. 10 on floor (9.850 RQS), No. 11 on vault (9.835 RQS), No. 12 all-around (38.930 RQS) and No. 21 bars (9.775 RQS).
Bieski’s classmate, sophomore Naja Johnson, is the only other Mountaineer with multiple regional rankings, as she is No. 18 on bars (9.800 RQS) and No. 23 on floor (9.805).
Junior Chelsi Tabor and freshman Tina Maloney both rank on the vault. Tabor stands at No. 7 (9.865 RQS) in the region, while Maloney is No. 23 (9.805 RQS).
Juniors Kiersten Spoerke and Shelly Purkat are ranked No. 11 (9.805 RQS) and No. 19 (9.740 RQS) on the beam, while freshman Nicole Roach is No. 21 on the bars (9.775 RQS).
WVU’s stronghold on the EAGL rankings shows no waver, as the Mountaineers are the No. 1 overall team and No. 1 on the bars and floor. The team also ranks No. 2 on the vault and No. 5 on the beam.
Four Mountaineers hold top 5 EAGL rankings six days before the championship. Morris is No. 1 on the bars, floor and all-around, while Tabor is No. 3 on vault, Bieski is No. 4 on floor and Spoerke is No. 5 on beam.
Fans can follow the Mountaineers this weekend in their quest for back-to-back championships, as NC State will provide live stats, accessed by clicking HERE.
