Gymnastics: WVU Prepped for Maryland Quad-Meet
January 29, 2010 12:54 PM | General
January 29, 2010
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| Amy Bieski |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team returns to the road and travels to College Park, Md., on Saturday, Jan. 30, for a quad-meet at Maryland with No. 16 Denver and Rutgers.
Saturday’s meet, the Mountaineers’ (6-2, 4-0 EAGL) third on the road this month, is scheduled for 4 p.m. After opening 1-2 at Michigan State on Jan. 8, WVU has strung together five-straight wins.
“I’m excited for this weekend’s meet,” says 36-year coach Linda Burdette-Good. “I think the team has had a strong week of practices and is ready to get back out on the road and compete with confidence.”
The meet will be the second in six days for the Mountaineers and the Terrapins (4-3), as WVU defeated its East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) foe, 194.0-193.0, in its Jan. 24 home opener. WVU also earned wins over league members NC State (193.225) and George Washington (188.65).
Rutgers will mark the fifth EAGL opponent for WVU this season. The Scarlet Knights (2-2) and the Mountaineers met twice last season, with WVU earning a 193.925-187.95 home win and a 195.5-189.125 victory at the EAGL Championship.
Since 2007, WVU owns a 57-4 record over EAGL foes; the Mountaineers have only lost to two EAGL opponents since the onset of the 2008 season.
The Mountaineers and the Pioneers (5-0) have not met since 2004, when WVU earned a 195.3-192.675 victory.
WVU is forced to adjust its lineups this week, as the team will be competing without bars and floor specialist Naja Johnson. The junior was injured during her bars dismount last Sunday.
“Naja’s condition is already improving,” Burdette-Good says. “We are sad that she can not compete for us this week, but we have faith in the girls that must fill her lineup spots.”
Junior Amy Bieski led WVU in its home-opening sweep last week, finishing first overall with 39.15 points. The score was the first 39.0-plus of the season for the Nanticoke, Pa., native, and her eighth career. She is now tied for 10th place with Lajuanda Moody for the most career 39.0-plus scores.
Bieski was strong across the gym, finishing in the top three on each event, including a win on bars with 9.775 points. She also finished second on vault (9.775) and beam (9.775), and tied for third on floor (9.825); each of Bieski’s scores were a season-high, with her beam mark tying a career-best not achieved since the 2008 season. For her efforts, she was named the EAGL Gymnast of the Week, her second honor in three weeks and fourth of her career.
Through three meets, Bieski is ranked 40th in the nation and sixth in the southeast region on floor with a 9.808 average. She is also regionally ranked 10th (38.492) in the all-around and 18th (9.758) on vault.
Senior Chelsi Tabor continued to prove her value on vault last week, finishing first uncontested with a season-high 9.875 score. The Beckley, W.Va., native has steadily improved her mark through the early part of the season, scoring 9.7 on Jan. 8 and 9.8 on Jan. 16. Tabor also finished tied for fifth on beam with 9.7 points; the performance was her first of the season. For her efforts, Tabor was named the EAGL Specialist of the Week, her second career honor.
In addition to its overall win last Sunday, WVU finished first on vault (48.75) and beam (48.075), and second on bars (48.5) and floor (48.675); each mark but the floor score were season-highs, though the Mountaineers are ranked No. 16 nationally on the apparatus.
WVU owns series advantages over each of its opponents this weekend – Maryland (30-13-1), Rutgers (46-0) and Denver (2-1).
