Gymnastics: WVU Opens Season at Quad Meet
January 07, 2010 09:18 AM | General
January 7, 2010
WVU at Michigan State Notes
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| Amy Bieski |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 21-ranked West Virginia University gymnastics team opens its 2010 season at No. 24 Michigan State, with No. 11 Penn State and Western Michigan, on Friday, Jan. 8, at 6 p.m. at Jenison Field House.
This is the second-straight year the Mountaineers have traveled to East Lansing, Mich., in early January. After opening the 2009 season with a loss at then-No. 1 Georgia, WVU went 1-2 at MSU on Jan. 17 with a win over Illinois State and losses to the Spartans and Iowa.
Friday’s meet will be the first of the year for all four teams, and the first between the Mountaineers and the Broncos. WVU owns a 10-9-1 series advantage over the Spartans; last year’s 194.2-193.7 loss was the last time the two squads met.
PSU scored a narrow 196.225-195.925 victory at the WVU Coliseum last season. The Nittany Lions own a 31-6 advantage in the 31-year series. The two teams will meet again on Feb. 20 in a dual-meet in State College, Pa.
“I think all four teams could win this meet,” says 36-year coach Linda Burdette-Good. “The win will come down to which team is most prepared for the season opener, and who can hit the most routines.
“I have told the team throughout fall practice that each of them must be prepared to step-up at any given moment. I think this team is focused and determined to do well. I know they are excited to start competing. As a whole, this team is prepared to hit 24-for-24 this season. If we can do that, I believe great things are in store for us.”
Burdette-Good (612-244-4) returns 14 Mountaineers from a 2009 squad that went 15-8 and finished second in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) with a 10-2 record. WVU also finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional, the program’s 26th regional appearance.
Leading the corps of returnees are seniors Shelly Purkat, Kiersten Spoerke, Chelsi Tabor and Ashley Wilson.
Purkat and Wilson look to defend their respective beam and vault EAGL titles from one season ago, while Spoerke, a 2009 first team all-EAGL beam and floor honoree, will again anchor the beam lineup and contribute on floor. Wilson, a two-time team captain, looks to solidify an already strong vault and bars lineups.
Junior Amy Bieski, an eight-time all-EAGL performer, is the lone Mountaineer all-arounder honoree. The Nanticoke, Pa., native enters her third season with 969.55 points and should eclipse the 1,000-point plateau on Friday.
Sophomore Tina Maloney is the third reigning Mountaineer EAGL champion, as the Hanover, Pa., native tied Tabor for the vault title last season.
Four freshmen also join the Mountaineers this season – Hailey Fairchild, Chelsea Goldschrafe, Arlene Hathaway and Alaska Richardson.
Fans can track the Mountaineers’ progress on Friday by visiting www.MSUSpartans.com for live stats.
