Gymnastics: WVU Climbs Polls
February 15, 2010 03:57 PM | General
February 15, 2010
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| Amy Bieski |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following a season-best 49.075 score on Feb. 5, the West Virginia University gymnastics team pushed its floor exercise average to 48.808 and moved up to No. 16 in today’s GymInfo Poll.
The Mountaineers’ (11-3, 6-0) floor lineup continues to be the squad’s strongest sextet, as the lineup has earned a national top 25 ranking each week this season. The team was ranked No. 17 last week with a 48.755 average.
WVU’s season-best 195.65 team score in a win over Ohio State (192.8) on Feb. 12 pushed its average to 193.729; the Mountaineers remain just outside the top 25 at No. 26.
With six meets complete, the Mountaineers own a 193.345 team regional qualifying score (RQS). An RQS is based on a team’s top six scores, three of which must be from an away meet, with the highest score eliminated and the remaining five marks averaged. Due to the high number of teams still without an RQS, this week’s polls were determined by averages. Rankings by RQS will begin on Feb. 22.
Junior Amy Bieski benefitted from a winning 9.875 floor showing against the Buckeyes, as she moved up five spots to No. 40 this week. The Nanticoke, Pa., native has been ranked in the national top 50 all season and owns a 9.805 RQS.
The Mountaineers remain at No. 4 in the southeast region. The squad also stayed steady at No. 4 (48.65 avg., 48.605 RQS) on vault and No. 5 (48.338 avg., 48.225 RQS) on bars, while moving up one to No. 6 (47.933 avg., 47.76 RQS) on beam and moving down one to No. 3 (48.755 RQS) on floor.
Bieski is the lone Mountaineer ranked in the region’s top 10, as she sits at No. 5 on floor and No. 8 in the all-around (38.754 avg., 38.655 RQS). She is also tied for 18th on vault (9.763 avg., 9.76 RQS).
In total, six Mountaineers are regionally ranked on floor: No. 10 Shelly Purkat (9.788 avg.), No. 13 Naja Johnson (9.775 avg.), No. 15 Tina Maloney (9.771 avg., 9.755 RQS), No. 16 Kiersten Spoerke (9.742 avg., 9.725 RQS) and No. 25 Stephanie Keaton (9.685 avg.).
Senior Chelsi Tabor paces the vault and beam lineups and is ranked No. 11 (9.8 avg., 9.785 RQS) and No. 14 (9.719 avg.), respectively.
Joining Tabor and Bieski with vault rankings are No. 22 Keaton (9.75 avg.) and No. 25 Maloney (9.7 avg., 9.69 RQS). Purkat joins Tabor on the beam poll with a No. 21 ranking (9.621 avg., 9.58 RQS).
Junior Alysha Pretzello leads the bars corps with a No. 15 ranking (9.725 avg.). Sophomore Nicole Roach checks-in at No. 17 (9.7 avg., 9.675 RQS), while Pretzello’s classmate, Emily Kerwin, is ranked 18th (9.695 avg.).
The Mountaineers own the East Atlantic Gymnastics League’s (EAGL) No. 1 floor ranking for the first time since Jan. 11. The team moves up one position to No. 4 on beam, and holds steady at No. 2 overall and No. 3 on vault and bars.
Bieski and Tabor own multiple EAGL rankings. Bieski is No. 5 on floor and all-around, while Tabor is No. 6 on vault and No. 7 on beam.
Pretzello and Roach are ranked sixth and 10th, respectively, on bars, while Purkat and Johnson are No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, on floor.
WVU’s recent win over OSU included victories on each apparatus with season-high scores. The Mountaineers tallied 48.875 on vault, 48.9 on bars, 48.8 on beam and 49.075 on floor. Bieski finished first overall with 39.25 points, her third 39.0-plus score of the season, and tied Roach for the bars win with 9.825 points. Tabor and classmate Ashley Wilson tied for first on vault with 9.8s, while Purkat and Spoerke tied for the beam win with 9.825 points.
The Mountaineers open a two-meet road trip at No. 13 Penn State on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., in State College, Pa. WVU fell to the Nittany Lions, 193.9-191.225, in its season opener at Michigan State on Jan. 8.
