Gymnastics: WVU Ranked No. 25
February 22, 2010 04:21 PM | General
February 22, 2010
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| Chelsi Tabor |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following a five-week absence, West Virginia University’s gymnastics team is ranked No. 25 in this week’s GymInfo Poll.
The Mountaineers (11-4, 6-0 EAGL) earned the ranking on the strength of their 194.085 regional qualifying score (RQS). Today’s ranking matches the team’s Jan. 11 mark, the last time the squad appeared in the poll’s top 25. The Mountaineers also earned a No. 21 preseason ranking.
In addition to their team rank, the Mountaineers are also nationally ranked No. 19 on floor (48.81 RQS) and No. 24 on beam (48.195). WVU has been ranked inside the top 25 on floor each week this season, while the beam ranking is the team’s first of the year.
Junior Amy Bieski moved up to No. 32 on floor with a 9.815 RQS. The Nanticoke, Pa., native is also ranked 25th in all-around with a 38.895 RQS. Bieski owns four 39.0-plus scores this season, including two-straight 39.25 marks on Feb. 12 and Feb. 20, and has scored 39.0-plus 11 times over the course of her three-year career. She is now tied with Umme Salim and Amanda Halovanic for the most career 39.0-plus scores.
Senior Chelsi Tabor is also nationally ranked, checking in at No. 47 on the vault poll with a 9.81 RQS. The Beckley, W.Va., native and reigning EAGL vault champion is having a stellar final season and has scored 9.8 or better in five of seven meets this year.
The Mountaineers made a leap in this week’s regional beam rankings, moving up two spots to No. 4. The team also moved up one spot to No. 4 (48.46 RQS) on bars, and remained third on floor and fourth overall and on vault (48.71).
Bieski is regionally ranked on all five events this week. She is third in all-around, fourth on floor and 13th on vault (9.765), bars (9.75) and beam (9.675).
In total, 12 Mountaineers earned 22 regional rankings this week.
Tabor leads the vault lineup with a No. 6 ranking. Sophomore Tina Maloney is ranked No. 17 (9.71), while freshman Alaska Richardson is 22nd (9.635), senior Ashley Wilson is 23rd (9.63) and junior Emily Kerwin is 24th (9.585).
Sophomore Nicole Roach follows Bieski in the bars rankings at No. 15 (9.715). Wilson ranks 17th (9.66), while junior Faye Meaden is 19th (9.655) and Kerwin is 23rd (9.575).
Roach also follows Bieski in the beam rankings at No. 15 (9.605) as well. Seniors Shelly Purkat and Kiersten Spoerke are ranked 16th (9.595) and 23rd (9.385), respectively; freshman Chelsea Goldschrafe is also ranked 23rd.
Maloney joins Bieski in the floor top 10 at No. 10 (9.78). Spoerke follows at No. 12 (9.725), while junior Stephanie Keaton is 16th (9.675) and Meaden is 18th (9.65).
The Mountaineers move up three spots on beam on the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) poll to No. 1. WVU is also ranked No. 1 on floor. The team moves up one to No. 2 on vault, and remains second overall and third on bars.
Bieski is ranked No. 1 in all-around and on floor, while Tabor is tops in the vault rankings. Bieski also owns the No. 4 bars, No. 5 vault and No. 6 bars rankings.
Maloney is fourth on floor and 10th on vault, while Roach is seventh on bars and ninth on beam. Additionally, Spoerke ranks sixth on floor, and Wilson and Purkat are 10th on bars and beam, respectively.
This week’s poll is the first of the season based on RQS. Qualification for regional competition is based on a team’s and an all-around competitor’s six best regular-season meet scores, of which three must be from away meets. To obtain an RQS, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged.
The Mountaineers recently lost at then-No. 13 Penn State, 195.95-194.925, despite a frenzied comeback that spanned two rotations. WVU was outscored on each event but beam, where the Mountaineers defeated the Nittany Lions, 48.475-48.2. The squad scored 48.85 on vault, 48.7 on bars and 48.9 on floor. Bieski paced the Mountaineers and finished third overall with 39.25 points.
WVU stays on the road and travels to No. 11 Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 28, for a meet with No. 18 Denver and No. 20 Arizona. The quad-meet is scheduled for a 2 p.m. CT start.
