Gymnastics: WVU Finishes Second
February 20, 2011 05:10 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Behind a career best, first place all-round effort from senior Amy Bieski, the West Virginia gymnastics team posted a season-high 195.225 and finished second overall, today, at the WVU Coliseum, in front of 1,579 fans.
No. 1 Florida (11-0, 5-0 SEC) scored 196.875 and finished first, while East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) foes New Hampshire (8-5, 3-2 EAGL) and George Washington (8-9, 1-4 EAGL) scored 194.4 and 193.05, respectively, and finished in third and fourth place.
The Mountaineers (8-5, 5-1 EAGL) enjoyed their season-best meet before the second-largest regular season crowd since 2002.
“We competed against the No. 1 team in the country today, and we performed as if they weren’t here, which is good,” says 37-year coach Linda Burdette-Good. “For us to be successful in a championship meet, that is how we need to compete. Now, we just need to get rid of these falls to reach our full potential. We are skilled enough to score at least 49.0 on each event.”
Bieski scored 39.325, her best mark since 2008, and finished first overall. The point total is the 15th-best in program history and trumps the Nanticoke, Pa., native’s previous high of 39.275.
Bieski’s day included a second-place finish on bars with a career-high 9.875 score. She also finished fifth on vault (9.85) and floor (9.825), and sixth on beam (9.775).
“I was so happy for Amy today,” Burdette-Good says. “She was able to block out a lot of outside noise and focus. She is a tough, competitive gymnast and competed that way.”
Today’s score, the 21st 39.0-plus mark of Bieski’s career, pushes her career point total to 1,784.925. She continues to rank eighth on the all-time WVU career points list and needs 10.4 points to pass Beth Foltz (1,795.325, 1988-91) for seventh place.
“I was really happy with the meet, especially because I was not sure if I would compete today because of a nagging injury,” says Bieski. “Overall, I think the team had a lot of energy today – we really enjoyed competing in front of such a great crowd. Our skills are all there right now, and we just need to work on the little things in the gym this week. I know our score is going to continue to climb.”
Gator Ashanée Dickerson finished second overall (39.225), while GW’s Betsy Zander placed third (38.775). Additionally, in her first career meet as an all-arounder, junior Tina Maloney scored 38.15 and finished eighth overall.
The Mountaineers finished second on bars (49.0), beam (48.3) and floor (48.925), and third on vault (49.0).
WVU opened the meet strong, scoring a 49.0 on vault. UF scored 49.2 on bars in the first rotation and gained a lead it would never relinquish. GW tallied 48.625 on floor, while UNH earned 47.8 on beam.
Maloney paced the Mountaineers’ opening rotation and matched her career best with a first place, 9.9 score. Bieski followed Maloney in the rotation and the standings with a 9.85 mark, good enough for fifth place. Sophomore Chelsea Goldschrafe preceded Maloney with a 9.775 score.
The Mountaineers earned a season-best 49.0 score on bars and pushed their team total to 98.0 through two rotations. WVU’s point total was its best since scoring 49.1 on March 8, 2009. The Gators earned 49.3 on beam (98.5), while the Colonials scored 48.35 on vault (96.975) and the Wildcats scored 48.725 (96.525) on floor.
WVU counted three career-best marks on bars, with Bieski’s second place, 9.875 career-best performance highlighted the squad’s stellar rotation. She had previously scored 9.825 once every season since 2008. Senior Emily Kerwin followed in the rotation and finished second on the team, fourth overall, with a career-best 9.825. Junior Nicole Roach was the third Mountaineer to post 9.8 or better and matched her season high with a 9.8 score, good enough for seventh place. Additionally, sophomore Kaylyn Millick and senior Alysha Pretzello each scored 9.75, a career-best for Millick, while Maloney tallied 9.625 points in her bars career debut.
The Mountaineers’ beam score of 48.3 in the third rotation pushed their team total to 146.3. UF scored 49.125 on floor (147.625), while UNH assumed third place with a 49.125 vault showing (145.65). GW tallied 48.0 on bars and fell to fourth place (144.975).
Freshman Hope Sloanhoffer, ranked No. 2 in the EAGL, anchored the Mountaineers’ beam lineup and finished fourth overall with a 9.85 score; the mark was the third best of the meet. Bieski finished sixth overall with a 9.775, while Goldschrafe and classmate Arlene Hathaway posted 9.725 and 9.7, respectively, and finished in eighth and 10th place. The mark was Hathaway’s her best score in the WVU Coliseum.
WVU iced its second-place finish with a strong 48.925 floor rotation. The Gators scored 49.25 on vault to secure their overall victory, while UNH earned 48.75 on bars and GW posted 48.075 on beam.
A trio of Mountaineers scored 9.8 or better to pace the team on floor. Sloanhoffer finished behind a pair of Gators and tied for third place with a 9.85 showing. Bieski scored 9.825 and finished fifth overall, while Millick tallied 9.8 and placed seventh.
With today’s wins, WVU improves to 25-7 and 40-1 all-time against UNH and GW, respectively. The Mountaineers drop to 11-2 in the all-time series with UF. Additionally, today’s victories push the squad’s all-time record against EAGL opponents to 257-63-3 (.794).
The Mountaineers return to the Coliseum next Saturday, Feb. 26, and play host to EAGL foe North Carolina, at 7 p.m. The contest is a Pink Meet, and fans are encouraged to wear pink to promote breast cancer awareness.
No. 1 Florida (11-0, 5-0 SEC) scored 196.875 and finished first, while East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) foes New Hampshire (8-5, 3-2 EAGL) and George Washington (8-9, 1-4 EAGL) scored 194.4 and 193.05, respectively, and finished in third and fourth place.
The Mountaineers (8-5, 5-1 EAGL) enjoyed their season-best meet before the second-largest regular season crowd since 2002.
“We competed against the No. 1 team in the country today, and we performed as if they weren’t here, which is good,” says 37-year coach Linda Burdette-Good. “For us to be successful in a championship meet, that is how we need to compete. Now, we just need to get rid of these falls to reach our full potential. We are skilled enough to score at least 49.0 on each event.”
Bieski scored 39.325, her best mark since 2008, and finished first overall. The point total is the 15th-best in program history and trumps the Nanticoke, Pa., native’s previous high of 39.275.
Bieski’s day included a second-place finish on bars with a career-high 9.875 score. She also finished fifth on vault (9.85) and floor (9.825), and sixth on beam (9.775).
“I was so happy for Amy today,” Burdette-Good says. “She was able to block out a lot of outside noise and focus. She is a tough, competitive gymnast and competed that way.”
Today’s score, the 21st 39.0-plus mark of Bieski’s career, pushes her career point total to 1,784.925. She continues to rank eighth on the all-time WVU career points list and needs 10.4 points to pass Beth Foltz (1,795.325, 1988-91) for seventh place.
“I was really happy with the meet, especially because I was not sure if I would compete today because of a nagging injury,” says Bieski. “Overall, I think the team had a lot of energy today – we really enjoyed competing in front of such a great crowd. Our skills are all there right now, and we just need to work on the little things in the gym this week. I know our score is going to continue to climb.”
Gator Ashanée Dickerson finished second overall (39.225), while GW’s Betsy Zander placed third (38.775). Additionally, in her first career meet as an all-arounder, junior Tina Maloney scored 38.15 and finished eighth overall.
The Mountaineers finished second on bars (49.0), beam (48.3) and floor (48.925), and third on vault (49.0).
WVU opened the meet strong, scoring a 49.0 on vault. UF scored 49.2 on bars in the first rotation and gained a lead it would never relinquish. GW tallied 48.625 on floor, while UNH earned 47.8 on beam.
Maloney paced the Mountaineers’ opening rotation and matched her career best with a first place, 9.9 score. Bieski followed Maloney in the rotation and the standings with a 9.85 mark, good enough for fifth place. Sophomore Chelsea Goldschrafe preceded Maloney with a 9.775 score.
The Mountaineers earned a season-best 49.0 score on bars and pushed their team total to 98.0 through two rotations. WVU’s point total was its best since scoring 49.1 on March 8, 2009. The Gators earned 49.3 on beam (98.5), while the Colonials scored 48.35 on vault (96.975) and the Wildcats scored 48.725 (96.525) on floor.
WVU counted three career-best marks on bars, with Bieski’s second place, 9.875 career-best performance highlighted the squad’s stellar rotation. She had previously scored 9.825 once every season since 2008. Senior Emily Kerwin followed in the rotation and finished second on the team, fourth overall, with a career-best 9.825. Junior Nicole Roach was the third Mountaineer to post 9.8 or better and matched her season high with a 9.8 score, good enough for seventh place. Additionally, sophomore Kaylyn Millick and senior Alysha Pretzello each scored 9.75, a career-best for Millick, while Maloney tallied 9.625 points in her bars career debut.
The Mountaineers’ beam score of 48.3 in the third rotation pushed their team total to 146.3. UF scored 49.125 on floor (147.625), while UNH assumed third place with a 49.125 vault showing (145.65). GW tallied 48.0 on bars and fell to fourth place (144.975).
Freshman Hope Sloanhoffer, ranked No. 2 in the EAGL, anchored the Mountaineers’ beam lineup and finished fourth overall with a 9.85 score; the mark was the third best of the meet. Bieski finished sixth overall with a 9.775, while Goldschrafe and classmate Arlene Hathaway posted 9.725 and 9.7, respectively, and finished in eighth and 10th place. The mark was Hathaway’s her best score in the WVU Coliseum.
WVU iced its second-place finish with a strong 48.925 floor rotation. The Gators scored 49.25 on vault to secure their overall victory, while UNH earned 48.75 on bars and GW posted 48.075 on beam.
A trio of Mountaineers scored 9.8 or better to pace the team on floor. Sloanhoffer finished behind a pair of Gators and tied for third place with a 9.85 showing. Bieski scored 9.825 and finished fifth overall, while Millick tallied 9.8 and placed seventh.
With today’s wins, WVU improves to 25-7 and 40-1 all-time against UNH and GW, respectively. The Mountaineers drop to 11-2 in the all-time series with UF. Additionally, today’s victories push the squad’s all-time record against EAGL opponents to 257-63-3 (.794).
The Mountaineers return to the Coliseum next Saturday, Feb. 26, and play host to EAGL foe North Carolina, at 7 p.m. The contest is a Pink Meet, and fans are encouraged to wear pink to promote breast cancer awareness.
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