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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 24-ranked West Virginia University gymnastics team closes out its stretch of three straight road meets with a quad-meet at No. 19 Denver, with No. 13 Missouri and Western Michigan, on Saturday, March 3, at Hamilton Gymnasium, in Denver, Colo.

The Mountaineers (10-4, 5-1 EAGL) are 4-2 on the road this season, with wins at Bowling Green on Jan. 21 and at Maryland’s quad-meet on Feb. 18. WVU dropped dual-meets at No. 22 Michigan on Feb. 3 and at East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) foe New Hampshire (195.75-194.225) on Feb. 25.

WVU is 1-3 against ranked opponents this season, with its lone win a 195.175-193.65 victory against visiting No. 13 Auburn on Feb. 12.

“I really want this team to put together a complete meet this weekend,” says first-year coach Jason Butts. “We have been so close over the last month, and I feel like this will be our meet. Denver has a great crowd. I want us to hit 24-for-24 and put on a good show.

“We knew we were putting together a really good meet last week, and we learned that we can’t let that distract us. The team knew it could put together a good score, and everyone was super aggressive, and it backfired and didn’t work. We went back to the basics this week in the gym, and I think that will work in our favor.”

The Mountaineers enter Saturday’s meet with an advantage over each team, owing a 3-2 all-time edge over the Pioneers (6-4, 1-0 WAC) and the Tigers (7-3, 1-1 Big 12), and a 1-0 advantage over the Broncos (7-1, 4-1 MAC).

WVU upset Mizzou in the 2011 season opener, defeating the then-No. 13 Tigers, 194.5-191.575, in Cancun, and in the teams’ only previous meeting, defeated WMU, 191.225-189.525, at Michigan State in the 2010 season opener.

The Mountaineers and the Pioneers split their two meetings in 2010, with WVU winning, 194.6-192.85, at Maryland, and losing, 194.175-192.975, at Nebraska.

WVU opens the meet on beam, an event that troubled the squad in its loss at UNH last week, as the Mountaineers’ counted three falls toward their season-low 47.45 score. Through eight meets, the team ranks No. 27 in the nation, its first time out of the top 25 all season, with a 48.475 regional qualifying score (RQS). Sophomore Hope Sloanhoffer, ranked No. 38 in the nation with a 9.82 RQS, steadies the lineup and has scored 9.8 or better in the last four meets. Additionally, freshman Beth Deal, back from an ankle injury, returns to the lineup after a five-week absence and owns a 9.717 season average.

Juniors Alaska Richardson and Kaylyn Millick will anchor the Mountaineers’ floor lineup. Richardson, ranked No. 6 in the Southeast Region, owns a 9.815 RQS, while Millick has scored 9.8 or better in the last two meets.

WVU, coming off a season-best 49.2 score, will vault in the third rotation. The Mountaineers counted five scores of 9.8 or better at UNH, with senior Tina Maloney finishing first with a 9.875. Richardson and classmate Chelsea Goldschrafe tied for second place with 9.85s, matching Goldschrafe’s career best. Sloanhoffer paces the lineup with a 9.835 RQS and is nationally ranked No. 48.

The Mountaineers will close the meet on bars. Once a struggle for the squad, the team has improved substantially on the event over the course of the last month and jumped from No. 35 to No. 26 in this week’s national poll with a 48.675 RQS. Millick is tops on the team, having paced the lineup in the last four meets and scoring 9.9 and 9.85, respectively, in the last two competitions.

Sloanhoffer, Maloney and Millick will compete as all-arounders this weekend. Sloanhoffer is ranked No. 21 nationally with a 39.165 RQS and has owned the EAGL’s top ranking for seven straight weeks. The Cornwall, N.Y., native has won all five all-around competitions this season, including the last three, and has scored 39.0-plus in all but one meet.

The Pioneers are coming off a 196.4-193.75 home victory over Sacramento State, the team’s inaugural Western Athletic Conference (WAC) competition, on Feb. 25; the team’s score was a season high. Senior Louise Mercer led DU with a 9.975 bars score.

The Tigers also are coming off a win, having defeated Bowling Green, 196.25-193.825, on Feb. 24. Senior Mary Burke won the all-around title with a personal-best 39.475.

The Broncos scored a 194.225-191.6 win over Ball State on Feb. 26. The team’s score was boosted by a program-best 49.175 vault mark.