Gymnastics: WVU Home With No. 8 Arkansas
March 09, 2012 03:25 PM | General
LIVE STATS | VIDEO FEED
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team returns to the WVU Coliseum after three consecutive road meets for its home season finale against No. 8-ranked Arkansas, tomorrow, March 10, at 6 p.m.
Saturday’s meet is “Senior Night,” and Tina Maloney and Nicole Roach will be honored prior to the competition’s award ceremony. Additionally, the first 200 children inside the Coliseum will receive a free light-up wand, while the first 50 Maniacs will receive a WVU t-shirt and free food from Qdoba.
The Mountaineers (13-4, 5-1 EAGL) face a ranked opponent for the second straight week. WVU, ranked in the Top 25 each week this season before falling out of the GymInfo Poll on March 5, are 3-3 against ranked squads this year.
“After being on the road for three weeks, it’s going to be nice to compete in front of our fans again,” says first-year coach Jason Butts. “We may shuffle some lineups this week, and that’s OK since we will have the comfort of competing at home. This week is really going to help us solidify everything for the postseason.
“We’re looking for a great meet atmosphere, and we want to send our seniors off in style. This is the first class that I was fully involved in the recruiting process. Nicole and Tina have had a great stand at the Coliseum, and we’re looking to add to that legacy tomorrow.”
WVU is 6-2 at the Coliseum this season, most recently scoring 195.175 in a loss to then-No. 11 Ohio State (195.45) and wins over No. 13 Auburn (193.65) and Ball State (191.775) on Feb. 12. The squad scored a season-best 195.775 at home on Jan. 29.
The all-time series between the Mountaineers and the Razorbacks (10-5, 5-3 SEC) is tied, 3-3. WVU lost at Arkansas last season, 196.525-194.925. The Mountaineers last defeated the Razorbacks, 194.2-194.025, at Florida in 2006.
“I think we’re just as good as the Razorbacks, and we will use the confidence we gained on the road to our advantage this weekend,” says Butts. “We each have 24 10.0 start values. The meet is going to come down to execution and hitting the routines. I would love to have another home upset against a team from the Southeastern Conference.”
Despite losing its national ranking, the squad continues to prove it is one of the nation’s best power teams and ranks No. 19 on vault and No. 21 on floor this week.
Sophomore Hope Sloanhoffer enters the meet ranked No. 22 in the all-around with a 39.165 regional qualifying score (RQS). The Cornwall, N.Y., native has scored 39.0-plus in all but one meet this year and has won five all-around competitions. Also ranked No. 44 (9.855) on vault and No. 45 (9.82) on beam, she has tallied 16 scores of 9.8 or better this year.
The Razorbacks enter the meet ranked No. 5 on vault and bars, No. 7 on floor and No. 14 on beam. Sophomore All-American Katherine Grable is ranked No. 1 nationally in the all-around for the second straight week, while senior All-American Jaime Pisani is ranked No. 2 on floor and No. 5 in the all-around.
The Mountaineers open tomorrow’s meet on vault and are coming off their second straight 49.0-plus performance, having won the event at Denver on March 3 with a 49.0 score. Sloanhoffer paced the unit with a season-best 9.9 score, while juniors Chelsea Goldschrafe and Alaska Richardson scored 9.825 and 9.8, respectively. The duo owns a combined nine 9.8-plus vault scores this season. Additionally, Maloney looks for her second straight 9.9-plus score at home.
After finishing third at Denver with a 9.825, sophomore Erica Smith again will anchor the Mountaineers’ bars lineup. In four hit routines this season, the Blue Springs, Mo., native has scored 9.825 or better three times. Roach, a three-time first team All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League bars honoree, finished fifth last week with a 9.775 mark and owns a career-best score of 9.875.
Smith will open the Mountaineers’ beam lineup this week; her routine will be the first of her collegiate career. The one-two-three punch of junior Kaylyn Millick, Sloanhoffer and freshman Beth Deal will anchor the lineup; each gymnast has scored 9.825 or better this year.
Following a season-best road score of 48.95, WVU will conclude the meet with its best event – floor. Richardson, ranked No. 47 in the nation with a 9.835 RQS, will compete in the lineup’s No. 5 position, while Millick will anchor the event. Richardson matched her career-best score last week with a winning 9.875 routine. The Dayton, Ohio, native only has scored lower than 9.775 once this season and has tallied five marks of 9.825-plus. Millick, a Washington, Pa., native, has scored 9.8 or better in all but one of her seven routines this season.
WVU concluded its three week road trip with a first-place finish at Denver’s quad-meet with a 194.175 score. The Mountaineers trumped then-No. 19 Denver (194.1), No. 13 Missouri (194.025) and Western Michigan (193.825).
The Razorbacks closed out their regular-season home schedule with a 196.325-195.475 win over No. 18 Minnesota on March 2.
Fans can purchase tickets to Saturday’s meet at the door, with tickets for adults available for $5 each and for youth and seniors for $3 each. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $2 each
A free WVU student shuttle bus will be available from the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop for an hour leading up to the meet’s start time. Return service to the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop also will be available at the meet’s conclusion.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team returns to the WVU Coliseum after three consecutive road meets for its home season finale against No. 8-ranked Arkansas, tomorrow, March 10, at 6 p.m.
Saturday’s meet is “Senior Night,” and Tina Maloney and Nicole Roach will be honored prior to the competition’s award ceremony. Additionally, the first 200 children inside the Coliseum will receive a free light-up wand, while the first 50 Maniacs will receive a WVU t-shirt and free food from Qdoba.
The Mountaineers (13-4, 5-1 EAGL) face a ranked opponent for the second straight week. WVU, ranked in the Top 25 each week this season before falling out of the GymInfo Poll on March 5, are 3-3 against ranked squads this year.
“After being on the road for three weeks, it’s going to be nice to compete in front of our fans again,” says first-year coach Jason Butts. “We may shuffle some lineups this week, and that’s OK since we will have the comfort of competing at home. This week is really going to help us solidify everything for the postseason.
“We’re looking for a great meet atmosphere, and we want to send our seniors off in style. This is the first class that I was fully involved in the recruiting process. Nicole and Tina have had a great stand at the Coliseum, and we’re looking to add to that legacy tomorrow.”
WVU is 6-2 at the Coliseum this season, most recently scoring 195.175 in a loss to then-No. 11 Ohio State (195.45) and wins over No. 13 Auburn (193.65) and Ball State (191.775) on Feb. 12. The squad scored a season-best 195.775 at home on Jan. 29.
The all-time series between the Mountaineers and the Razorbacks (10-5, 5-3 SEC) is tied, 3-3. WVU lost at Arkansas last season, 196.525-194.925. The Mountaineers last defeated the Razorbacks, 194.2-194.025, at Florida in 2006.
“I think we’re just as good as the Razorbacks, and we will use the confidence we gained on the road to our advantage this weekend,” says Butts. “We each have 24 10.0 start values. The meet is going to come down to execution and hitting the routines. I would love to have another home upset against a team from the Southeastern Conference.”
Despite losing its national ranking, the squad continues to prove it is one of the nation’s best power teams and ranks No. 19 on vault and No. 21 on floor this week.
Sophomore Hope Sloanhoffer enters the meet ranked No. 22 in the all-around with a 39.165 regional qualifying score (RQS). The Cornwall, N.Y., native has scored 39.0-plus in all but one meet this year and has won five all-around competitions. Also ranked No. 44 (9.855) on vault and No. 45 (9.82) on beam, she has tallied 16 scores of 9.8 or better this year.
The Razorbacks enter the meet ranked No. 5 on vault and bars, No. 7 on floor and No. 14 on beam. Sophomore All-American Katherine Grable is ranked No. 1 nationally in the all-around for the second straight week, while senior All-American Jaime Pisani is ranked No. 2 on floor and No. 5 in the all-around.
The Mountaineers open tomorrow’s meet on vault and are coming off their second straight 49.0-plus performance, having won the event at Denver on March 3 with a 49.0 score. Sloanhoffer paced the unit with a season-best 9.9 score, while juniors Chelsea Goldschrafe and Alaska Richardson scored 9.825 and 9.8, respectively. The duo owns a combined nine 9.8-plus vault scores this season. Additionally, Maloney looks for her second straight 9.9-plus score at home.
After finishing third at Denver with a 9.825, sophomore Erica Smith again will anchor the Mountaineers’ bars lineup. In four hit routines this season, the Blue Springs, Mo., native has scored 9.825 or better three times. Roach, a three-time first team All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League bars honoree, finished fifth last week with a 9.775 mark and owns a career-best score of 9.875.
Smith will open the Mountaineers’ beam lineup this week; her routine will be the first of her collegiate career. The one-two-three punch of junior Kaylyn Millick, Sloanhoffer and freshman Beth Deal will anchor the lineup; each gymnast has scored 9.825 or better this year.
Following a season-best road score of 48.95, WVU will conclude the meet with its best event – floor. Richardson, ranked No. 47 in the nation with a 9.835 RQS, will compete in the lineup’s No. 5 position, while Millick will anchor the event. Richardson matched her career-best score last week with a winning 9.875 routine. The Dayton, Ohio, native only has scored lower than 9.775 once this season and has tallied five marks of 9.825-plus. Millick, a Washington, Pa., native, has scored 9.8 or better in all but one of her seven routines this season.
WVU concluded its three week road trip with a first-place finish at Denver’s quad-meet with a 194.175 score. The Mountaineers trumped then-No. 19 Denver (194.1), No. 13 Missouri (194.025) and Western Michigan (193.825).
The Razorbacks closed out their regular-season home schedule with a 196.325-195.475 win over No. 18 Minnesota on March 2.
Fans can purchase tickets to Saturday’s meet at the door, with tickets for adults available for $5 each and for youth and seniors for $3 each. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $2 each
A free WVU student shuttle bus will be available from the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop for an hour leading up to the meet’s start time. Return service to the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop also will be available at the meet’s conclusion.
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