Gymnastics Tallies Career Bests in Defeats
January 17, 2015 06:10 PM | General
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The West Virginia University gymnastics team made the most of seven career-high scores and tallied a season-best 194.175 in a third-place showing at No. 15 Ohio State, today, at St. John Arena.
No. 5 Michigan (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) scored 196.975 and finished in first place, while the host Buckeyes (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) tallied 195.025 and placed second.
Riding a 146.475 score into the fourth rotation and sitting in second place, the Mountaineers (1-3) were done in by three falls on the uneven bars. Fortunately, the three hit routines were all for 9.8 or better, including two career-high scores, preserving the squad’s season-high finish.
“I was very happy through the first three rotations today,” said fourth-year coach Jason Butts. “We improved so much on those events. Vault was just fantastic, and beam was good, if not a little shaky. We gave away some tenths there, but we can get them back. We also had huge improvements on floor.
“Unfortunately, our bars performance was totally unacceptable. We cannot expect to advance in postseason if that’s how we’re going to compete on the road. We need to get back into Cary Gym this week and correct these uncharacteristic mistakes.”
WVU opened the meet hitting six-for-six on beam for the second straight week. The Mountaineers tallied a 48.725 score, a mark that would have ranked fifth among the team’s scores last season. The backend of the Mountaineers’ beam lineup looked very solid, as each gymnast scored a season high. Senior Beth Deal anchored with a winning, 9.875 showing for her fifth career beam victory. Junior Melissa Idell competed in the fifth spot and scored a career-high 9.8, good enough for sixth place. In her first beam appearance of the season, sophomore Nicolette Swoboda scored 9.775 and finished eighth.
The Mountaineers continued to hit in the second rotation, scoring 48.55 on floor. Idell opened the rotation with a season-best 9.8, giving her a share of sixth place. Senior Dayah Haley anchored with a 9.775, tying her for ninth place. Additionally, sophomore Alexa Goldberg tallied 9.7.
The third rotation belonged to the Mountaineers, as three hit or set career highs on vault and the squad scored 49.2, its first 49.0+ mark of the year. The score, a meet-best team total, was WVU’s highest vault mark since earning 49.25 at the WVU Coliseum on Feb. 24, 2013.
Junior Jaida Lawrence led the way with a second place, 9.9 showing, the team’s first 9.9+ score of the year. Swoboda finished second on the team, third overall, with a 9.85, while Haley and freshman Zaakira Muhammad each scored a career-best 9.825 and tied for seventh place. Additionally, in her first career vault, freshman Robyn Bernard tallied 9.8 and finished 10th.
Goldberg paced the Mountaineers’ bars lineup, earning a season-high 9.875 and tying for second place. Junior Lindsey Litten matched her career-high score of 9.825 and tied for sixth place, while Muhammad tallied a career-high 9.8 and finished in ninth place.
UM’s Sachi Sugiyama won the all-around with a 39.45 score. WVU did not have an all-around competitor.
With the losses, WVU drops to 4-19 all-time against UM and 12-17 against OSU.
The Mountaineers open their 2015 home and Big 12 Conference seasons on Sunday, Jan. 25, against Iowa State and No. 19 George Washington, at 2 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum. It’s “Poster Day,” and the 2015 schedule poster will be available for all fans to pick up. The team will meet with fans and sign posters at “Chalk Talk” following the competition.
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