Three Gymnasts Nationally Ranked
January 19, 2015 03:45 PM | General
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Following a 9.9 vault at Ohio State, junior Jaida Lawrence ranks No. 40 nationally with a 9.85 season average.
Photo by Steven Prunty
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Three from the West Virginia University gymnastics team are nationally ranked in this week’s GymInfo Poll.
Sophomore Alexa Goldberg moves up three spots to No. 20 on uneven bars with a 9.863 season average. The Ivyland, Pennsylvania, native, scored a season-best 9.875 and finished in a tie for second place at Ohio State on Jan. 17.
Two Mountaineers enter the national rankings this week, as senior Beth Deal checks in at No. 37 (9.825 avg.) on balance beam, and junior Jaida Lawrence ranks No. 40 (9.85 avg.) on vault. Deal tied for the event win at OSU with a season-high 9.875 mark, while Lawrence tied for second with a season-high 9.9; the score was the team’s first 9.9+ mark of the year.
Additionally, WVU ranks No. 14 in the nation on vault with a 49.013 average. The Mountaineers tallied a meet-best 49.2 at OSU, their first 49.0+ score of the year and the team’s top vault mark since earning 49.25 at the WVU Coliseum on Feb. 24, 2013.
Oklahoma and Florida, the defending co-National Champions, are tied at No. 1 this week with 197.063 averages. LSU ranks No. 3 (196.863 avg.), and Michigan and Utah are tied at No. 5 (196.788 avg.).
The Mountaineers rank No. 5 (193.838 avg.) in the Southeast Region for the second straight week. The squad ranks No. 3 on vault, No. 4 (48.413 avg.) on balance beam, No. 7 (48.425 avg.) on floor and No. 8 (47.988 avg.) on bars.
Goldberg owns the squad’s top regional ranking and checks in at No. 6 on bars. She is followed by junior Lindsey Litten at No. 23 (9.725 avg.).
Five Mountaineers are regionally ranked on vault, paced by Lawrence at No. 7. Senior Dayah Haley and freshman Zaakira Muhammad rank No. 12 (9.813 avg.), while freshman Robyn Bernard is No. 19 (9.8 avg.) and sophomore Nicolette Swoboda is No. 22 (9.788 avg.).
Deal ranks No. 9 on beam, with Swoboda sitting at No. 11 (9.775 avg.) and junior Melissa Idell following at No. 16 (9.75 avg.). Additionally, Haley ranks No. 23 (9.75 avg.) on floor.
The Mountaineers rank No. 3 in the Big 12 Conference this week. The squad is No. 2 on vault and No. 3 on bars, beam and floor.
Multiple Mountaineers are ranked in the Big 12 on each event. Goldberg again shows the team’s top ranking and sits at No. 4 on bars. Litten follows at No. 9. On beam, Deal is No. 5, while Swoboda is No. 8 and Idell is No. 9. Lawrence paces on vault at No. 5, and Muhammad and Haley follow at No. 8. Haley also ranks No. 9 on floor, and Idell is No. 10 (9.725 avg.).
WVU (1-3) finished third at OSU with a season-high 194.175 score. The Wolverines tallied 196.975 and finished first, while the then-No. 15 Buckeyes scored 195.025 and finished second.
The Mountaineers open their home and Big 12 Conference seasons on Sunday, Jan. 25, against No. 23 Iowa State and No. 25 George Washington, at 2 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum. It is “Poster Day,” and the 2015 schedule poster will be available for all fans to pick up. The team will meet with fans and sign the posters at “Chalk Talk” following the competition.
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