Gymnastics Scores Season High in Home Opener
January 25, 2015 05:49 PM | General
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Needing strong floor scores to keep pace with its opponents in the fourth rotation, the West Virginia University gymnastics team delivered, posting a season-best mark and pushing the team’s final score to a season-high 194.85 in its 2015 home opener at the WVU Coliseum.
The Mountaineers (1-4-1, 0-0-1) finished tied for second with No. 23 Iowa State. No. 25 George Washington earned the win with a 195.025 mark.
Trailing the Cyclones (1-3-1, 0-0-1) 146.25-145.9 after three rotations, the Mountaineers put forth their strongest floor lineup of the season, as five gymnast hit for 9.75 or better, giving the squad a meet-best 48.95 score and helping the team earn a tie in its 2015 Big 12 opener, its first tie since 2005. The floor showing was not enough to catch the Colonials, as GW (8-0, 2-0 EAGL) earned a meet-best 48.8 on beam for its second win over WVU this season.
“We keep making a lot of progress on floor, so I was happy to see that lineup step up today, hit six-for-six routines and secure the tie with Iowa State,” said Mountaineer coach Jason Butts. “We keep taking steps in the right direction, and that’s good for this team. We definitely fed off the home crowd – I was so happy to see so many fans in the stands. They were loud the entire meet and showed great support.”
Competing as an all-arounder for the first time this season, sophomore Nicolette Swoboda scored 39.0, the third-best score of her career, and finished in fifth place. ISU’s Caitlin Brown tallied 39.3 and finished first.
The Mountaineers opened the meet with a stellar showing on vault, as four gymnasts hit for 9.8 or better for a score of 49.025. Junior Jaida Lawrence picked up her 10th career vault victory with a 9.875 showing. Swoboda preceded Lawrence in the lineup and tallied a 9.825, good enough for fourth place. Senior Dayah Haley opened the lineup with a 9.8 and tied freshman Zaakira Muhammad for sixth place.
“We had better landings on vault last week, but our vaults were there, so overall I was happy with that rotation,” explained Butts. “Jaida continues to show that she’s one of the best vaulters in the country. She is that lineup’s rock, and she keeps getting better and better as the confidence in her landings grows.”
Sophomore Alexa Goldberg paced WVU to a season-high 48.45 score on bars in the second rotation, as the Ivyland, Pennsylvania, native earned the event win with a 9.85 score. The victory is her second in three weeks and seventh career win. Sophomore Brooklyn Doggette scored a career-high 9.725 in her Coliseum debut and finished eighth overall. Swoboda and freshman Robyn Bernard each tallied 9.65 scores.
“We were a little conservative with our handstands today,” said Butts. “We need to be more aggressive on this event, but there is improvement. We just need to keep trending up. Also – Alexa is so solid for this lineup, and she proved again today that the team can count on her to hit.”
Three scores of 9.75 or better helped the Mountaineers tally 48.425 on beam in the third rotation. Senior Beth Deal paced for the third straight week and finished tied for second place with a 9.825 score, while Swoboda and junior Melissa Idell finished second on the team, eighth overall, with matching 9.75s. Additionally, freshman Jordan Gillette made her Mountaineer career debut and earned a 9.6 mark.
“I’m thrilled that we’re staying on the beam this season and not counting falls, but we’re still competing scared,” said Butts. “This team needs to figure out a way to compete beam the way they practice in Cary Gym.”
Haley matched her career-best floor score of 9.85 in the tense fourth rotation and tied for second place; the mark was her first 9.8+ floor score of the season. Idell hit her season-high score of 9.8 for the second straight week and opened the lineup with a fourth-place finish. Additionally, Goldberg and Swoboda each hit for a season-high 9.775 and finished tied for sixth place, while senior Brittney Harris tallied 9.75, also a season best, and finished in ninth place.
Today’s tie is the first in the series between WVU and ISU. The Cyclones continue to own a 4-2-1 all-time advantage. Despite the defeat, the Mountaineers maintain a 46-3 edge in the all-time series with GW.
The Mountaineers return to the road next week and travel to NC State on Saturday, Jan. 31, for a quad-meet with North Carolina and William & Mary. Competition from Reynolds Coliseum will begin at 7 p.m.
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