Four Gymnasts Nationally Ranked
January 26, 2015 02:14 PM | General
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Sophomore Alexa Goldberg has earned a score of 9.85 or better on bars in each meet this season.
Photo by Steven Prunty
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A season-high four from the West Virginia University gymnastics team are nationally ranked in this week’s GymInfo Poll.
Sophomore Alexa Goldberg ranks No. 20 (9.858 avg.) on the uneven bars for the second straight week. The Ivyland, Pennsylvania, native has not scored below 9.85 this season and owns two event wins.
Senior Beth Deal is up four spots to No. 33 (9.825 avg.) on balance beam, while junior Jaida Lawrence is down one spot to No. 41 (9.858 avg.) on vault. Additionally, sophomore Nicolette Swoboda enters the all-around rankings at No. 40 (39.0 avg.). The Westbury, New York, native competed in the all-around for the first time on January 25 and finished fifth with a 39.0 score, her third-best career all-around mark.
As a team, the Mountaineers drop one spot to No. 15 on vault with a 49.017 season average.
Oklahoma ranks No. 1 (197.325 avg.) for the third straight week. LSU is up to No. 2 (197.025 avg.), and Florida drops to No. 3 (196.975 avg.). Michigan is No. 4 (196.808 avg.), and Utah is No. 5 (196.767 avg.).
Regionally, the Mountaineers again rank No. 5 in the Southeast Region with a 194.175 average. The squad ranks No. 3 on vault, No. 5 (48.6 avg.) on floor, No. 7 (48.471 avg.) on beam and No. 8 (48.142 avg.) on bars.
Deal owns the team’s top regional ranking, as she checks in at No. 5 on beam. Swoboda follows at No. 9 (9.762 avg.), and junior Melissa Idell ranks No. 15 (9.75 avg.).
Goldberg ranks No. 6 on bars, and junior Lindsey Litten checks in at No. 21 (9.725 avg.).
Lawrence paces four Mountaineers on vault and ranks No. 8. Senior Dayah Haley and freshman Zaakira Muhammad are tied at No. 16 (9.808 avg.), and Swoboda ranks No. 19 (9.8 avg.). Swoboda also ranks No. 6 in the all-around. Additionally, Haley ranks No. 12 (9.783 avg.) on floor, and Idell follows at No. 22 (9.75 avg.).
The Mountaineers rank No. 2 on vault in the Big 12 Conference. The team is No. 3 overall and also ranks No. 3 on bars, beam and floor.
After just one performance, Swoboda ranks No. 2 in the all-around. She also ranks No. 8 on beam.
Deal paces on beam at No. 5, and Idell ranks No. 9. Goldberg is No. 5 on bars, and Litten ranks No. 9. On vault, Lawrence ranks No. 5, and Haley and Muhammad follow at No. 9. Haley also ranks No. 7 on floor, and Idell checks in at No. 9.
The Mountaineers (1-4-1, 0-0-1) opened their home and Big 12 seasons at the WVU Coliseum on January 25 with a season-best 194.85 showing. The squad tied No. 23 Iowa State, and both teams fell to No. 25 George Washington (195.025). Included in the team’s day with a season-high 48.95 floor score.
WVU returns to the road this Saturday, Jan. 31, and travels to NC State for a quad-meet with North Carolina and William & Mary, at 7 p.m., at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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