Gymnastics Places Second at Big 12 Champs
March 21, 2015 09:03 PM | General
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NORMAN, Okla. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team scored 195.025 and finished second at the 2015 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship tonight at Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center.
The finish is the Mountaineers’ best in their three-year Big 12 history. Tonight’s score is the team’s third-highest road score of the season.
“We challenged this team at the beginning of the season to make improvements this year, not just in our gymnastics but in our culture, and they did just that,” said fourth-year coach Jason Butts. “To hit 23-of-24 at the Big 12 Championships is a huge improvement, and we’re thrilled to finish second. We continue to make steady accomplishments toward our bigger goals.”
No. 1-ranked Oklahoma (16-0, 4-0) won its fourth straight Big 12 title with a 197.875 score. The Sooners, the reigning NCAA Champions, are the first team in Big 12 history to win four straight conference titles.
“Congratulations to Oklahoma – they’re a tremendous team, and I’m looking forward to cheering for them at the NCAA National Championships,” said Butts.
Iowa State (7-12-1, 0-4-1) placed third with a 194.775 mark. Tonight was the second meeting of the season between WVU and ISU – the squads tied with a 194.85 mark on January 25 at the WVU Coliseum.
The Mountaineers (14-9-1, 1-1-1) finished second on vault (49.0) and beam (48.525), and third on floor (49.0) and bars (48.5).
In just her second appearance of the season, senior Dayah Haley finished second in the all-around with a 38.95 score, earning her All-Big 12 Championship Team honors for the second straight season.
“It’s incredible that I was able to compete in the all-around again today. I really proved to my coaches, my teammates and myself that hard work in practice pays off,” said Haley. “Placing second tonight was icing on the cake for this season. I feel great and am very happy with my finish. Most importantly, I’m proud of this team, and they’re proud of me. We finished strong today.”
“Dayah was a last-second decision to compete in the all-around today, and she gave a huge performance in her final Big 12 Championship,” said Butts. “It’s never about Dayah – it’s always about the team. She handled the pressure well, and I was happy to see her up on the podium.”
Iowa State’s Haylee Young finished first with a 39.125 mark, while teammate Caitlin Brown placed third with a 38.7 mark.
The Mountaineers took care of business in the first rotation, scoring 48.5 on bars, just 0.05 off from their season average. Sophomore Alexa Goldberg anchored the lineup with a 9.825 score, good enough for sixth place. Freshman Zaakira Muhammad preceded her in the lineup with a solid 9.725 score, crucial as Muhammad followed a fall in the lineup; she finished tied for ninth place. Sophomore Brooklyn Doggette, a last-minute lineup addition, anchored with a 9.675 score.
WVU came up big in the second rotation, hitting six-for-six and scoring 48.525. As she’s done much of the season, freshman Jordan Gillette came up big for the team, scoring 9.775 and finishing in seventh place. Junior Melissa Idell and senior Beth Deal tied for 10th place with 9.7s, while Goldberg and Haley added 9.675s.
Ranked No. 21 nationally, the Mountaineers’ floor lineup had a solid showing in the third rotation, putting together six hit routines for a 49.0 mark. Haley anchored the lineup and finished eighth with a 9.85, the fifth-best score of the meet. Idell and sophomore Mackenzie Myers tied for 10th place with 9.8s, and Goldberg and sophomore Nicolette Swoboda added 9.775s.
The Mountaineers closed the meet on a high note, scoring 49.0 on vault, their fifth-highest score of the season and best showing since earning 49.025 at New Hampshire on February 8. Junior Jaida Lawrence, the last gymnast to vault this evening, competed her vault to near perfection and tied for fourth place with a 9.85, the third-highest mark awarded. Freshman Amanda Bowman finished in seventh place with a career-high 9.825, while Swoboda tied for eighth place with a 9.8. Haley opened the rotation with a 9.775 and tied for 10th place.
Despite their win, the Mountaineers continue to trail the all-time series with the Cyclones, 4-3-1. OU owns a 10-1 series edge over WVU.
West Virginia University will play host to the 2015 NCAA Morgantown Regional Championships on Saturday, April 4, at 4 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum. The NCAA will announce the regional pairings and seeds on Monday, March 23, at 3 p.m., with a streamed selection show at NCAA.com.
Tickets for the championships are on sale through the Mountaineer Ticket Office. Tickets are $12 each when purchased in advance online at WVUGAME.com or by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office at 1-800-WVU-GAME. Groups of 10 or more can receive a special group rate of $10 per person at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800-WVU-GAME. Group tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 each on the day of the meet.
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