MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 23-ranked West Virginia University gymnastics team returns to competition following an open week and travels to Ames, Iowa, for a dual-meet at Iowa State on Friday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. EST, inside Hilton Coliseum.
“We let the team rest up last week, but we opened this week with intense practices on Sunday and Monday, and I believe the team is ready for any challenge that may present itself this weekend,” coach Jason Butts said. “We will see a few lineup changes this weekend, but nothing drastic. I’m excited to see a few new routines in competition.”
Friday is the ninth meeting between the Mountaineers (2-2, 0-1) and the Cyclones (6-2, 0-1) and the teams’ seventh as conference foes. Despite ISU’ 3-4-1 all-time series edge, WVU earned the advantage in 2015, going 1-0-1 against the Cyclones, including a 195.025-194.775 win at the 2015 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship on March 21, at Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center.
WVU is 2-9-1 in all-time Big 12 Conference meets, with both victories coming against ISU.
The Mountaineers enter Friday’s meet with a large statistical edge over the Cyclones, as WVU boasts a 195.083 season average, while ISU owns a 194.431 season average. The Mountaineers rank ahead of the Cyclones in the Big 12 Conference on each event but floor, where ISU shows a slight 48.988-48.917 season average edge.
“I definitely think we’re going to carry more confidence into this weekend,” Butts explained. “We won’t have a crowd backing us at the meet, so we need to take the ‘West Virginia Show’ on the road and fight for the scores. We have an opportunity to make up some huge ground in the rankings this weekend, and I’m excited about it.”
Four WVU gymnasts enter Friday’s meet nationally ranked in the Road to Nationals polls. Freshman Kirah Koshinski is the top-ranked gymnast, as she sits at No. 7 on the vault chart with a 9.892 season average, the third-best average in the NCAA. The Berwick, Pennsylvania, native has scored 9.8 or better in all but two of her collegiate routines this season.
Junior Alexa Goldberg ranks No. 10 (9.875 avg.) on bars and No. 35 (39.108 avg.) in the all-around. The Ivyland, Pennsylvania, native shows a team-best 17 career victories and has scored 39.0+ in her last two all-around appearances.
Sophomore Zaakira Muhammad ranks No. 15 (39.325 avg.) in the all-around and No. 33 (9.842 avg.) on vault. A native of Pennsauken, New Jersey, Muhammad was brilliant in her career all-around debut on Jan. 24, finishing first overall with a 39.325 mark and also finishing first on floor with a career-best 9.95 score.
Freshman Carly Galpin ranks No. 35 (9.825 avg.) on beam.
Prior to their open week, the Mountaineers posted a season-high 195.8 in back-to-back dual-meet wins at the WVU Coliseum. Most recently, WVU defeated William & Mary, 195.8-190.075, on Jan. 24. The squad tallied season highs on beam (48.825) and floor (49.3), and the Mountaineers swept all but the all-around podium positions.
ISU tallied a season-high 195.65 on Jan. 29 in wins over Lindenwood and NC State at Hilton Coliseum. The squad earned a season high on each event, including a 49.075 showing on floor. Sophomore Hilary Green is the highest-ranked Cyclone and checks in at No. 22 on the bars chart with a 9.856 average.
The Mountaineers will immediately fly to Norman, Oklahoma, following Friday’s meet and will compete against No. 2-ranked Oklahoma on Sunday, Feb. 7, at 2:45 p.m. EST inside the Lloyd Noble Center. Sunday’s meet will be broadcast on FOX College Sports Central.
