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Mountaineers Boast Two Top-20 Rankings
March 14, 2016 02:25 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team will carry a pair of national rankings into the 2016 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship, as the Mountaineers rank in the top-20 nationally on vault and floor in this week’s Road to Nationals Rankings.
WVU (10-6, 0-3) moved up five spots to No. 14 on floor with a 49.235 regional qualifying score (RQS). The squad also ranks No. 19 on vault (49.05 RQS).
The Mountaineers stand outside of the top 25 overall team standings for the first time in four weeks. Despite an almost two-tenths boost in its RQS, WVU is down two spots to No. 27 this week with a 195.805 RQS.
Three WVU gymnasts also are nationally ranked, with freshman Kirah Koshinski sitting at a team-high No. 16 on vault (9.89 RQS). Sophomore Zaakira Muhammad follows at No. 27 (9.875 RQS). Additionally, junior Alexa Goldberg ranks No. 42 on uneven bars (9.865 RQS).
Today’s rankings are the fourth of the season based on RQS. Qualification for NCAA regional competition is based on a team and individual’s six best regular-season scores, of which three must be away. To obtain the RQS, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged. The top 36-ranked schools as of March 21 will qualify for the 2016 NCAA Regional Championships.
Regionally, the Mountaineers continue to rank No. 4 in the Southeast. The team ranks No. 3 on vault and floor, No. 4 on balance beam (48.88 RQS) and No. 5 on bars (48.905 RQS).
Muhammad owns a team-best three regional rankings. The Pennsauken, New Jersey, native ranks No. 10 on vault, No. 12 on floor (9.86 RQS) and No. 21 on bars (9.805 RQS).
Koshinski paces the team on vault and floor and checks in at No. 6 and No. 10 (9.875 RQS), respectively. On vault, senior Jaida Lawrence follows at No. 18 (9.82 RQS), and sophomore Robyn Bernard sits at No. 25 (9.765 RQS). Two Mountaineers also follow Koshinski and Muhammad on floor, with senior Melissa Idell and junior Alexa Goldberg checking in at No. 15 (9.845 RQS).
Goldberg ranks at team-best No. 7 on bars and is followed by freshman Tiara Wright at No. 16 (9.83 RQS).
Senior Audrey Tolbert paces the beam lineup with a No. 18 ranking (9.815 RQS). She is followed by Idell at No. 24 (9.79 RQS).
The Mountaineers continue to rank No. 3 overall in the Big 12 Conference. The squad also ranks No. 3 on all four events.
Koshinski sits at No. 3 in the conference on vault. The reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, she also ranks No. 8 on floor.
Muhammad ranks No. 6 on vault, and Goldberg is No. 8 on bars.
The Mountaineers closed their 2016 regular-season slate with a pair of wins over Pitt. WVU first defeated the Panthers, 195.925-193.875, at the WVU Coliseum on March 11. The squad also earned a 195.825-195.675 victory at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House on March 13.
WVU travels to Frisco, Texas, for the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship on Saturday, March 19, with competition from the Dr. Pepper Arena set to begin at 5 p.m. EST.
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