TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The fifth-seeded West Virginia University gymnastics team concluded its 2016 season with a fifth place, 194.25 score today at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Championships, in front of 10,116 fans at the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum.

 

No. 4-ranked and top-seeded Alabama finished first with a 197.125 score. No. 10-ranked and second-seeded California placed second with a 195.925 mark. The Crimson Tide and the Bears earned the right to advance to the 2016 NCAA National Championships.

 

 

No. 15-ranked Boise State scored 195.75 and finished third, while No. 21 Kentucky tallied 195.725 and finished in fourth place. Bowling Green finished in sixth place with a 193.85.

 

Following slightly shaking showings on uneven bars and balance beam in the meet’s first two rotations, the Mountaineers (11-8, 1-5) recovered and put forth their best scores of the day in the fourth and fifth rotations, scoring 48.95 on floor exercise and 48.825 on vault, respectively.

 

“Despite a mistake on bars today – and that’s certainly a tough event to open a regional meet on, especially in this environment - I thought we put up five solid routines, and I was happy with our opening,” fifth-year coach Jason Butts said. “We just couldn’t get on track on beam today. We had an amazing warmup, but our consistency was off, which was odd compared to our whole year. We’ll have to use that beam rotation as a learning experience for the 2017 season.  

 

“Thankfully, we had a chance to regroup on the bye and we came out and hit 12-for-12 on floor and vault, and that was incredible. We showed everyone in this Coliseum what Mountaineer Gymnastics is all about in those last two rotations.”

 

A few breaks on routines in the first rotation held the Mountaineers to a 48.725 score on the uneven bars. Freshman Tiara Wright paced the team with a 9.825, her seventh straight score of 9.8 or better, and she finished 12th overall. Sophomore Zaakira Muhammad preceded Wright in the lineup and scored 9.8, good enough for 15th place. Freshman Jaquie Tun and sophomore Jordan Gillette each scored 9.725, while sophomore Robyn Bernard tallied 9.65 in the lineup’s No. 1 spot.

 

The Mountaineers had a tough go on balance beam in the second rotation, tallying 47.75 and pushing their two-event total to 96.475. Freshman Kirah Koshinski paced the team with a 9.7 mark, good enough for 25th place. Senior Audrey Tolbert and Wright added 9.65s, while junior Alexa Goldberg opened the rotation with a 9.6.

 

After regrouping on a bye in the third rotation, the Mountaineers got back on track on floor in the fourth rotation, tallying 48.95, their best event score of the day, and pushing their running total to 145.425. Koshinski paced the Mountaineers for the second straight event, scoring 9.85 and finishing tied for sixth place. A pair of Mountaineers added 9.8s, as Gillette and Muhammad opened the rotation with the mark and finished in 14th place. Muhammad closed the season scoring 9.8 or better each week since earning a career-high 9.95 on Jan. 24. Senior Melissa Idell added a 9.775 mark, and Wright tallied 9.725.

 

The Mountaineers closed the meet with a 48.825 showing on vault, the third-best team score of the night. Koshinski just-missed qualifying for the NCAA National Championships, as she scored 9.875 and tied for second place; only event winners qualifying to the National Championships. The Berwick, Pennsylvania, native scored 9.85 or better on vault in all but one meet this season. Three Mountaineers scored 9.75 and tied for 18th place: Muhammad, senior Jaida Lawrence and sophomore Amanda Bowman. Goldberg added a 9.7 mark.

 

Of note, Goldberg finished 10th overall with a 38.4 score.

 

Tonight’s meet marks the career finale for seniors Idell, Lawrence and Tolbert.

 

“Our three seniors showed great leadership on the floor today,” Butts added. “When we needed to get on track, they made sure we got back on track. Those three gymnasts kept their spirits up all day. Our great senior leadership aided us in righting the ship today.”