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Mountaineers Hold First Official Practice
September 15, 2016 03:19 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team opens the 2017 preseason with its first official practice this afternoon at Cary Gym.
Today’s practice follows four weeks of open gym sessions for the Mountaineers. WVU’s first official meet will be in January. A complete 2017 competition schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
“I’ve been so impressed with the hard work I’ve seen from these gymnasts throughout our voluntary workouts this fall,” Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. “I think they’re ready to go. We’re ready to put together half-routines right now, and we’ve never been that far along this early in preseason.
“We’re ready for the structure official practices offer. We’re ready to have a plan each day we walk into Cary Gym. I foresee us progressing very quickly.”
Twelve Mountaineers, including seniors Alexa Goldberg and Brooklyn Doggette, return from the 2016 squad, which posted an 11-8 record, including a 1-5 showing in Big 12 Conference competition. Also returning this season is 2016 All-American Kirah Koshinski, the reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, as well as the squad’s top-two point earners in Goldberg (447.9 points) and junior Zaakira Muhammad (421.35 points).
Five freshmen join the Mountaineers this season: Chloe Cluchey, Kassidy Cumber, Erica Fontaine, Abby Kaufmann and Julia Merwin.
“This group of freshmen is so strong,” Butts added. “They’re doing everything we’ve asked them to do, and they look very impressive.”
WVU was nationally ranked six of the last nine weeks of the 2016 season and hit as high as No. 22 in the Jan. 25 rankings. The team finished the year ranked No. 3 in the Southeast Region, the program’s highest position of the year, trailing only NCAA National Championships qualifiers Florida and Georgia.
The Mountaineers qualified for their 32nd NCAA Regional Championships appearance in 2016 and placed fifth at the Tuscaloosa Regional. The squad also finished third at the 2016 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship with a score of 195.925, its second-best mark ever at the conference championship and its best championship mark away from Morgantown.
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