Friday, January 26
Davis, Calif.
10:00 PM
West Virginia University
at
UC Davis
Photo by: Steven Prunty
No. 24 Mountaineers Hit the Road
January 25, 2018 06:31 PM | Gymnastics
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After opening the 2018 season with three straight meets at the WVU Coliseum, the No. 24-ranked West Virginia University gymnastics team leaves Morgantown for the first time this year and competes at UC Davis, with Illinois-Chicago, on Friday, Jan. 26, at 10 p.m. EST, at The Pavilion in Davis, California.
The Mountaineers will open the meet on uneven bars. The team's complete rotation order is: uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and vault.
"We need a great road score," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "I think there is good scoring potential this weekend for the team. I'm excited for them to compete in a new, different environment and show off their gymnastics. I think everyone is ready to see how this team competes on the road.
"The confidence level is pretty high with this team right now. They need to compete their gymnastics and just let the scores take care of themselves."
WVU (1-3) is undefeated against its opponents, owning a 2-0 mark against the Aggies (2-3, 2-1 MPSF) and a 3-0 record against the Flames (2-4).
Twenty-two years have passed since the Mountaineers' last meeting against UC Davis, a 191.225-185.125 win at Utah State in 1996 under coach Linda Burdette. Utah State finished first with a 192.025 score.
The Mountaineers and the Flames last met in the 2004 season opener, a 192.775-189.55 victory for WVU. The host Razorbacks finished in first place with a 195.575 score, and Minnesota placed second with a 194.675 total.
The WVU Coliseum proved comforting for the Mountaineers throughout the first three weeks of the season, as the team hit 24-of-24 routines in two meets and 71-of-72 total routines. Most impressive, a freshman or sophomore gymnast is currently featured in 12 of WVU's 24 lineup spots.
"We have a lot of the little things fixed, and we know these gymnasts can hit their routines. I want them to focus on gaining confidence away from the WVU Coliseum," Butts added. "I really want to see 24 hit routines again."
WVU is 1-1 in tri-meets this year and earned its first victory of the season last week, a 195.4-194.0 win over Towson on Jan. 21 at the Wendy M. Roach Pink Meet Invitational at the WVU Coliseum. Both teams were topped by George Washington, who finished first with a 195.575 score.
WVU is ranked in the Road to Nationals Rankings for the third straight week, and two Mountaineers also are individually ranked, as junior Kirah Koshinski sits at No. 27 on vault (9.85 avg.) and senior Zaakira Muhammad ranks No. 37 in the all-around (39.1 avg.).
The duo paces the Mountaineers on all five events. Koshinski also ranks No. 58 nationally on floor with a 9.825 average. Most recently, she earned the event win outright on Jan. 21 with a season-high 9.9 score. Muhammad ranks No. 68 on uneven bars (9.813 avg.) and No. 77 on balance beam (9.813 avg.).
Friday is the Aggies' home season opener. UC Davis last competed on Jan. 12 and earned a 193.125-191.325 victory at Seattle Pacific. Senior Alexis Brown, nationally ranked No. 33 in the all-around (39.125 avg.), finished first on bars (9.8), floor (9.9) and the all-around (39.05) en route to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week honors. Freshmen Kyla Kessler and Kelley Hebert won vault (9.75) and beam (9.85), respectively.
The Flames most recently tallied season highs on vault (48.65) and bars (48.75) in a third place, 192.375 showing at Boise State on Jan. 19. Freshman Kayla Baddeley, the reigning Midwest Independent Conference Newcomer of the Week, finished fourth on vault (9.825) and earned a team-high 9.725 on balance beam.
The Mountaineers will open the meet on uneven bars. The team's complete rotation order is: uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and vault.
"We need a great road score," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "I think there is good scoring potential this weekend for the team. I'm excited for them to compete in a new, different environment and show off their gymnastics. I think everyone is ready to see how this team competes on the road.
"The confidence level is pretty high with this team right now. They need to compete their gymnastics and just let the scores take care of themselves."
WVU (1-3) is undefeated against its opponents, owning a 2-0 mark against the Aggies (2-3, 2-1 MPSF) and a 3-0 record against the Flames (2-4).
Twenty-two years have passed since the Mountaineers' last meeting against UC Davis, a 191.225-185.125 win at Utah State in 1996 under coach Linda Burdette. Utah State finished first with a 192.025 score.
The Mountaineers and the Flames last met in the 2004 season opener, a 192.775-189.55 victory for WVU. The host Razorbacks finished in first place with a 195.575 score, and Minnesota placed second with a 194.675 total.
The WVU Coliseum proved comforting for the Mountaineers throughout the first three weeks of the season, as the team hit 24-of-24 routines in two meets and 71-of-72 total routines. Most impressive, a freshman or sophomore gymnast is currently featured in 12 of WVU's 24 lineup spots.
"We have a lot of the little things fixed, and we know these gymnasts can hit their routines. I want them to focus on gaining confidence away from the WVU Coliseum," Butts added. "I really want to see 24 hit routines again."
WVU is 1-1 in tri-meets this year and earned its first victory of the season last week, a 195.4-194.0 win over Towson on Jan. 21 at the Wendy M. Roach Pink Meet Invitational at the WVU Coliseum. Both teams were topped by George Washington, who finished first with a 195.575 score.
WVU is ranked in the Road to Nationals Rankings for the third straight week, and two Mountaineers also are individually ranked, as junior Kirah Koshinski sits at No. 27 on vault (9.85 avg.) and senior Zaakira Muhammad ranks No. 37 in the all-around (39.1 avg.).
The duo paces the Mountaineers on all five events. Koshinski also ranks No. 58 nationally on floor with a 9.825 average. Most recently, she earned the event win outright on Jan. 21 with a season-high 9.9 score. Muhammad ranks No. 68 on uneven bars (9.813 avg.) and No. 77 on balance beam (9.813 avg.).
Friday is the Aggies' home season opener. UC Davis last competed on Jan. 12 and earned a 193.125-191.325 victory at Seattle Pacific. Senior Alexis Brown, nationally ranked No. 33 in the all-around (39.125 avg.), finished first on bars (9.8), floor (9.9) and the all-around (39.05) en route to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week honors. Freshmen Kyla Kessler and Kelley Hebert won vault (9.75) and beam (9.85), respectively.
The Flames most recently tallied season highs on vault (48.65) and bars (48.75) in a third place, 192.375 showing at Boise State on Jan. 19. Freshman Kayla Baddeley, the reigning Midwest Independent Conference Newcomer of the Week, finished fourth on vault (9.825) and earned a team-high 9.725 on balance beam.
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ GymnasticsAssistant Coach Kaylyn Millick | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Assistant Coach Jessica Yamzon | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Associate Head Coach Travis Doak | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Head Coach Jason Butts | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
