MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University gymnastics coach Jason Butts announced today that Emily Holmes-Hackerd, Abbie Pierson and Kianna Yancey have signed National Letters of Intent to compete at WVU next fall.
 
Additionally, the Mountaineers are happy to announce that Bella Amrich will join the program as a student manager.
 
"All three of these gymnasts could compete at any school," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "They are fantastic athletes. We're excited to get them to Morgantown and help with their transition to college. Travis (Doak) has done a tremendous job putting this class together. It's exciting to look at this program's future knowing how much talent we have coming through the door. We're excited to bring their work ethic into Cary Gym."
 
"What's exciting about this class is that we are signing three gymnasts with the potential to come to WVU and compete every event," Mountaineer associate head coach Travis Doak said. "This class will add toward the back of our lineups, and I can see every one of these gymnasts stepping up and being an anchor for us on an event. They complement each other, and they are athletically and academically fantastic.
 
"West Virginia was the first-choice school for each of these gymnasts. They're all excited to be Mountaineers."
 
A native of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Holmes-Hackerd is a four-year level 10 gymnast out of Brestyan's Gymnastics. A two-time Junior Olympics National Championships qualifier, she placed sixth on floor at the 2017 championships.
 
"Emily has a punch on every event," Doak said. "She's a dark horse in the gym, and she'll add a lot to our lineups."
 
Holmes-Hackerd earned four top-three finishes at the 2017 Region 6 Championships, including wins on balance beam and floor. She also finished second in the all-around and third on vault. Leading into the championships, she won floor at the 2017 Massachusetts State Championships, as well as finished second on vault and beam.
 
Watch Emily Compete
 
In 2015, Holmes-Hackerd qualified for the Nastia Liukin Cup and finished as high as 11th on beam. She also placed second on every event but beam at the Region 6 Championships and claimed the floor and all-around titles the Massachusetts State Championships.
 
Holmes-Hackerd shows career highs of 9.8 on beam, 9.65 on floor and 37.75 in the all-around. The daughter of Les Hackerd and Sarah Holmes-Hackerd, she currently attends Lexington Christian Academy.
 
A native of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Pierson is a four-year level 10 gymnast from Gymkhana Inc. A three-time Junior Olympics National Championships qualifier, she has earned five top-10 finishes at the championships, including a third-place finish on vault and an eighth-place showing in the all-around in 2018.  In 2017, Pierson placed eighth on vault and ninth on floor, and in 2016, she finished fifth on vault.
 
Pierson captured the vault title and finished second on floor and in the all-around at the 2018 Region 7 Championships. She led into the meet with a stellar showing at the Pennsylvania State Championships, winning titles on vault, floor and the all-around and finishing third on bars and beam.
 
"Abbie is very dynamic and explosive," Butts said. "She has a huge vault and a 'wow factor' on floor."
 
Four top-10 finishes highlighted Pierson's showing at the 2017 Region 7 Championships, including a victory on floor and a second-place showing on vault. She also finished seventh in the all-around and ninth on beam.
 
Watch Abbie Compete Vault | Watch Abbie Compete Beam | Watch Abbie Compete Bars | Watch Abbie Compete Floor
 
In 2016, Pierson finished as high as third on vault at the Region 7 Championships and also placed sixth in the all-around and seventh on floor. That same season, she earned a runner-up finish on vault, a third-place showing on beam and a sixth-place finish in the all-around at the Pennsylvania State Championships.
 
Pierson shows career highs of 9.95 on vault, 9.675 on floor and 38.175 in the all-around.
 
The daughter of Gregory and Michelle Pierson, she currently attends Saint Joseph High.
 
A native of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, Yancey is a six-year level 10 gymnast from Montgomery County Sports Performance Center. A four-time Junior Olympics National Championships qualifier, she most recently finished as high as 11th on beam at the 2018 championships. Also this year, Yancey claimed the beam title, finished second on vault and bars and sixth in the all-around at the 2018 Pennsylvania State Championships. 
 
"Kianna's style is attention-grabbing," Doak said. "She's a dynamic bars worker and has a beautiful look on beam."
 
Yancey's appearance at the 2016 Junior Olympic National Championships was highlighted by a 15th-place finish on beam. Just prior to the meet, she earned five top-10 finishes at the 2016 Region 7 Championships, including a fourth-place finish on beam and fifth-place finishes on bars and in the all-around.  That same season, she finished second in the all-around and fourth on bars at the Pennsylvania State Championships.
 
Watch Kianna Compete Vault | Watch Kianna Compete Beam
 
Four years ago, Yancey finished second on bars and floor and third in the all-around at the Region 7 Championships.
 
Yancey shows career highs of 9.7 on bars, 9.625 on beam, 9.6 on vault and 37.8 in the all-around. The daughter of William and Kori Yancey, she currently attends North Penn High.
 
A native of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, Amrich is a level 10 gymnast out of Stallone Gymnastics.
 
"Bella comes from a very strong family line of gymnastics and loves this sport," Butts added. "She wants to make the WVU gymnastics program better. We're so excited to bring Bella to Morgantown – our student manager plays a big role in making our team successful, and Bella is committed to this team and the Mountaineers."
 
The daughter of Marty Amrich and Gina Stallone Amrich, she is a member of the National Honor Society at Wilson High.