Mountaineers Suffer Setback in Denver

Saturday, February 10

Denver, Colo.

8:00 PM

West Virginia University

194.925

196.725

Denver

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

February 10, 2018 10:45 PM | Gymnastics

Results

By: Shannon McNamara

DENVER – The West Virginia University gymnastics team scored 194.925 and finished in third place at the University of Denver's Winterfest Classic this evening inside Hamilton Gymnasium.

The No. 12-ranked Pioneers (10-1, 1-0) tallied 196.725 and finished in first place, while No. 21 George Washington (8-3, 2-0 EAGL) placed second with a 195.95 mark.

Competing in their third straight meet away from Morgantown, the Mountaineers (5-6, 0-2) finished second on vault (49.175) and floor (48.775) and third on uneven bars (48.575) and balance beam (48.4).

"Gymnastics is a sport where scores are based on our attention to detail. We did not execute to our potential tonight," Mountaineer associate head coach Travis Doak said. "We have a motivated team, and I think this stumble tonight will provide a great week of motivation for a fantastic performance next Sunday on Senior Day.

"Our consistency is still there, and again we did not count a fall. Tonight needs to serve as motivation for this team to fine tune its routines. Our consistency is there, just not the execution. These are easy adjustments for this team."

The Mountaineers overcame adversity in the first rotation, as WVU hit its last five routines for a 48.575 team mark. Freshman Sydney Marler and senior Zaakira Muhammad paced the lineup and finished 10th overall with 9.775 marks, a season-best matching score for Marler. The score was the fifth-highest awarded tonight. Sophomore Chloe Cluchey scored 9.7 and placed 14th, while senior Jordan Gillette and junior Jaquie Tun added marks of 9.675 and 9.65, respectively.

DU's Emily Glynn finished first on bars with a 9.9.

Again, the Mountaineers hit six-for-six on balance beam in the second rotation, but balance checks and slight breaks befuddled the team, and WVU finished with a 48.4 mark. Sophomore Abby Kaufman paced the Mountaineers with a 9.75 mark and finished 10th overall. Freshman McKenna Linnen finished in 11th place with a 9.725 score, while junior Carly Galpin anchored the lineup with a 9.7, good enough for 12th place. Junior Kirah Koshinski and sophomore Kassidy Cumber added marks of 9.625 and 9.6.

DU's Maddie Karr and Kaitlyn Schou tied for first place with 9.875 totals.

The Mountaineers gained momentum in the third rotation, tallying a 48.775 mark and pushing their running total to 145.75. Koshinski anchored the lineup with a 9.85, receiving a 9.9 from one judge, and finished fourth overall. Gillette competed second in the lineup and finished in sixth place with a 9.8, while Tun returned to the lineup and scored a season-high 9.75, good enough for eighth place. Kaufman tallied a 9.725 mark, and sophomore Erica Fontaine opened the lineup with a 9.65.

Karr and teammate Nikole Addison tallied matching 9.925s and finished first overall.

WVU saved its best for last, as the Mountaineers finished the meet with a season-high 49.175 on vault. Koshinski anchored the lineup and tied for second place with a 9.9. Muhammad preceded her in the lineup with a 9.875, good enough for third place. Senior Robyn Bernard opened the rotation with a season-high 9.85 and finished in seventh place. Tun and sophomore Julia Merwin tied for 12th place with 9.775s.

Karr placed first on vault with a 9.925 score.

Karr finished first in the all-around with a 39.6 total. A WVU gymnast did not compete in the all-around.

With tonight's result, WVU drops to 5-8 all-time against the Pioneers. The Mountaineers maintain a 46-6 series advantage over the Colonials.

The Mountaineers return to the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 18, for the always popular Beauty and the Beast Meet, set to start at 2 p.m. The team will compete against Pitt and Maryland, while the Mountaineer wrestling team will square off against Clarion simultaneously. It is the home season finale for both programs, and the senior gymnasts and wrestlers will be honored following the competition.

The Mountaineer Fan Festival will be held Sunday prior to the start of competition. The Coliseum Gold Gate will open at 12:30 p.m., one ticket will grant fans admittance into both events. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for youths and senior citizens and $2 for groups of 10 or more. WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU Student I.D. Tickets are on sale now at WVUGAME.com and also will be available for purchase at the Coliseum Ticket Office on Feb. 18.