Caputo Named Student-Athlete of the Week

February 12, 2018 02:06 PM | Baseball, General, Golf, Men's Swimming & Diving, Rifle, Women's Basketball, Gymnastics, Women's Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling

Varsity Sports Report

By: WVU Athletic Communications

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After clinching the comeback win over George Washington on Saturday, freshman Giovanna Caputo of the women's tennis team has been named the West Virginia University Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by University Apartments.

With the match tied at three-all, Caputo, a Rio De Janeiro, Brazil native, won the match for the Mountaineers with a two-set victory over GW's Kamilla Beisenova on the No. 6 court. After dropping Beisenova, 6-1, in the first set, the two battled through a nearly-hour-long second set, with Caputo winning, 7-5, to give WVU the victory.

The win completed the comeback, as WVU faced a 3-1 deficit with three singles matches remaining.

This Week in Women's Basketball: West Virginia hosts Kansas and Oklahoma at home … the Mountaineers welcome the Jayhawks to the WVU Coliseum on Wednesday in a 7 p.m. tip … in honor of Valentine's Day, tickets are two for the price of one … the team will also host the Teddy Bear Toss … WVU will face Oklahoma on Saturday in a 3 p.m. tip on AT&T SportsNet … the game will be the Mountaineers' annual Play4Kay day presented by WVU Medicine … the team will don pink shoes, socks, headbands, shooting shirts and special jerseys … fans are encouraged to wear pink and can receive the official WVU pink t-shirt with a donation of $10 or more to WVU Medicine.

Last Week in Women's Basketball: WVU went 1-1 on the week in Big 12 play … on Monday, the Mountaineers fell to No. 6 Texas, 73-55, at the WVU Coliseum … junior guard/forward Naomi Davenport had 14 points in the loss, while senior forward Teana Muldrow had 12 … WVU rebounded with a 74-60 win at Texas Tech on Saturday in Lubbock … four Mountaineers finished in double figures, led by junior guard Katrina Pardee's 19 points … senior forward Kristina King had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Notes: WVU dropped out of the national rankings last week for the first time this season … the team has been ranked as high as No. 9 … Saturday's win at Texas Tech snapped a 3-game losing streak … senior forward Kristina King notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds … it was her third double-double of the season and the fourth of her career … her 13 boards tied a career high … the Mountaineers shot a season-best 100 percent at the free-throw line … they have shot 70 percent or better from the charity stripe for four straight games … the team made 10 3-pointers against Texas … it marked the fourth time this season they have finished in double-digits from beyond the arc … junior guard Katrina Pardee tied her career high with four steals against the Lady Raiders.

This Week in Gymnastics: The Mountaineers wrap-up their 2018 home season at the WVU Coliseum with the Beauty and the Beast Meet on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. … the team will compete against Pitt and Maryland, while the wrestling team will grapple with Clarion simultaneously … the Mountaineer Fan Festival will be held Sunday prior to the start of competition, and the Coliseum Gold Gate will open at 12:30 p.m. … the senior gymnasts will be honored following the meet.

Last Week in Gymnastics: WVU (5-6, 0-2) scored 194.925 and finished in third place at No. 12 Denver on Feb. 10, inside Hamilton Gymnasium … the Pioneers placed first with a 196.725 mark, while No. 21 George Washington scored 195.95 and finished second … the Mountaineers tallied a season-high 49.175 on vault and placed second … the team also finished second on floor (48.775) and third on uneven bars (48.575) and balance beam (48.4) … junior Kirah Koshinski tied for second on vault with a 9.9 mark, while senior Zaakira Muhammad finished third with a 9.875 … Koshinski also placed a team-best fourth on floor with a 9.85 score … Muhammad and freshman Sydney Marler finished 10th on bars with 9.775s, a career-best matching score for Marler, and sophomore Abby Kaufman placed a team-best 10th on beam.

Notes: WVU returns to Morgantown Sunday after three straight away competitions … junior Jaquie Tun scored a season-high 9.75 on floor, and senior Robyn Bernard earned a season-best 9.85 on vault.

This Week in Track and Field: WVU travels to the Penn State Tune-Up on Saturday, Feb. 17, in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Last Week in Track and Field: The Mountaineers competed at the Chipotle Marshall Invitational in Huntington, West Virginia, and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Massachusetts, from Feb. 9-10 ... WVU earned a total of six wins and 14 top-eight finishes at the two meets ... redshirt senior Amy Cashin (9:11.24) won the women's 3,000 meters in Boston ... at Marshall, freshman McKenna Smith won the women's 200 and 400 meters in 24.66 and 56.13, respectively ... Smith also was part of the first-place distance medley relay team, along with redshirt freshman Antigone Archer, redshirt senior Rebecca Wendt and freshman Marianne Abdalah ... in pole vault, redshirt junior Madelin Gardner earned a winning mark of 4.25 meters (13 feet, 11.25 inches) at Marshall, while senior Shamoya McNeil won the women's triple jump with a mark of 12.42 meters (40 feet, 9 inches).

Notes: Cashin's time in the women's 3,000 meters was the second-fastest in program history (indoor) ... the Mountaineers earned three career-best times in four races in Boston ... eight Mountaineers were placed in the Mid-Atlantic Regional's event rankings last week, inlcuidng three (Cashin, Gardner, McNeil) who top the list of their respected events ... WVU travels to Penn State for the second time this indoor season ... the Mountaineers competed at the PSU National Open from Jan. 26-27 ... Saturday's meet marks the seventh time the team will compete at Penn State since the start of the 2014-15 indoor season ... Saturday's action also is the Mountaineers' sixth consecutive weekend meet, including their fifth straight road competition.

This Week in Wrestling: The Mountaineers (5-6, 4-4 Big 12) will cap their regular season slate with a pair of non-conference duals this week ... first up, West Virginia travels to Edinboro, Pennsylvania, for a match against Edinboro on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. … the Mountaineers then return home three days later for the always-popular Beauty and the Beast Meet, set to start at 2 p.m. … the squad will compete against Clarion, as the Mountaineer gymnastic team squares off against Pitt and Maryland … it is the home season finale for both programs, and the senior wrestlers (redshirt seniors Parker VonEgidy and Jacob A. Smith) and gymnasts 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.

Last Week in Wrestling: Three Mountaineers claimed wins in Big 12 action last week, as West Virginia dropped a 24-9 dual to No. 12 South Dakota State on Sunday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum … redshirt junior Zeke Moisey (125), redshirt freshman Kyler Rea (149) and freshman Nick Kiussis (165) won by decision for the Mountaineers.

Notes: The second NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches' Panel Rankings and the first edition of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) were released by the NCAA on Feb. 8 … Redshirt freshman Matthew Schmitt (133) join Moisey (125) and Smith (197) in the top 33 of the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings … Moisey and Schmitt also check into the top-33 of the RPI rankings, along with Rea (149) and Kiussis (165) … wrestlers must have 17 matches against Division I opponents to be eligible for the RPI rankings … forfeits do not count toward that total … wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, RPI and coaches' rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the NCAA Championships … Moisey appears at No. 11 in the RPI and is ranked 16th overall in the coaches' panel rankings at 125 pounds ... Schmitt comes in at No. 19 in the RPI and is ranked at No. 30 at 133 pounds in the coaches' panel, moving up two spots from his previous rank of No. 32 in the rankings released on Jan. 18 ... Smith remains in the NCAA coaches' panel rankings, checking in at No. 21 at 197 pounds ... Rea checks in at No. 31 in the RPI rankings at 149 pounds, while Kiussis appears at No. 32 at 165 pounds ... Moisey sports a team-high 19-7 record on the year, winning eight of his last nine duals … the Northampton, Pennsylvania, native also paces the Mountaineers with 35 match points and 25 takedowns on the year … Kiussis has a team-best five pins.

This Week in Rifle: The No. 1-ranked Mountaineers shoot in an NCAA Qualifying Match at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m.

Last Week in Rifle: WVU (13-0, 9-0 GARC) claimed its fifth straight and 11th overall Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) regular-season title with a 4720-4693 win over No. 3 Kentucky on Feb. 11, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range in Morgantown … the Mountaineers outshot the Wildcats in both disciplines, winning smallbore, 2337-2317, and air rifle, 2383-2376 … senior Elizabeth Gratz and sophomore Milica Babic tied for the air rifle win with 598 marks … the score is a season-high matching total for Gratz … redshirt-freshman David Koenders paced the Mountaineers in smallbore with a second place, 586 total.

Notes: The Mountaineers improved to 19-9 all-time against UK … junior Will Anti matched his season-high smallbore score of 578 … five Mountaineers counted toward the team's scores: Babic, Gratz, Koenders, sophomore Morgan Phillips and junior Ginny Thrasher … though NC State will shoot its qualifying match Saturday at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range, it is not a head-to-head match for the teams.

This Week in Swimming & Diving: The Mountaineers are off this week ... WVU returns to action at the Big 12 Championship, from Feb. 21-24, in Austin, Texas.

Last Week in Swimming & Diving: WVU was off last week.

Notes: With WVU's dual-meet win over Villanova on Jan. 27, the men's team finished with a 5-0 record in dual meets this season, marking the group's first undefeated campaign since 2006-07 ... the men opened the meet with a pool-record performance in the 400 medley relay, as juniors Merwane El Merini, Tristen DiSibio and Drew Damich and freshman David Dixon combined to finish in 3:19.53 to set a WVU Natatorium-best mark ... El Merini and Damich finished the day with three total victories, two coming on relay teams ... sophomore Trayton Saladin tallied three individual victories over the Wildcats in the 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke and 500 freestyle ... senior Logan McHenry swept both springboard events at the meet, while sophomore Morgan Bullock paced the women's team with three total victories.

This Week in Tennis: West Virginia (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) travels to Akron, Ohio, for a pair of matches at the LaTuchie Tennis Center … WVU will face Akron on Friday, Feb. 16, starting at 1 p.m., before taking on East Tennessee State on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. in a neutral-site matchup.

Last Week in Tennis: The Mountaineers used three straight wins in singles play to overcome a 3-1 deficit and top George Washington, 4-3, at the Summit Tennis Academy in Morgantown on Saturday … after surrendering the doubles point, the Mountaineers fell at the No. 1 slot, making the score 2-0 … WVU secured its first point of the day as Paula Goetz topped Sara Grubac, 6-3 and 6-3, in straight sets at No. 4, to cut the lead to 2-1 … the Mountaineers dropped the match on court No. 3, to give the Colonials a 3-1 edge … after besting GW's Decamps in the first set 6-4, Anne-Sophie Courteau fell in the second set, 2-6, to force a third set to settle the match … facing the clinch point for the Colonials, she rallied from a 4-4 score to win the set at 6-4, and the match on the second court ... directly following the match at No. 2, Sofía Duran dropped Herlogsson in straight sets at No. 5 to tie the match at three-all … Giovanna Caputo completed the comeback for the Mountaineers when she topped Kamilla Beisenova in two sets, 6-1 and 7-5, on the sixth court to give West Virginia the 4-3 win.

WVU Coach Miha Lisac Following Sunday's win over George Washington: "It was a battle. Each and every player today kept up their intensity, they kept up their fight and they kept pushing forward. The end result shows that. Today we found every opportunity to give ourselves a chance to come through, and we did."

This Week in Golf: WVU is in the midst of the Martin Downs Collegiate, which runs from Feb. 11-13 at Martin Downs Golf Club in Palm City, Florida … Max Sear, Philipp Matlari, Logan Perkins, Matthew Sharpstene and Mark Goetz are representing WVU at the event … Avery Schneider, Etienne Papineau and Tristan Nicholls are playing as individuals … Sear leads the team and is tied for fifth place after one round at two-under par (70) … Goetz sits in the top 20 after 18 holes.

Last Week in Golf: The Mountaineers did not compete.

Notes: UNCG is hosting seven teams in addition to the Mountaineers at Martin Downs … Boston College, Elon, George Mason, James Madison, Mercer, Seton Hall, Lehigh and Western Carolina comprise the rest of the field … golfers will play 18 holes each day for a total of 54 holes on the par-72, 6,802-yard Osprey Course … Papineau leads the team with a 73.00 stroke average and a pair of top-20 finishes … Sear boasts a 73.15 stroke average and a pair of top-10 finishes this season.

This Week in Baseball: The No. 22 West Virginia baseball team opens the 2018 season this weekend at Jacksonville … Opening Day in Jacksonville, Florida, is set for Friday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. ET … the series at John Sessions Stadium continues on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m., before the series finale on Sunday, Feb. 18, at noon … live stats and JU's radio broadcast are available for three games this weekend, which are linked on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com ... The Mountaineers own a 2-1 lead in the all-time series vs. the Dolphins, following a series win at home last year ... WVU won the opener, 5-3, and posted an 8-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader the following day before JU claimed the finale, 8-2.

Notes: The Mountaineers are ranked No. 22 in the D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 … WVU is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance, its 12th in program history and first since 1996 … twenty-four players from last year's squad return in 2018, including nine of a program-record 12 that earned All-Big 12 Team honors in 2017 … junior outfielder/right-handed pitcher Braden Zarbnisky has been named to the NCBWA Preseason All-America First Team … last season, Zarbnisky was named the NCBWA District II Player of the Year, a NCBWA Third Team All-American, a John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award finalist and an All-Big 12 First Team honoree … along with a No. 22 ranking by D1Baseball, WVU is ranked No. 27 by NCBWA and is receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game preseason polls … West Virginia was voted to finish fifth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll … coach Randy Mazey begins his sixth season at the helm and owns a 160-127 record in Morgantown … Mazey was named the East Regional Coach of the Year by the ABCA and the Chuck Tanner College Coach of the Year by the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh … the 2018 season marks the 126th year of baseball at West Virginia … founded in 1892, WVU owns an all-time record of 2,131-1,528-19 and is the second-oldest program in the Big 12.

Coach Randy Mazey on the beginning of the season: "When you lose your last game, the summer and the fall is going to be pretty long. So, we feel like we're coming off a great year. We've set the bar pretty high in this program. Things have changed a little bit, as far as I'm concerned, in Mountaineer baseball."