Mountaineers Complete Comeback

Sunday, February 18

Morgantown, W.Va.

2:00 PM

West Virginia University

196.225

195.825

Maryland

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

February 18, 2018 05:52 PM | Gymnastics

Results Photos

By: Shannon McNamara

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Season-high scores on balance beam and floor exercise helped the West Virginia University gymnastics team overcome a third-place deficit and finish first this afternoon with a season-best 196.225 showing in its 2018 home season finale at the WVU Coliseum in front of a program-record 4,517 fans.

Maryland finished second overall with a 195.825 score, and Pitt placed third with a 195.25 mark.

Sitting in third place with a 97.85 running total after two rotations, the Mountaineers (7-6, 0-2) surged ahead of the competition with season-best showings of 49.05 on beam and 49.325 on floor exercise to tally the team's 23rd-best score in program history.

WVU's floor score ranks No. 14 in the program record book.

"This is absolutely what I wanted to see from this team today," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "It's Beauty and the Beast and Senior Day – there was so much going on to distract them, but they came in focused. I'm pretty sure they didn't even know they were behind at one point. I was happy with the focus, and I was happy they kept fighting the whole meet.

"We're still giving up tenths on dismounts, and we need to fix that. Overall, we had so many standout performances today, and to do it in front of a huge crowd is a plus. They are excited right now, and we need this excitement the rest of the season. These chills they're feeling – they can do this again and again this year."

The Mountaineers nearly swept the event wins today, finishing first on vault (49.075), beam (49.05) and floor (49.325). WVU also finished second on uneven bars (48.775).

Maryland (8-6, 2-3 Big Ten) finished first on bars with a 49.1 total.

Celebrating Senior Day, Zaakira Muhammad put forth a career effort, matching her four-year best score of 39.4 and finishing first in the all-around. Her first all-around victory of the season, the Pennsauken, New Jersey, native previously hit the mark on Feb. 26, 2017.

"Zaakira was so focused all week," Butts said. "I think she was shocked she got a career high – that's not what she was looking for. She wanted to upgrade her dismounts and she wanted this team to hit the 196 mark. I know she wanted to go out on top with the seniors in the WVU Coliseum. She needs to keep building on this – we have a lot of meets left."

The Mountaineers ran away with the wins in the fourth rotation, as all six competing gymnasts scored 9.8 or better on floor. Junior Kirah Koshinski anchored the lineup with a first place, season-best 9.925 mark. Muhammad tied for second place with a season-best 9.9, while senior Jordan Gillette and sophomore Abby Kaufman tied for fourth place with 9.85s; the mark is a career high for Kaufman. Sophomores Erica Fontaine and Chloe Cluchey tied for 10th place with 9.8s.

WVU opened the meet on vault, and Koshinski took her third vault victory of the year with a season-best matching score of 9.9. The Berwick, Pennsylvania, native has earned the score four times this season and three times in the last four meets. Muhammad tied for second with a 9.85 mark, and sophomore Julia Merwin tied for fourth place with a 9.8. Junior Jaquie Tun finished seventh with a 9.775, and Cluchey followed in 10th place with a season-high 9.75. Senior Robyn Bernard opened the meet with a 9.725 score.

Muhammad paced the Mountaineers on uneven bars in the second rotation and finished seventh overall with a 9.8 mark, the third-best score awarded. Cluchey finished ninth with a season-high 9.775, while Bernard placed 11th with a 9.75. Tun and freshman Sydney Marler tied for 12th place with 9.725s.

UMD's Emilie LeBlanc and Kirsten Peterman tied Pitt's Haley Brechwald for the event win with 9.875 marks.

Four scores of 9.8 or better helped the Mountaineers secure their season-high beam showing in the third rotation. Junior Carly Galpin anchored the lineup with a career-high matching 9.875 and tied Pitt's Taylor Laymon for the win. Muhammad finished in third place with a 9.85, while Kaufman placed fourth with a season-best 9.825. Gillette tallied 9.8 and placed seventh, and freshman McKenna Linnen scored 9.7 in the lineup's No. 1 position.

"Carly can hit that routine every day – that's why she's so late in the lineup," Butts said. "Sometimes, I think she likes the pressure. She gets on that beam with such a sense of calm. She saved the meet for us today."

With today's wins, WVU improves to 40-18-1 all-time against the Terrapins and 60-13-2 against the Panthers (4-9, 3-1 EAGL).

Following today's competition, the Mountaineers honored Bernard, Gillette and Muhammad for their four-year contributions to the program.

Of note, today was the program's fifth Beauty and the Beast meet. The Mountaineers' attendance record bested the program's previous high of 3,492, set at the NCAA Southeast Regional on April 19, 1994.

The Mountaineers will be on the road for the remainder of the 2018 season. First up is a Big 12 Conference dual meet at No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7:45 p.m. EST.