Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
2018 Postseason Notebook
June 12, 2018 02:39 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team made its mark in the program's record book in 2018 while competing against some of the top squads in the country. The Mountaineers ended the regular season by sweeping a five-team meet and tallying a team score that now ranks No. 9 in program history. All in all, 2018 was one for the books.
Building Success
The West Virginia University gymnastics team finished the 2018 season at 13-13 and 0-6 in the Big 12 Conference. The team qualified for the regional championship for the 39th time in program history and the 34th time in NCAA competition.
In the postseason, WVU finished fourth (195.625) at the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship and sixth (194.4) at the NCAA University Park Regional Championships.
The Mountaineers were nationally ranked in the Road to Nationals Rankings four times throughout the year, beginning the season ranked No. 16, which was the team's highest regular-season position since 2013. WVU's vault lineup finished the season ranked No. 17.
WVU stayed consistent in 2018, hitting 24-of-24 routines four times. The team did not count a fall until the final meet of the year. The Mountaineers had only missed 10 routines (278-of-288) prior to the regional championships.
Mountaineers Make Their Mark
WVU made its mark in the record book in 2018. The squad posted five team totals that rank in the program's Top 50 scores. Four of the five scores were 196.0 or better, three of which were earned away from the WVU Coliseum. The team was the first in program history to score 196.0 or better in three road meets in one season.
The Mountaineers closed the regular season with their highest team score of the year, sweeping the five-team meet at Towson on March 18. The team's 196.775 score ranks No. 9 all-time and is the Mountaineers' top road score since posting 197.05 at the 2004 EAGL Championship. WVU had five 9.9+ scores at Towson. Senior Zaakira Muhammad claimed three on vault (9.9), uneven bars (9.9) and balance beam (9.925), and junior Kirah Koshinski scored the other two on vault (9.95) and floor exercise (9.925).
WVU hosted Maryland and Pitt in its final home meet of the season on February 18. The team topped the podium with a 196.225, its highest home score of the year. The mark ranks No. 25 in the program record book.
The Mountaineers secured their final home win on floor exercise in the fourth rotation. All six competing gymnasts scored 9.8 or better, with Muhammad and Koshinski posting 9.9 and 9.925, respectively. The Beauty & the Beast dual meet with the WVU wrestling team broke the gymnastics program's all-time attendance record with a crowd of 4,517, besting the previous high of 3,492, which stood since 1994.
Hitting the Books
Ten WVU gymnasts were named to the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 Gymnastics team, a conference- and program-best. Carly Galpin, Jaquie Tun, Abby Kaufman and Julia Merwin earned their awards with 4.0 grade point averages (GPA).
Eight Mountaineers were named to the first team. Robyn Bernard and Jordan Gillette earned their third career awards, while Kirah Koshinski and Galpin collected their second career honors. Kassidy Cumber, Kaufman, Merwin and Tun were named to the team for the first time.
Erica Fontaine and Zaakira Muhammad were named to the second team. The award was Muhammad's third of her career.
Senior Sendoff
The Mountaineers said goodbye to three outstanding seniors in 2018. Robyn Bernard, Jordan Gillette and Zaakira Muhammad were each an integral part of the team the last four years, competing in a combined 152 career meets.
Bernard and Muhammad left their marks on the record book in their senior seasons. Muhammad ranks No. 11 in all-time appearances with 51, while Bernard sits just behind her at No. 19 with 50 meets in her career.
Gillette and Bernard joined the 1,000-point club this season. Gillette finished her career with 1,095.25 points, and Bernard left the Mountaineers with 1,017.275 career points. Both gymnasts competed in each of the Mountaineers' 13 meets in 2018.
Muhammad, who competed in 12 of 13 meets, finished her Mountaineer career with 1,552.8125 points, which ranks No. 16 in program history.
Muhammad Caps Mountaineer Career
A three-time Linda Burdette-Good Award honoree as the team's Most Valuable Gymnast, Zaakira Muhammad capped her record-setting career with the Mountaineers in 2018. Muhammad broke personal and program records in her senior season, firmly leaving her mark on WVU gymnastics.
The Pennsauken, New Jersey, native appeared in 12 of WVU's 13 meets. An all-arounder in all but five of those meets, Muhammad paced the Mountaineers with 409.4 season points. Muhammad climbed to No. 16 in program history with 1,552.8125 career points.
Muhammad finished her time at WVU with career highs of 9.9 on vault and bars, 9.925 on beam, 9.95 on floor and 39.575 in the all-around. She tallied her beam and all-around career highs on March 18 at the Mountaineers' five-team win at Towson. Muhammad's 39.575 all-around score is tied for sixth place all-time.
A 2017 NACGC/W All-America Second Team Floor Exercise honoree, she finished 10th in program history with 16 career scores of 9.9 or better, hitting five of those marks in 2018. Muhammad finished the year with 19 podium appearances and five event wins. All-time, she tallied 20 event victories.
Koshinski Sticks on Vault
For the third straight season, junior Kirah Koshinski was named to the NACGC/W Regular Season All-America Vault Second Team.
Koshinski earned the national honor with a 9.91 regional qualifying score (RQS). She finished the season nationally ranked on two events, sitting at No. 10 on vault and No. 33 on floor (9.9 RQS).
The Berwick, Pennsylvania, native scored 9.9 or better in seven of 13 vault routines. She ranks second all-time in career 9.9+ vault scores with 18 and fourth on all events with 31. Koshinski made the vault podium nine times in 2018 and had six wins. She finished the season with a 9.885 average.
The two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree competed in all 13 meets in 2018, setting and matching career highs on vault, beam and floor. Koshinski finished 2018 with career highs of 9.95 on vault and floor and 9.85 on beam.
New Staff, Same Great Results
Head coach Jason Butts added a new assistant coach to the Mountaineer staff this season. Shea Anderson arrived in Morgantown from Eastern Michigan, where she was a volunteer assistant and coached vault and floor. She now oversees the Mountaineers' vault and floor lineups while also serving as the program's community service outreach director.
A four-year letterwinner at Iowa State, Anderson added knowledge and drive to the Mountaineer squad in 2018. She helped coach WVU to several program records, including three road scores of 196.0 or better. Additionally, the vault lineup collected its season high of 49.325 at No. 1 Oklahoma and was nationally ranked throughout 2018, ending the year at No. 17.
Building Success
The West Virginia University gymnastics team finished the 2018 season at 13-13 and 0-6 in the Big 12 Conference. The team qualified for the regional championship for the 39th time in program history and the 34th time in NCAA competition.
In the postseason, WVU finished fourth (195.625) at the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship and sixth (194.4) at the NCAA University Park Regional Championships.
The Mountaineers were nationally ranked in the Road to Nationals Rankings four times throughout the year, beginning the season ranked No. 16, which was the team's highest regular-season position since 2013. WVU's vault lineup finished the season ranked No. 17.
WVU stayed consistent in 2018, hitting 24-of-24 routines four times. The team did not count a fall until the final meet of the year. The Mountaineers had only missed 10 routines (278-of-288) prior to the regional championships.
Mountaineers Make Their Mark
WVU made its mark in the record book in 2018. The squad posted five team totals that rank in the program's Top 50 scores. Four of the five scores were 196.0 or better, three of which were earned away from the WVU Coliseum. The team was the first in program history to score 196.0 or better in three road meets in one season.
The Mountaineers closed the regular season with their highest team score of the year, sweeping the five-team meet at Towson on March 18. The team's 196.775 score ranks No. 9 all-time and is the Mountaineers' top road score since posting 197.05 at the 2004 EAGL Championship. WVU had five 9.9+ scores at Towson. Senior Zaakira Muhammad claimed three on vault (9.9), uneven bars (9.9) and balance beam (9.925), and junior Kirah Koshinski scored the other two on vault (9.95) and floor exercise (9.925).
WVU hosted Maryland and Pitt in its final home meet of the season on February 18. The team topped the podium with a 196.225, its highest home score of the year. The mark ranks No. 25 in the program record book.
The Mountaineers secured their final home win on floor exercise in the fourth rotation. All six competing gymnasts scored 9.8 or better, with Muhammad and Koshinski posting 9.9 and 9.925, respectively. The Beauty & the Beast dual meet with the WVU wrestling team broke the gymnastics program's all-time attendance record with a crowd of 4,517, besting the previous high of 3,492, which stood since 1994.
Hitting the Books
Ten WVU gymnasts were named to the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 Gymnastics team, a conference- and program-best. Carly Galpin, Jaquie Tun, Abby Kaufman and Julia Merwin earned their awards with 4.0 grade point averages (GPA).
Eight Mountaineers were named to the first team. Robyn Bernard and Jordan Gillette earned their third career awards, while Kirah Koshinski and Galpin collected their second career honors. Kassidy Cumber, Kaufman, Merwin and Tun were named to the team for the first time.
Erica Fontaine and Zaakira Muhammad were named to the second team. The award was Muhammad's third of her career.
Senior Sendoff
The Mountaineers said goodbye to three outstanding seniors in 2018. Robyn Bernard, Jordan Gillette and Zaakira Muhammad were each an integral part of the team the last four years, competing in a combined 152 career meets.
Bernard and Muhammad left their marks on the record book in their senior seasons. Muhammad ranks No. 11 in all-time appearances with 51, while Bernard sits just behind her at No. 19 with 50 meets in her career.
Gillette and Bernard joined the 1,000-point club this season. Gillette finished her career with 1,095.25 points, and Bernard left the Mountaineers with 1,017.275 career points. Both gymnasts competed in each of the Mountaineers' 13 meets in 2018.
Muhammad, who competed in 12 of 13 meets, finished her Mountaineer career with 1,552.8125 points, which ranks No. 16 in program history.
Muhammad Caps Mountaineer Career
A three-time Linda Burdette-Good Award honoree as the team's Most Valuable Gymnast, Zaakira Muhammad capped her record-setting career with the Mountaineers in 2018. Muhammad broke personal and program records in her senior season, firmly leaving her mark on WVU gymnastics.
The Pennsauken, New Jersey, native appeared in 12 of WVU's 13 meets. An all-arounder in all but five of those meets, Muhammad paced the Mountaineers with 409.4 season points. Muhammad climbed to No. 16 in program history with 1,552.8125 career points.
Muhammad finished her time at WVU with career highs of 9.9 on vault and bars, 9.925 on beam, 9.95 on floor and 39.575 in the all-around. She tallied her beam and all-around career highs on March 18 at the Mountaineers' five-team win at Towson. Muhammad's 39.575 all-around score is tied for sixth place all-time.
A 2017 NACGC/W All-America Second Team Floor Exercise honoree, she finished 10th in program history with 16 career scores of 9.9 or better, hitting five of those marks in 2018. Muhammad finished the year with 19 podium appearances and five event wins. All-time, she tallied 20 event victories.
Koshinski Sticks on Vault
For the third straight season, junior Kirah Koshinski was named to the NACGC/W Regular Season All-America Vault Second Team.
Koshinski earned the national honor with a 9.91 regional qualifying score (RQS). She finished the season nationally ranked on two events, sitting at No. 10 on vault and No. 33 on floor (9.9 RQS).
The Berwick, Pennsylvania, native scored 9.9 or better in seven of 13 vault routines. She ranks second all-time in career 9.9+ vault scores with 18 and fourth on all events with 31. Koshinski made the vault podium nine times in 2018 and had six wins. She finished the season with a 9.885 average.
The two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree competed in all 13 meets in 2018, setting and matching career highs on vault, beam and floor. Koshinski finished 2018 with career highs of 9.95 on vault and floor and 9.85 on beam.
New Staff, Same Great Results
Head coach Jason Butts added a new assistant coach to the Mountaineer staff this season. Shea Anderson arrived in Morgantown from Eastern Michigan, where she was a volunteer assistant and coached vault and floor. She now oversees the Mountaineers' vault and floor lineups while also serving as the program's community service outreach director.
A four-year letterwinner at Iowa State, Anderson added knowledge and drive to the Mountaineer squad in 2018. She helped coach WVU to several program records, including three road scores of 196.0 or better. Additionally, the vault lineup collected its season high of 49.325 at No. 1 Oklahoma and was nationally ranked throughout 2018, ending the year at No. 17.
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