Preseason Questions Answered
January 02, 2019 02:35 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Though the 2019 season officially begins Friday night, the West Virginia University gymnastics team kicked off a busy travel year today, as the Mountaineers flew to Cancun, Mexico, for the Cancun Classic. The meet against No. 9 Michigan, Iowa State and Rutgers will be held on Jan. 4, with action inside the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Ballroom set to begin at 7 p.m.
With the first competition in sight, head coach Jason Butts and associate head coach Travis Doak sat down to share their thoughts on the Mountaineers' upcoming season.
The 2018 squad was extremely consistent and did not count a fall until the last meet of the season. How will this year's team move forward from the way the 2018 season ended and build on that consistency?
Head Coach Jason Butts: I think our finish at the 2018 NCAA University Park Regional Championships (sixth place, 194.4) affected the gymnasts and was disappointing. At the time, our confidence went down a bit, but throughout the offseason and the 2019 preseason, we've seen our senior class fight back – they aren't willing to accept another season-ending performance like that. It's always great to see that senior leadership emerge.
I don't think our freshman class understands what it means to have such a great season, especially surrounded by adversity, and then have it end with disappointment. I think we will need to get them on board and help them understand you need to fight with consistency throughout the entire season.
As a staff, we're determined to make sure we don't see another ending like that.
Associate Head Coach Travis Doak: We've let this team know that our performance at the 2018 regional is not acceptable for this program, especially given the amount of talent we have. I think we're redefining our expectations. We know where we want to be and what we need to do to get there.
Butts: As a staff, we're all back fighting. We're excited to welcome (assistant coach) Kaylyn (Millick) back, and we're going to push even harder this season. We're in a great spot and a lot further along than we've been before.
How was the team able to execute such great consistency in 2018?
Butts: I think we can attribute a lot of it to Travis – he's been the driving force behind the mentality that this team just won't fall. That's our expectation.
Kaylyn will add the flair back into the consistency; we were missing that last season. We hit our routines, but we weren't focusing on the little details. Kaylyn coaches detail so well.
Doak: I think our consistency is fantastic. My personality is to be safe and eliminate the chance for mistakes, and sometimes that results in 9.7 scores. What we will push harder for this year is for a higher standard – we have to take some risks, push hard and come out of the gate with finesse and the hope of 9.8s or better.
The coaching staff has been revamped again, as you welcome back assistant coach Kaylyn Millick and add Caleigh Shaffer as the director of operations. How does your staff plan to work together throughout the 2019 season?
Doak: Adding Kaylyn back to this staff was essential and will help ensure that we open the season hitting our routines with flair. Anyone who knows Kaylyn knows that her energy on the floor is fantastic. Her comradery with the athletes is wonderful, and having her back on this staff will provide our gymnasts with such a different experience on the floor. She's great. Kaylyn is great at coaching aggressive gymnastics, and that's what we need.
This staff works well together. We know and understand each other, and our confidence in each other helps boost the gymnasts' confidence.
Butts: These athletes don't second guess themselves. Our skill level is going up quickly, and we have to push to get there.
We're so happy to have Caleigh on our staff, too. She ensures that this program runs well on the administrative side, and that allows the coaches to come up with creative practice plans and focus on the gymnastics.
Which gymnasts do you see pushing themselves to do more in 2019?
Butts: (Seniors) Kirah (Koshinski) and Jaquie (Tun) are really gunning for all-around positions this year. I will be disappointed if they don't earn those spots because they worked hard throughout the summer and the fall, and they look great!
Doak: I think our whole senior class is doing a fantastic job. These three gymnasts (Koshinski, Tun and Carly Galpin) complement each other well, and they are all hard workers. They are all relentlessly going outside their comfort zones to do their best gymnastics. I can confidently say that when they finish, they won't have any regrets.
Butts: This class sets the standard for the team, and they set a very high standard. They want success badly.
Senior Kirah Koshinski is a three-time All-American, earning second team vault accolades each season. What are her hopes for her senior season, and what are this staff's hopes for Kirah?
Doak: I want to see Kirah at the NCAA National Championships, and hopefully with this team. I think she deserves it, and she has worked hard for that opportunity. We want her to finish her career at the NCAA Championships with this team by her side.
Kirah has worked hard every year. She's the type of gymnast we want at WVU. Kirah is very talented, but a lot of hard work has fueled her success. She works relentlessly, and I want her to get the recognition she deserves. I honestly believe she deserves a 10.0 score.
Butts: Earning three consecutive regular season All-America honors is so hard. She has a chance this year to smash a lot of program records, and if we can get this team to the NCAA National Championships, she won't be our only All-American. This team is talented.
The junior class earned high praise from this staff two years ago at the onset of their freshman season. Who from that class are you looking at to standout this season?
Doak: I want more from this class. I think they have a lot more to offer, and I think they're better than what we've seen. There are a lot of hard workers in this class – I just want more from them. I think they can do it, and I think it's a mission for us coaches. I want our expectations to be honest, and for this class, I know they have more to offer.
Butts: They have a lot to offer. I think they need to step-up and recognize their potential.
Doak: I think Abby (Kaufman) always has the potential to compete in the all-around, but she has to work to get there. She's a hard worker.
Butts: Chloe (Cluchey) will definitely compete on bars, and I think Erica (Fontaine) is a strong floor contender who I also want to see compete on beam. Julia (Merwin) is working hard, and I see her competing on floor and vault. Kassidy (Cumber) has the potential to compete every event.
The sophomore class comes back intact, with McKenna Linnen, Sydney Marler and Michelle Waldron all looking for more time in lineups. What are your hopes for this trio?
Doak: This class is doing a great job. McKenna returned and looks great – I expect to see her compete on beam and floor. Sydney is working on a new bars routine, and I think these adjustments will help her score. She looks good on beam, too. Michelle is doing better everywhere; she looks great.
Butts: Each of these gymnasts stepped up in 2018 and filled a lineup spot for us. They are a gritty class and work hard. Above all else, they're nice student-athletes. They will step up to any challenge; they proved that last season, and they're going to get the chance to do it again this year.
Five freshmen join your squad this year. What have these gymnasts brought to the gym throughout preseason?
Doak: This freshman class really came in strong. I could see so many of them in lineup spots right now. Esperanza (Abarca) is going to compete. Rachel (Hornung) is fantastic and could compete in the all-around right out of the gate. Taylor Sell has learned new skills on bars and could compete on beam, too. Kristin (Lang) is adjusting her gymnastics and growing into her skills. Kendra (Combs) has been sidelined, but she's finally competing on bars, and we hope to work her into the lineup.
I think we can expect a lot from this class. I'm excited; there's a lot to offer from this class.
Butts: I don't think we've ever had a freshman class that was this open to changing their training and their routines; they are very coachable. That also means we have to up our expectations for this group, too. They are changing and willing to try.
Doak: This class is full of fantastic competitors. They have fierce mindsets.
The team opens the 2019 season with three consecutive road meets. How do you like the way this schedule is setup, and what are your hopes and expectations for those first three meets?
Butts: Every year, it feels like we have to play catchup and be the road warriors who need to earn big scores at the end of the season. I don't want to do that this year. I'm excited that the first three meets are on the road, and we'll end the season with eight total road meets. We have a lot of opportunities to get strong road scores, but we don't want to put ourselves in a hole early. I want to start in the top 18 of the rankings, and I want to stay in the top 18.
Our first meet is in Cancun, Mexico, and while it's going to be a fun trip for this team, we have to take it seriously, and we have to put on a show against Michigan, Iowa State and Rutgers. We need to come out of that meet with a strong score.
We are at Pitt the weekend after our season opener, and then we fly to Colorado Springs for our third straight road competition. Those first three weeks will be very challenging, and we have to come out of the gate hitting.
The 2019 season is the Mountaineers' seventh as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Where do you see your program's position within the conference, and how has the competition helped your program grow?
Butts: I think being a member of the Big 12 Conference has really helped this program, especially in recruiting. I know we can put up a big score, and I know we can win that championship. All the pieces need to fall in the right places, but we can do it.
Your squad thrives when competing in the WVU Coliseum. What do you like about the 2019 home schedule?
Butts: I'm really excited for our fans – we have a lot of great teams coming to Morgantown this year. I anticipate a lot of ranked teams competing at the WVU Coliseum this season, and I think if we can earn a few home wins, our team will gain confidence that will propel us through a tough road schedule.
Your final regular-season meet features Ohio State, Penn State and NC State at the WVU Coliseum and has the makings of a potential quad meet between four ranked teams. Are you excited for this to be your final tune-up before the 2019 postseason?
Butts: Oh, absolutely. That meet really makes me excited. There will be four quality teams competing that day, which is great for our fans. More importantly, if we can leave that day with a win, we will roll into the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship knowing we took down three great teams. The scoring potential is very high for that meet.
Doak: I agree. I feel like we were so consistent in 2018, but we were not aggressive. I think we can change our mentality this year, and we should enter every meet wanting to win. I think we can instill a fight in this team this year.
We're already seeing this team push its comfort zone, and that's a good thing. We have depth this year, so to make a lineup, we need to see quality execution. I think we are going to ask a lot of this team, and I think if they answer, we'll be in a good spot late in the year. I want to challenge this team to win; they're good enough to win.
Butts: Our meet-day mindset is to work hard and have fun. Our competitive edge is that we are the team known for being loud and supportive. We have to maintain that frame of mind. If we go into each meet believing we are going to have fun and compete well, good things will happen.
This team set program academic records in 2018, as 10 gymnasts garnered Scholastic All-America and Academic All-Big 12 accolades. How does this team continue to set the standard in the classroom?
Butts: It's always tough for freshmen to transition to college, but all our student-athletes are coachable. They do what we ask them to do, and no one wants to let her teammates down.
This team works hard and is focused on achieving high grades.
With the first competition in sight, head coach Jason Butts and associate head coach Travis Doak sat down to share their thoughts on the Mountaineers' upcoming season.
The 2018 squad was extremely consistent and did not count a fall until the last meet of the season. How will this year's team move forward from the way the 2018 season ended and build on that consistency?
Head Coach Jason Butts: I think our finish at the 2018 NCAA University Park Regional Championships (sixth place, 194.4) affected the gymnasts and was disappointing. At the time, our confidence went down a bit, but throughout the offseason and the 2019 preseason, we've seen our senior class fight back – they aren't willing to accept another season-ending performance like that. It's always great to see that senior leadership emerge.
I don't think our freshman class understands what it means to have such a great season, especially surrounded by adversity, and then have it end with disappointment. I think we will need to get them on board and help them understand you need to fight with consistency throughout the entire season.
As a staff, we're determined to make sure we don't see another ending like that.
Associate Head Coach Travis Doak: We've let this team know that our performance at the 2018 regional is not acceptable for this program, especially given the amount of talent we have. I think we're redefining our expectations. We know where we want to be and what we need to do to get there.
Butts: As a staff, we're all back fighting. We're excited to welcome (assistant coach) Kaylyn (Millick) back, and we're going to push even harder this season. We're in a great spot and a lot further along than we've been before.
How was the team able to execute such great consistency in 2018?
Butts: I think we can attribute a lot of it to Travis – he's been the driving force behind the mentality that this team just won't fall. That's our expectation.
Kaylyn will add the flair back into the consistency; we were missing that last season. We hit our routines, but we weren't focusing on the little details. Kaylyn coaches detail so well.
Doak: I think our consistency is fantastic. My personality is to be safe and eliminate the chance for mistakes, and sometimes that results in 9.7 scores. What we will push harder for this year is for a higher standard – we have to take some risks, push hard and come out of the gate with finesse and the hope of 9.8s or better.
The coaching staff has been revamped again, as you welcome back assistant coach Kaylyn Millick and add Caleigh Shaffer as the director of operations. How does your staff plan to work together throughout the 2019 season?
Doak: Adding Kaylyn back to this staff was essential and will help ensure that we open the season hitting our routines with flair. Anyone who knows Kaylyn knows that her energy on the floor is fantastic. Her comradery with the athletes is wonderful, and having her back on this staff will provide our gymnasts with such a different experience on the floor. She's great. Kaylyn is great at coaching aggressive gymnastics, and that's what we need.
This staff works well together. We know and understand each other, and our confidence in each other helps boost the gymnasts' confidence.
Butts: These athletes don't second guess themselves. Our skill level is going up quickly, and we have to push to get there.
We're so happy to have Caleigh on our staff, too. She ensures that this program runs well on the administrative side, and that allows the coaches to come up with creative practice plans and focus on the gymnastics.
Which gymnasts do you see pushing themselves to do more in 2019?
Butts: (Seniors) Kirah (Koshinski) and Jaquie (Tun) are really gunning for all-around positions this year. I will be disappointed if they don't earn those spots because they worked hard throughout the summer and the fall, and they look great!
Doak: I think our whole senior class is doing a fantastic job. These three gymnasts (Koshinski, Tun and Carly Galpin) complement each other well, and they are all hard workers. They are all relentlessly going outside their comfort zones to do their best gymnastics. I can confidently say that when they finish, they won't have any regrets.
Butts: This class sets the standard for the team, and they set a very high standard. They want success badly.
Senior Kirah Koshinski is a three-time All-American, earning second team vault accolades each season. What are her hopes for her senior season, and what are this staff's hopes for Kirah?
Doak: I want to see Kirah at the NCAA National Championships, and hopefully with this team. I think she deserves it, and she has worked hard for that opportunity. We want her to finish her career at the NCAA Championships with this team by her side.
Kirah has worked hard every year. She's the type of gymnast we want at WVU. Kirah is very talented, but a lot of hard work has fueled her success. She works relentlessly, and I want her to get the recognition she deserves. I honestly believe she deserves a 10.0 score.
Butts: Earning three consecutive regular season All-America honors is so hard. She has a chance this year to smash a lot of program records, and if we can get this team to the NCAA National Championships, she won't be our only All-American. This team is talented.
The junior class earned high praise from this staff two years ago at the onset of their freshman season. Who from that class are you looking at to standout this season?
Doak: I want more from this class. I think they have a lot more to offer, and I think they're better than what we've seen. There are a lot of hard workers in this class – I just want more from them. I think they can do it, and I think it's a mission for us coaches. I want our expectations to be honest, and for this class, I know they have more to offer.
Butts: They have a lot to offer. I think they need to step-up and recognize their potential.
Doak: I think Abby (Kaufman) always has the potential to compete in the all-around, but she has to work to get there. She's a hard worker.
Butts: Chloe (Cluchey) will definitely compete on bars, and I think Erica (Fontaine) is a strong floor contender who I also want to see compete on beam. Julia (Merwin) is working hard, and I see her competing on floor and vault. Kassidy (Cumber) has the potential to compete every event.
The sophomore class comes back intact, with McKenna Linnen, Sydney Marler and Michelle Waldron all looking for more time in lineups. What are your hopes for this trio?
Doak: This class is doing a great job. McKenna returned and looks great – I expect to see her compete on beam and floor. Sydney is working on a new bars routine, and I think these adjustments will help her score. She looks good on beam, too. Michelle is doing better everywhere; she looks great.
Butts: Each of these gymnasts stepped up in 2018 and filled a lineup spot for us. They are a gritty class and work hard. Above all else, they're nice student-athletes. They will step up to any challenge; they proved that last season, and they're going to get the chance to do it again this year.
Five freshmen join your squad this year. What have these gymnasts brought to the gym throughout preseason?
Doak: This freshman class really came in strong. I could see so many of them in lineup spots right now. Esperanza (Abarca) is going to compete. Rachel (Hornung) is fantastic and could compete in the all-around right out of the gate. Taylor Sell has learned new skills on bars and could compete on beam, too. Kristin (Lang) is adjusting her gymnastics and growing into her skills. Kendra (Combs) has been sidelined, but she's finally competing on bars, and we hope to work her into the lineup.
I think we can expect a lot from this class. I'm excited; there's a lot to offer from this class.
Butts: I don't think we've ever had a freshman class that was this open to changing their training and their routines; they are very coachable. That also means we have to up our expectations for this group, too. They are changing and willing to try.
Doak: This class is full of fantastic competitors. They have fierce mindsets.
The team opens the 2019 season with three consecutive road meets. How do you like the way this schedule is setup, and what are your hopes and expectations for those first three meets?
Butts: Every year, it feels like we have to play catchup and be the road warriors who need to earn big scores at the end of the season. I don't want to do that this year. I'm excited that the first three meets are on the road, and we'll end the season with eight total road meets. We have a lot of opportunities to get strong road scores, but we don't want to put ourselves in a hole early. I want to start in the top 18 of the rankings, and I want to stay in the top 18.
Our first meet is in Cancun, Mexico, and while it's going to be a fun trip for this team, we have to take it seriously, and we have to put on a show against Michigan, Iowa State and Rutgers. We need to come out of that meet with a strong score.
We are at Pitt the weekend after our season opener, and then we fly to Colorado Springs for our third straight road competition. Those first three weeks will be very challenging, and we have to come out of the gate hitting.
The 2019 season is the Mountaineers' seventh as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Where do you see your program's position within the conference, and how has the competition helped your program grow?
Butts: I think being a member of the Big 12 Conference has really helped this program, especially in recruiting. I know we can put up a big score, and I know we can win that championship. All the pieces need to fall in the right places, but we can do it.
Your squad thrives when competing in the WVU Coliseum. What do you like about the 2019 home schedule?
Butts: I'm really excited for our fans – we have a lot of great teams coming to Morgantown this year. I anticipate a lot of ranked teams competing at the WVU Coliseum this season, and I think if we can earn a few home wins, our team will gain confidence that will propel us through a tough road schedule.
Your final regular-season meet features Ohio State, Penn State and NC State at the WVU Coliseum and has the makings of a potential quad meet between four ranked teams. Are you excited for this to be your final tune-up before the 2019 postseason?
Butts: Oh, absolutely. That meet really makes me excited. There will be four quality teams competing that day, which is great for our fans. More importantly, if we can leave that day with a win, we will roll into the Big 12 Gymnastics Championship knowing we took down three great teams. The scoring potential is very high for that meet.
Doak: I agree. I feel like we were so consistent in 2018, but we were not aggressive. I think we can change our mentality this year, and we should enter every meet wanting to win. I think we can instill a fight in this team this year.
We're already seeing this team push its comfort zone, and that's a good thing. We have depth this year, so to make a lineup, we need to see quality execution. I think we are going to ask a lot of this team, and I think if they answer, we'll be in a good spot late in the year. I want to challenge this team to win; they're good enough to win.
Butts: Our meet-day mindset is to work hard and have fun. Our competitive edge is that we are the team known for being loud and supportive. We have to maintain that frame of mind. If we go into each meet believing we are going to have fun and compete well, good things will happen.
This team set program academic records in 2018, as 10 gymnasts garnered Scholastic All-America and Academic All-Big 12 accolades. How does this team continue to set the standard in the classroom?
Butts: It's always tough for freshmen to transition to college, but all our student-athletes are coachable. They do what we ask them to do, and no one wants to let her teammates down.
This team works hard and is focused on achieving high grades.
Players Mentioned
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/ GymnasticsGYM: Florida Quad Recap
Tuesday, January 13
Assistant Coach Kaylyn Millick | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Assistant Coach Jessica Yamzon | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Associate Head Coach Travis Doak | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
