Sunday, January 27
Morgantown, W.Va.
2:00 PM
West Virginia University
vs
Kent State
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineers Open Home Season Sunday
January 26, 2019 03:37 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After three consecutive meets away from Morgantown, the West Virginia University gymnastics team opens its 2019 home season at the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 27, with action against George Washington and Kent State set to begin at 2 p.m.
It's Daddy-Daughter Day, and a brunch of donuts, coffee and juice will be offered to all fans while supplies last. It's also Mountaineer Kids Club Day, featuring Mr. Twister.
Tickets for Sunday's opener are on sale now at WVUGAME.com. When purchasing tickets in advance online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. All tickets are general admission. Tickets purchased at the Mountaineer Ticket Office inside the WVU Coliseum on the day of competition will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until the start of the meet.
WVU students are admitted for free with a valid WVU Student I.D.
For the second season, fans will be rewarded for loyal attendance, as "Stick-It" cards will be available for pickup prior to Sunday's meet. Fans will receive their first sticker Sunday and also can earn stickers for attending the next three home meets. A completed card with four stickers will earn fans free admittance to the team's home finale on March 17.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
"We are so excited to be home," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "It's been a long three weeks of travel. There was a lot of training, and it can be stressful on the road. We're ready to be back in front of our home fans. It means a lot to our gymnasts to compete for the Flying WV in the Coliseum.
"I think it's going to be pure excitement. The nerves are always on the road. When we get back on our home turf, we're used to the equipment, the sounds and the lights. I think they're going to show up and be amped and ready to go."
WVU is 46-7 all-time against the Colonials (2-1, 0-1 EAGL) and 21-9 against the Golden Flashes (2-1).
Last season, the Mountaineers dropped three meets to GW, including a 195.4-195.575 decision on Jan. 21 at the WVU Coliseum. WVU's last win against the Colonials came in 2014, a 195.5-191.825 victory on Feb. 2, in Morgantown. The Mountaineers defeated KSU in their last meeting, earning a 195.95-194.875 victory on Feb. 4, 2017, in Kent, Ohio.
The Mountaineers are 5-0 in their last two meets, most recently sweeping the competition at Air Force on Jan. 19 with a 194.75 total. WVU finished the 2018 season at 3-3 inside the WVU Coliseum.
For the second consecutive week, WVU (6-2, 0-1) sits just outside the Road to Nationals Rankings Top 25, residing at No. 26 with a 194.8 season average. Seniors Kirah Koshinski and Jaquie Tun continue to pull national rankings, as Koshinski ranks No. 8 on vault (9.892 avg.) and No. 18 on floor (9.892 avg.), and Tun sits at No. 42 on floor (9.858 avg.).
Last week at Air Force, the Mountaineers finished first on vault (48.85), uneven bars (48.425) and floor exercise (48.85). WVU also placed second on balance beam with a 48.625 total. A WVU gymnast earned each of the event victories, with Koshinski taking first on vault with a career-high matching 9.95 and first on floor with a 9.85 mark. Freshmen Rachel Hornung and Esperanza Abarca tallied 9.825 and 9.8 on beam and bars, respectively, for their first career victories.
Abarca paces WVU on bars with a 9.8 season average, while Hornung shows a team-best 9.775 average on beam. Junior Abby Kaufman owns three all-around podium finishes and shows a team-best 38.667 average.
The Colonials and Golden Flashes were set to meet on Jan. 20 in Kent, Ohio, before poor weather conditions forced a postponement.
In their 2019 opener, the Colonials finished second (193.525) at the Lindsey Ferris Invite on Jan. 13, in Washington, D.C. GW is competing at Pitt today before traveling to Morgantown.
KSU opened its season with a second-place finish (191.25) at the University of Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 13.
It's Daddy-Daughter Day, and a brunch of donuts, coffee and juice will be offered to all fans while supplies last. It's also Mountaineer Kids Club Day, featuring Mr. Twister.
Tickets for Sunday's opener are on sale now at WVUGAME.com. When purchasing tickets in advance online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. All tickets are general admission. Tickets purchased at the Mountaineer Ticket Office inside the WVU Coliseum on the day of competition will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until the start of the meet.
WVU students are admitted for free with a valid WVU Student I.D.
For the second season, fans will be rewarded for loyal attendance, as "Stick-It" cards will be available for pickup prior to Sunday's meet. Fans will receive their first sticker Sunday and also can earn stickers for attending the next three home meets. A completed card with four stickers will earn fans free admittance to the team's home finale on March 17.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
"We are so excited to be home," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "It's been a long three weeks of travel. There was a lot of training, and it can be stressful on the road. We're ready to be back in front of our home fans. It means a lot to our gymnasts to compete for the Flying WV in the Coliseum.
"I think it's going to be pure excitement. The nerves are always on the road. When we get back on our home turf, we're used to the equipment, the sounds and the lights. I think they're going to show up and be amped and ready to go."
WVU is 46-7 all-time against the Colonials (2-1, 0-1 EAGL) and 21-9 against the Golden Flashes (2-1).
Last season, the Mountaineers dropped three meets to GW, including a 195.4-195.575 decision on Jan. 21 at the WVU Coliseum. WVU's last win against the Colonials came in 2014, a 195.5-191.825 victory on Feb. 2, in Morgantown. The Mountaineers defeated KSU in their last meeting, earning a 195.95-194.875 victory on Feb. 4, 2017, in Kent, Ohio.
The Mountaineers are 5-0 in their last two meets, most recently sweeping the competition at Air Force on Jan. 19 with a 194.75 total. WVU finished the 2018 season at 3-3 inside the WVU Coliseum.
For the second consecutive week, WVU (6-2, 0-1) sits just outside the Road to Nationals Rankings Top 25, residing at No. 26 with a 194.8 season average. Seniors Kirah Koshinski and Jaquie Tun continue to pull national rankings, as Koshinski ranks No. 8 on vault (9.892 avg.) and No. 18 on floor (9.892 avg.), and Tun sits at No. 42 on floor (9.858 avg.).
Last week at Air Force, the Mountaineers finished first on vault (48.85), uneven bars (48.425) and floor exercise (48.85). WVU also placed second on balance beam with a 48.625 total. A WVU gymnast earned each of the event victories, with Koshinski taking first on vault with a career-high matching 9.95 and first on floor with a 9.85 mark. Freshmen Rachel Hornung and Esperanza Abarca tallied 9.825 and 9.8 on beam and bars, respectively, for their first career victories.
Abarca paces WVU on bars with a 9.8 season average, while Hornung shows a team-best 9.775 average on beam. Junior Abby Kaufman owns three all-around podium finishes and shows a team-best 38.667 average.
The Colonials and Golden Flashes were set to meet on Jan. 20 in Kent, Ohio, before poor weather conditions forced a postponement.
In their 2019 opener, the Colonials finished second (193.525) at the Lindsey Ferris Invite on Jan. 13, in Washington, D.C. GW is competing at Pitt today before traveling to Morgantown.
KSU opened its season with a second-place finish (191.25) at the University of Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 13.
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
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