Martin Named Student-Athlete of the Week

February 04, 2019 02:33 PM | General, Golf, Men's Swimming & Diving, Rifle, Women's Basketball, Gymnastics, Women's Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling

Varsity Sports Report

By: WVU Athletics Communications

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following a pair of 20-point efforts that led WVU to back-to-back Big 12 wins, Tynice Martin has been named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by University Apartments.

The Atlanta native averaged 24.5 points per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field with 10 rebounds and a trio of steals. Martin had a season-high 27 points in an upset win at No. 12 Texas, shooting 50 percent at 9-of-18 along with a pair of steals. The redshirt junior guard went 7-for-8 with a pair of 3-pointers for a program-record 16 first-quarter points in WVU's first-ever win at Texas.

Additionally, Martin tied her season-high with nine made field goals against the Longhorns. On Sunday, Martin added 22 more points in a win over Kansas to bring her season total to nine 20-point games. She made a season-high nine free-throws against the Jayhawks, shooting 90 percent at the free-throw line and 46.2 percent from the field.

This Week in Women's Basketball: West Virginia will play just once this week … the Mountaineers travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Feb. 9, for a rematch with Iowa State … tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Hilton Coliseum … it will be the second meeting between the two, as WVU claimed the first by a score of 73-64 over the then-No. 18 Cyclones in Morgantown.

Last Week in Women's Basketball: The Mountaineers picked up a pair of Big 12 wins to extend their win streak to four … on Monday, West Virginia upset No. 12 Texas, 64-58, in Austin … redshirt junior guard Tynice Martin had a team-best 27 points to lead the way, while senior forward Naomi Davenport added 15 and freshman forward Kari Niblack scored 10 … the Mountaineers returned home on Sunday to pick up their second win of the week when they downed Kansas, 71-50, at the WVU Coliseum … Martin again led the scoring with 22 points … Davenport again finished in double figures with 16, while junior guard Lucky Rudd added 13 as well.

Notes: Monday's win over the No. 12 Longhorns marked WVU's first at Texas … WVU earned its first win over Texas since March 5, 2017, at the 2017 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship … the Mountaineers earned their 50th win over a ranked opponent in program history, including the second this season … WVU last defeated a top-25 opponent on the road on Dec. 3, 2017, at Texas A&M … Monday marked West Virginia's first true road win over a ranked conference opponent since Jan. 17, 2015, at Oklahoma State … redshirt junior guard Tynice Martin went 7-of-8 with a pair of 3-pointers for 16 points in the first quarter, marking a program record for points in a quarter … West Virginia has now won four consecutive regular-season Big 12 games for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign … Martin recorded her 24th career 20-plus game again the Jayhawks, including her ninth this season … Martin also led WVU in scoring for the 11th time this year.

This Week in Gymnastics: The Mountaineers (8-4, 0-3) return to the road for a quad meet at Penn, with Bridgeport and Temple, on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m., at The Palestra, in Philadelphia.

Last Week in Gymnastics: WVU tallied a season-high 196.125 in a third-place finish on Feb. 2, at the WVU Coliseum … No. 7 Denver won the meet with a 197.45, and Iowa State placed second with a 196.7 total … the Mountaineers finished second on floor exercise with a season-high 49.375, the 13th-best score in program history, and on balance beam with a season-best 48.85 … WVU also landed at third on uneven bars with a season-high 48.975 total and on vault with a 48.925 mark … senior Kirah Koshinski ascended the podium for all three events she competed, tying for first on floor with a season-best matching 9.925 score, as well as finishing second on vault with a 9.9 and third on beam with a career-high 9.875 … freshman Kendra Combs paced WVU on bars with a career-best 9.85 … junior Abby Kaufman matched her season-high all-around score of 38.925 and finished sixth overall.

Notes: WVU's score topped its previous season high of 195.5 and ranks No. 30 in program history … Koshinski continues to rank No. 2 in program history with 22 career vault scores of 9.9 or better … she also now sits tied for second with Kristen Macrie (1999-02) with 17 career floor scores of 9.9 or better … freshman Rachel Hornung placed fifth on floor with a career-high 9.9, while Kaufman finished sixth with a career-best 9.875 … junior Erica Fontaine also matched her season-best floor score of 9.825 … sophomore Michelle Waldron earned a career-high 9.8 on vault … senior Jaquie Tun tallied a season-high 9.825 on bars, while freshman Esperanza Abarca earned a career-high matching 9.8 for the fifth consecutive meet … junior Chloe Cluchey earned a season-best 9.775 on bars … Abarca made her beam career debut and finished fifth with a 9.85, the third-best score awarded.

This Week in Track & Field: The Mountaineers travel to Geneva, Ohio, to compete in the SPIRE Division I Invitational, from Feb. 8-9 … competition at the SPIRE Institute is set to begin on Friday at 2 p.m., with Saturday's events scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Last Week in Track & Field: WVU combined to earn 11 top-eight finishes, including two wins, at the 15th Annual Akron Invitational, from Feb. 1-2, in Akron, Ohio … redshirt senior Bria Welker won the women's 400 meters (blue division) with a time of 57.04 … Welker also joined redshirt freshmen Marianne Abdalah and Hayley Jackson and freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden to win the women's distance medley relay (gold division) in 11:54.35 … additionally, freshman Peter-Gay McKenzie (women's long jump – blue division), redshirt senior Madelin Gardner (women's pole vault – gold division), redshirt junior Faith Penny (women's high jump – blue division) and Jackson (women's 800 meters – gold division) all earned second-place finishes at the meet.

Notes: Gardner jumped a season-best 4.32 meters (14 feet, 2 inches) in the pole vault … she enters the week ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference and tied for No. 10 nationally in the vault … led by Gardner, the Mountaineers rank No. 20 in the USTFCCCA's #EventSquad Index in the pole vault … WVU's DMR team of Jackson, Welker, Vanderheyden and freshman Samantha Hatcher rank No. 30 nationally with a top time of 11:40.72 … Jackson posted a time of 2:10.37 in the 800 meters at Akron, good for a lifetime best … WVU last competed at the SPIRE D1 Invitational in 2014-15.

This Week in Wrestling: WVU (4-13, 3-5 Big 12) does not compete this week … the regular season will come to a close on Sunday, Feb. 24, in Brookings, South Dakota, where the Mountaineers and Jackrabbits square off in a 7 p.m. ET match.

Last Week in Wrestling: Three Mountaineers came away with wins, as West Virginia capped its 2018-19 home slate with a 28-10 loss to Army on Feb. 1 … redshirt junior Devin Brown (125) and redshirt sophomore Matthew Schmitt (133) each won by decision for the Mountaineers, while redshirt senior Christian Monserrat (149) claimed his fifth bonus-point victory of the season in his final match at the Coliseum.

Notes: The Mountaineers have faced 10 teams ranked inside the USA Today/NWCA Coaches' Top-25 Poll this season … Monserrat has a team-leading 19 wins on the year … the Methuen, Massachusetts, native also leads the team with 15 dual wins and 51 match points … the first of four coaches' panel rankings for the 2018-19 season was released on Jan. 24, with five Mountaineers appearing in the top 33 of their respective weight classes ... the final rankings will be used in determining qualifiers for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which will be held in Pittsburgh, at PPG Paints Arena, from March 21-23 … Schmitt ranks 14th at 133 pounds, while Monserrat sits in 20th in his respective pool of 149 pounds ... sophomore Nick Kiussis ranks 18th at 165 pounds, and junior Brandon Ngati (HWT) and redshirt freshman Noah Adams (197) each enter the coaches' panel rankings for the first time in their careers at No. 32 in their respective weight classes ... wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn allocation spots for their qualifying tournaments for the championships.

This Week in Rifle: The No. 2-ranked Mountaineers shoot for their sixth straight and 12th overall Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) regular-season title at No. 3-ranked and reigning NCAA National Champion Kentucky on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 8 a.m.

Last Week in Rifle: WVU (12-0, 7-0) did not compete last week.

This Week in Swimming & Diving: The Mountaineers are off this week … WVU next competes at the 2019 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship, from Feb. 27-March 2, in Austin, Texas.

Last Week in Swimming & Diving: WVU did not compete.

Notes: Entering the conference meet, sophomore David Dixon ranks No. 17 nationally in the men's 200 butterfly (1:42.95), redshirt senior Tristen Di Sibio sits No. 37 nationally in the men's 100 breaststroke (53.52) and junior Morgan Bullock ranks No. 38 in the nation in the women's 200 butterfly (1:57.31) … Di Sibio (200 breaststroke) and senior Jake Armstrong (100 breaststroke) are set to defend their Big 12 individual championships at the conference meet … both teams finished second at the Big 12 Championship last season.

This Week in Tennis: The Mountaineers travel to Ames, Iowa, on Sunday, Feb. 3, as they open Big 12 play against Iowa State ... WVU is scheduled to begin play at 10 a.m. ET.

Last Week in Tennis: West Virginia captured a pair of victories in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ... on Feb. 2, WVU defeated Duquesne, 6-1, ... the Mountaineers swept the Dukes in doubles play and won five of six matches in singles play ... freshman Nicole Roc made her Mountaineer debut against Duquesne in doubles ... on Feb. 3, West Virginia defeated Pitt, 5-2, in the 37th edition of the Backyard Brawl ... freshman Anastasiia Bovolskaia led the team with four wins and was the only Mountaineer to go undefeated against the Dukes and Panthers.

Notes: With last week's victories over Duquesne and Pitt, WVU is 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 2010 ... Saturday's victory against the Dukes also was the Mountaineers' first season-opening victory since 2010, when they defeated Youngstown State, 5-1 ... Bovolskaia leads the Mountaineers with four total wins this season ... Roc, junior Sofia Duran and sophomore Anne-Sophie Courteau are tied for second with three total wins.

This Week in Golf: The Mountaineers are off this week … WVU will now open the spring season from Feb. 16-17, at the Suntrust Gator Invitational, in Gainesville, Florida.

Last Week in Golf: West Virginia was scheduled to take on Penn State in the Athletic Directors Trophy on Sunday at Reunion Resort in Orlando, Florida … due to weather-related travel issues for the Nittany Lions, the event was canceled … senior Tristan Nicholls and freshman Kurtis Grant will finish the second day of competition at the Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate in Statesboro, Georgia, on Monday.

Notes: West Virginia opens spring play ranked at No. 37 in the Golfstat team rankings … senior Max Sear ranks at No. 64 amongst NCAA Division I golfers in the Golfstat rankings … Sear leads the team with a 69.83 stroke average and three top-20 finishes … sophomore Matthew Sharpstene is second on the team with a 70.50 average … the team's first-round score of 271 at the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic in November was a program record low team round, as well as a record low round vs. par at -13 … the Mountaineers' 54-hole team total of 835 in Hawaii also was a program record at 17 under par.