Friday, February 21
Pittsburgh, Pa.
7 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Pitt
Mountaineers Open Weekend at Pitt
February 20, 2020 06:45 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team opens a double-meet weekend with a dual meet against Pitt on Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. ET, inside Fitzgerald Field House, in Pittsburgh.
Friday marks WVU's third dual meet of the season. It also is the squad's second of three meetings with Pitt this year, as the Panthers travel to Morgantown on March 1 for a tri-meet with Rutgers. In the team's last meeting on Jan. 31, West Virginia suffered a 195.7-194.85 loss to Pitt at George Washington's quad meet. The Mountaineers hold a 64-15-2 all-time series advantage over the Panthers.
"Rivalries are always great," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "Pitt had a great competition that night (Jan. 31), and we didn't. We are going on the road, and it's not one that we like to lose. We hope to bring back the win to Morgantown, that's the goal. I'm predicting one, and we are going to do everything we can to make it happen. We just have to hit our routines and do the gymnastics that we are capable of doing."
Friday's meet will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra or online through the WatchESPN app. Links for live scores and a web stream are available at WVUsports.com.
WVU will start competition on the uneven bars for the fourth time this season and is 0-3 when opening on the event. West Virginia's complete rotation order is bars, balance beam, floor exercise and vault.
In its last week of competition, West Virginia posted a season-best road score of 195.575 in a second-place finish at No. 1-ranked Oklahoma's tri-meet, with Texas Woman's University, on Feb. 14, at the Lloyd Noble Center, in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners placed first with a 198.4 total, while the Pioneers finished third with a 193.875.
WVU finished second to OU on all four events, scoring 49.225 on floor, 48.9 on vault and bars and 48.55 on beam. Of note, the Mountaineers matched their season high on vault for the fourth time this season. WVU tallied its highest team total of the night in the third rotation, as all six Mountaineers scored 9.8 or better on floor to put the squad's score at 49.225.
Senior Abby Kaufman matched her career-high score of 9.875 and tied for third, the Mountaineers' highest individual finish on the evening. The York, Pennsylvania, native now has four podium finishes on the year.
The Mountaineers' latest score boosted their season average to 195.225 and moved WVU to No. 28 in this week's Road to Nationals Rankings. The Mountaineers rank as high as No. 27 on bars (48.821 avg.) and floor (48.988 avg.). WVU also is tied at No. 33 on vault (48.788 avg.) and No. 35 on beam (48.629 avg.).
Individually, freshman Kianna Yancey owns four top-25 regional rankings. The Hatfield, Pennsylvania, native comes in at No. 4 in the all-around (39.15 avg.), her highest event ranking, and ranks No. 7 on bars (9.825 avg.) and No. 20 on vault (9.792 avg.). Yancey also is tied at No. 19 on floor (9.825 avg.).
The Panthers' first place, 194.7 showing at Fitzgerald Field House on Feb. 15 was the team's third-best score of the season. Pitt earned four out of five individual titles, with senior Alecia Petrikis winning vault (9.85) and floor (9.9), and senior Michaela Burton picking up bars (9.775) and beam (9.875) victories. The Panthers also had a season-best score on three events: vault (48.975), beam (49.075) and floor (49.275).
WVU concludes its weekend back home at the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m. Sunday's meet is Beauty and the Beast. The WVU gymnastics team will compete against Western Michigan (5-4, 4-0 MAC), Bowling Green (5-5, 0-3 MAC) and Towson (6-3, 1-3 EAGL), while the wrestling team will grapple with Utah Valley simultaneously.
The second-ever Mountaineer Fan Festival also will be held prior to the start of competition, with the Coliseum Gold Gate opening at 12 p.m. A fan meet-and-greet on the Coliseum concourse will cap the day's events. Additionally, the first 500 Mountaineer Maniac students in attendance will receive free pizza and a giveaway item. Sunday also features special appearances by Mr. Twister, the face-painting and balloon animal artist, and Musket, the Mountaineer Kids Club's mascot. MKC members can pick up their t-shirts the day of the event.
One ticket gains fans admittance into Mountaineer Fan Fest and the Beauty and the Beast competition. Tickets are on sale now at WVUGAME.com and also will be available for purchase at the WVU Coliseum Gold Gate Ticket Office.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Friday marks WVU's third dual meet of the season. It also is the squad's second of three meetings with Pitt this year, as the Panthers travel to Morgantown on March 1 for a tri-meet with Rutgers. In the team's last meeting on Jan. 31, West Virginia suffered a 195.7-194.85 loss to Pitt at George Washington's quad meet. The Mountaineers hold a 64-15-2 all-time series advantage over the Panthers.
"Rivalries are always great," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "Pitt had a great competition that night (Jan. 31), and we didn't. We are going on the road, and it's not one that we like to lose. We hope to bring back the win to Morgantown, that's the goal. I'm predicting one, and we are going to do everything we can to make it happen. We just have to hit our routines and do the gymnastics that we are capable of doing."
Friday's meet will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra or online through the WatchESPN app. Links for live scores and a web stream are available at WVUsports.com.
WVU will start competition on the uneven bars for the fourth time this season and is 0-3 when opening on the event. West Virginia's complete rotation order is bars, balance beam, floor exercise and vault.
In its last week of competition, West Virginia posted a season-best road score of 195.575 in a second-place finish at No. 1-ranked Oklahoma's tri-meet, with Texas Woman's University, on Feb. 14, at the Lloyd Noble Center, in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners placed first with a 198.4 total, while the Pioneers finished third with a 193.875.
WVU finished second to OU on all four events, scoring 49.225 on floor, 48.9 on vault and bars and 48.55 on beam. Of note, the Mountaineers matched their season high on vault for the fourth time this season. WVU tallied its highest team total of the night in the third rotation, as all six Mountaineers scored 9.8 or better on floor to put the squad's score at 49.225.
Senior Abby Kaufman matched her career-high score of 9.875 and tied for third, the Mountaineers' highest individual finish on the evening. The York, Pennsylvania, native now has four podium finishes on the year.
The Mountaineers' latest score boosted their season average to 195.225 and moved WVU to No. 28 in this week's Road to Nationals Rankings. The Mountaineers rank as high as No. 27 on bars (48.821 avg.) and floor (48.988 avg.). WVU also is tied at No. 33 on vault (48.788 avg.) and No. 35 on beam (48.629 avg.).
Individually, freshman Kianna Yancey owns four top-25 regional rankings. The Hatfield, Pennsylvania, native comes in at No. 4 in the all-around (39.15 avg.), her highest event ranking, and ranks No. 7 on bars (9.825 avg.) and No. 20 on vault (9.792 avg.). Yancey also is tied at No. 19 on floor (9.825 avg.).
The Panthers' first place, 194.7 showing at Fitzgerald Field House on Feb. 15 was the team's third-best score of the season. Pitt earned four out of five individual titles, with senior Alecia Petrikis winning vault (9.85) and floor (9.9), and senior Michaela Burton picking up bars (9.775) and beam (9.875) victories. The Panthers also had a season-best score on three events: vault (48.975), beam (49.075) and floor (49.275).
WVU concludes its weekend back home at the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m. Sunday's meet is Beauty and the Beast. The WVU gymnastics team will compete against Western Michigan (5-4, 4-0 MAC), Bowling Green (5-5, 0-3 MAC) and Towson (6-3, 1-3 EAGL), while the wrestling team will grapple with Utah Valley simultaneously.
The second-ever Mountaineer Fan Festival also will be held prior to the start of competition, with the Coliseum Gold Gate opening at 12 p.m. A fan meet-and-greet on the Coliseum concourse will cap the day's events. Additionally, the first 500 Mountaineer Maniac students in attendance will receive free pizza and a giveaway item. Sunday also features special appearances by Mr. Twister, the face-painting and balloon animal artist, and Musket, the Mountaineer Kids Club's mascot. MKC members can pick up their t-shirts the day of the event.
One ticket gains fans admittance into Mountaineer Fan Fest and the Beauty and the Beast competition. Tickets are on sale now at WVUGAME.com and also will be available for purchase at the WVU Coliseum Gold Gate Ticket Office.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ GymnasticsAssistant Coach Kaylyn Millick | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Assistant Coach Jessica Yamzon | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Associate Head Coach Travis Doak | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
Head Coach Jason Butts | Intro
Tuesday, September 09
