Sunday, March 8
Iowa City, Iowa
2:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Iowa
Photo by: Steven Prunty
Mountaineers Prep for Hawkeyes in Iowa City
March 07, 2020 04:15 PM | Gymnastics
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The West Virginia University gymnastics team travels to Iowa City for a dual meet at Iowa on Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m. ET, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Sunday's meet will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network or online through the Fox Sports Go app. Links for live scores and a web stream are available at WVUsports.com.
WVU opens the meet on uneven bars. The Mountaineers are 1-3 this season when starting competition on bars. WVU is 1-2 in dual meets and 1-5 in true road competitions. West Virginia's complete rotation order is bars, vault, floor exercise and balance beam.
"Iowa is a team that we typically don't see during the regular season, so I think it's going to be exciting for us to see a different level and type of competition," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "We're in Big Ten country, and there are some great gymnastics teams in this conference. Iowa is one of those schools that keeps getting better and better every year. It's going to be a great competition."
The Mountaineers (11-7, 0-2 Big 12) and the Hawkeyes (6-9, 2-7 Big Ten) will go head-to-head for the fifth time in program history. The all-time series is knotted at two wins apiece, with Iowa picking up the latest victory, 194.35-193.7, over West Virginia on Jan. 17, 2009, at Michigan State's Jenison Field House.
WVU and UI's common opponents this season were Iowa State and Penn State; both dual meets on the road for the Mountaineers in January.
Sunday will be a tight battle between the Mountaineers and the Hawkeyes, as the teams show nearly identical rankings. UI edges WVU in the overall standings, owning a 195.675 national qualifying score (NQS) to rank No. 30; the Mountaineers' NQS is 195.6 and rank one spot behind the Hawkeyes at No. 31. West Virginia bests Iowa on bars and beam and rank No. 30 (48.9 NQS) and No. 36 (48.845 NQS), respectively. The Hawkeyes rank No. 34 on bars (48.83 NQS) and No. 40 on beam (48.815 NQS). Iowa is ranked No. 20 on floor (49.19 NQS), while West Virginia sits at No. 26 (49.12 NQS). UI also comes in at No. 30 on vault (48.915 NQS), and WVU checks in at No. 35 (48.88 NQS).
Last week, the Mountaineers finished in second place with a season-best score of 196.425 in a tri-meet at the WVU Coliseum, on March 1. Pitt scored 196.5 and finished first overall, while Rutgers placed third with a 195.3.
The Mountaineers matched the 15th-best score in program history thanks to three first-place event showings. WVU was most impressive on beam, where all six gymnasts scored 9.8 or better, giving the Mountaineers a season-high 49.225 score. The event total matches the fourth-best score in program history. West Virginia also finished first on floor with a 49.375. The Mountaineers' floor total marks the fourth consecutive meet and fifth time this season WVU has scored 49.0 or better. It also is the Mountaineers' second-highest floor score of the year.
Senior Chloe Cluchey posted a personal best on floor, scoring 9.95 in the No. 3 position to win the event outright. Cluchey's total was the team's highest individual score of the season. The Woodbridge, Virginia, native has scored 9.9 or better twice this season and has won the event outright three times.
In addition to its wins on beam and floor, West Virginia also finished first on bars with a season-high 48.975 score. WVU tallied 48.85 on vault and placed third.
"We just came off a great week at home with a season-high score," Butts said. "I'm looking for that performance on the road. We still have a lot to clean up. We must maximize our performance and our scores. That has been our focus all week, getting ready for a dual meet. I love the dual meet feel. We have trained specifically for that, and I'm looking forward to it."
Freshman Abbie Pierson and Cluchey pace the Mountaineers with top-100 rankings on their respective events. Cluchey boasts a team-high 9.855 NQS on floor and is tied at No. 80, while Pierson is tied at No. 82 on vault with an NQS of 9.82. Freshman Kianna Yancey leads WVU on bars with a 9.82 NQS mark, and sophomore Esperanza Abarca and Pierson pace WVU on beam with matching 9.79 NQS scores.
The Hawkeyes defeated in-state rival Iowa State on March 6, with a season-high score of 196.425, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. UI scored season highs on bars and floor. Senior Clair Kaji, sophomore Alex Greenwald and freshman Allyson Steffensmeir tied for the bars win with scores of 9.875s. Additionally, sophomore Lauren Guerin and freshman Ariana Agrapides led the Hawkeyes with a pair of 9.9s on floor. Of note, the Cyclones totaled a 196.225 in the loss.
Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will close their regular-season slate at home on Friday, March 13. WVU plays host to Penn, Maryland and Kentucky in a quad meet at 7 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Sunday's meet will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network or online through the Fox Sports Go app. Links for live scores and a web stream are available at WVUsports.com.
WVU opens the meet on uneven bars. The Mountaineers are 1-3 this season when starting competition on bars. WVU is 1-2 in dual meets and 1-5 in true road competitions. West Virginia's complete rotation order is bars, vault, floor exercise and balance beam.
"Iowa is a team that we typically don't see during the regular season, so I think it's going to be exciting for us to see a different level and type of competition," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "We're in Big Ten country, and there are some great gymnastics teams in this conference. Iowa is one of those schools that keeps getting better and better every year. It's going to be a great competition."
The Mountaineers (11-7, 0-2 Big 12) and the Hawkeyes (6-9, 2-7 Big Ten) will go head-to-head for the fifth time in program history. The all-time series is knotted at two wins apiece, with Iowa picking up the latest victory, 194.35-193.7, over West Virginia on Jan. 17, 2009, at Michigan State's Jenison Field House.
WVU and UI's common opponents this season were Iowa State and Penn State; both dual meets on the road for the Mountaineers in January.
Sunday will be a tight battle between the Mountaineers and the Hawkeyes, as the teams show nearly identical rankings. UI edges WVU in the overall standings, owning a 195.675 national qualifying score (NQS) to rank No. 30; the Mountaineers' NQS is 195.6 and rank one spot behind the Hawkeyes at No. 31. West Virginia bests Iowa on bars and beam and rank No. 30 (48.9 NQS) and No. 36 (48.845 NQS), respectively. The Hawkeyes rank No. 34 on bars (48.83 NQS) and No. 40 on beam (48.815 NQS). Iowa is ranked No. 20 on floor (49.19 NQS), while West Virginia sits at No. 26 (49.12 NQS). UI also comes in at No. 30 on vault (48.915 NQS), and WVU checks in at No. 35 (48.88 NQS).
Last week, the Mountaineers finished in second place with a season-best score of 196.425 in a tri-meet at the WVU Coliseum, on March 1. Pitt scored 196.5 and finished first overall, while Rutgers placed third with a 195.3.
The Mountaineers matched the 15th-best score in program history thanks to three first-place event showings. WVU was most impressive on beam, where all six gymnasts scored 9.8 or better, giving the Mountaineers a season-high 49.225 score. The event total matches the fourth-best score in program history. West Virginia also finished first on floor with a 49.375. The Mountaineers' floor total marks the fourth consecutive meet and fifth time this season WVU has scored 49.0 or better. It also is the Mountaineers' second-highest floor score of the year.
Senior Chloe Cluchey posted a personal best on floor, scoring 9.95 in the No. 3 position to win the event outright. Cluchey's total was the team's highest individual score of the season. The Woodbridge, Virginia, native has scored 9.9 or better twice this season and has won the event outright three times.
In addition to its wins on beam and floor, West Virginia also finished first on bars with a season-high 48.975 score. WVU tallied 48.85 on vault and placed third.
"We just came off a great week at home with a season-high score," Butts said. "I'm looking for that performance on the road. We still have a lot to clean up. We must maximize our performance and our scores. That has been our focus all week, getting ready for a dual meet. I love the dual meet feel. We have trained specifically for that, and I'm looking forward to it."
Freshman Abbie Pierson and Cluchey pace the Mountaineers with top-100 rankings on their respective events. Cluchey boasts a team-high 9.855 NQS on floor and is tied at No. 80, while Pierson is tied at No. 82 on vault with an NQS of 9.82. Freshman Kianna Yancey leads WVU on bars with a 9.82 NQS mark, and sophomore Esperanza Abarca and Pierson pace WVU on beam with matching 9.79 NQS scores.
The Hawkeyes defeated in-state rival Iowa State on March 6, with a season-high score of 196.425, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. UI scored season highs on bars and floor. Senior Clair Kaji, sophomore Alex Greenwald and freshman Allyson Steffensmeir tied for the bars win with scores of 9.875s. Additionally, sophomore Lauren Guerin and freshman Ariana Agrapides led the Hawkeyes with a pair of 9.9s on floor. Of note, the Cyclones totaled a 196.225 in the loss.
Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will close their regular-season slate at home on Friday, March 13. WVU plays host to Penn, Maryland and Kentucky in a quad meet at 7 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
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/ Gymnastics
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Head Coach Jason Butts | Intro
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