Photo by: Seth Seebaugh
Combs Named Team MVP
April 26, 2021 12:00 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Junior Kendra Combs earned the West Virginia University gymnastics team's Linda Burdette-Good Award as the team's Most Valuable Gymnast, as voted on by team members.
A native of Windsor, Connecticut, Combs competed in all 12 meets this season as a two-event specialist on the uneven bars and floor exercise. She also appeared in the balance beam lineup on six occasions, including the final four meets of the season. Combs finished fifth on the team with 292.775 season points and now shows 663.4 points in her career.
The multi-event specialist matched career highs on two events this year: 9.9 on floor and 9.875 on beam. She also scored a season high of 9.825 on bars. Combs matched her career high on floor five times in 2021, including back-to-back 9.9 totals at the NCAA Morgantown Regional Gymnastics Championships from April 1-2.
She paced the team with a 9.825 season average on floor and tied for No. 10 in the Big 12 Conference. Combs also led the team with 11 podium finishes and seven event wins.
As a business major, she was honored on the 2021 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team after earning first-team accolades as a sophomore.
Freshman Kiana Lewis earned the team's Most Improved Gymnast Award, formerly known as the Sally Medrick Award.
A native of Hampton, Virginia, Lewis made her Mountaineer debut in the 2021 season opener, competing in at least one event each meet to collect 263.775 season points. Her rookie campaign was highlighted by a season-best score of 9.9 on floor, earned in a tie for fourth place at the NCAA Regionals on April 2. Lewis also posted career highs of 9.875 on vault, 9.825 on beam and 9.525 on bars.
Junior Esperanza Abarca earned the John Quackenbush Award for Mountaineer Spirit. Presented annually to the gymnast who displays the most perseverance and enthusiasm for the sport of gymnastics, the award is named in honor of the late John Quackenbush, the father of WVU All-American Kristin Quackenbush and a friend of the Mountaineer gymnastics family.
A native of The Colony, Texas, Abarca competed on bars in all 12 meets and appeared in the beam lineup six times, earning 174.175 points this season. She scored as high as a 9.875 on bars, the highest marked posted by a WVU gymnast on bars this season, earning a season-best, second-place showing at Pitt on March 12. She also tallied a season high of 9.825 on beam.
In addition to the team's yearly honors, five Mountaineers were recognized for surpassing the 500-career point milestone this season: junior Rachel Hornung (816), sophomores Abbie Pierson (614.45) and Kianna Yancey (614.125), Abarca (631.5) and Combs (663.4).
The Mountaineers concluded the 2021 season at 2-7 (0-6 Big 12). WVU finished fourth at the 2021 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship and qualified for the NCAA Morgantown Regional Championships, placing third in the second of two second-round meets.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
A native of Windsor, Connecticut, Combs competed in all 12 meets this season as a two-event specialist on the uneven bars and floor exercise. She also appeared in the balance beam lineup on six occasions, including the final four meets of the season. Combs finished fifth on the team with 292.775 season points and now shows 663.4 points in her career.
The multi-event specialist matched career highs on two events this year: 9.9 on floor and 9.875 on beam. She also scored a season high of 9.825 on bars. Combs matched her career high on floor five times in 2021, including back-to-back 9.9 totals at the NCAA Morgantown Regional Gymnastics Championships from April 1-2.
She paced the team with a 9.825 season average on floor and tied for No. 10 in the Big 12 Conference. Combs also led the team with 11 podium finishes and seven event wins.
As a business major, she was honored on the 2021 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team after earning first-team accolades as a sophomore.
Freshman Kiana Lewis earned the team's Most Improved Gymnast Award, formerly known as the Sally Medrick Award.
A native of Hampton, Virginia, Lewis made her Mountaineer debut in the 2021 season opener, competing in at least one event each meet to collect 263.775 season points. Her rookie campaign was highlighted by a season-best score of 9.9 on floor, earned in a tie for fourth place at the NCAA Regionals on April 2. Lewis also posted career highs of 9.875 on vault, 9.825 on beam and 9.525 on bars.
Junior Esperanza Abarca earned the John Quackenbush Award for Mountaineer Spirit. Presented annually to the gymnast who displays the most perseverance and enthusiasm for the sport of gymnastics, the award is named in honor of the late John Quackenbush, the father of WVU All-American Kristin Quackenbush and a friend of the Mountaineer gymnastics family.
A native of The Colony, Texas, Abarca competed on bars in all 12 meets and appeared in the beam lineup six times, earning 174.175 points this season. She scored as high as a 9.875 on bars, the highest marked posted by a WVU gymnast on bars this season, earning a season-best, second-place showing at Pitt on March 12. She also tallied a season high of 9.825 on beam.
In addition to the team's yearly honors, five Mountaineers were recognized for surpassing the 500-career point milestone this season: junior Rachel Hornung (816), sophomores Abbie Pierson (614.45) and Kianna Yancey (614.125), Abarca (631.5) and Combs (663.4).
The Mountaineers concluded the 2021 season at 2-7 (0-6 Big 12). WVU finished fourth at the 2021 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship and qualified for the NCAA Morgantown Regional Championships, placing third in the second of two second-round meets.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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