Mountaineers Post Second-Highest Road Score of Season at LSU

Friday, March 10

Baton Rouge, La.

8:30 p.m.

West Virginia University

196.45

198.025

#6 LSU

Photo by: Chloe Paugh

Mountaineers Post Second-Highest Road Score of Season at LSU

March 11, 2023 12:13 AM | Gymnastics

Results

By: Olivia Sneed

BATON ROUGE, La. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team tallied its second-highest road score of the season to finish second at No. 6 LSU inside the Pete Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Friday night.

For just the second time this season, the Mountaineers (11-8, 1-2 Big 12) scored a 49.0 or higher on all four events to earn a 196.450 team score. The total also was West Virginia's second 196.0+ road score of the year. LSU took first place with a 198.025, topping WVU on all four events.

Of note, the Mountaineers' score was its highest at an SEC school in program history, as well as the first 196.1 total since 2017.

West Virginia opened the meet with a season-best 49.025 on the uneven bars. The rotation was led by a pair of 9.85s from seniors Kianna Yancey and Emily Holmes-Hackerd, a season-best and career-high tying score for Holmes-Hackerd. Sophomore Anna Leigh was just behind with a season-high tying 9.8, while senior Kendra Combs and sophomore Brooke Alban rounded out the rotation with a 9.775 and a 9.75, respectively.

Continuing to vault, the Mountaineers kept up the momentum with a 49.075. Yancey and junior Kiana Lewis paced the lineup with matching 9.85s, narrowly followed by a 9.825 from Alban. Senior Abbie Pierson added a 9.8, before freshman Emma Wehry's 9.75 finished the rotation.

On floor exercise, WVU continued to do its thing on its best event with a 49.35. A pair of 9.9s from Lewis and Holmes-Hackerd led the way, followed by a 9.875 from Yancey. Junior Ellen Collins secured a 9.85, and Pierson completed the scoring with a 9.825.

Finishing the meet on balance beam, West Virginia earned a 49.0 and was led by Combs with a 9.85. Leigh and Holmes-Hackerd followed closely behind with a pair of 9.825s, Pierson secured a 9.775 and Wehry earned a 9.725 to cap the meet for the Mountaineers.

Yancey competed in the all-around for WVU on Friday night, tallying a 39.275 total on all four events.

In the final event standings, Yancey and Lewis tied for third on vault, while Yancey also placed third on the all-around.

West Virginia has a quick turnaround this weekend, as it prepares to conclude the regular season at Rutgers with Penn on Sunday, March 12. Action inside Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey, is set for 2 p.m. ET.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.