Mountaineers Finish Third in Home Quad

Sunday, March 3

Morgantown, W.Va.

2 p.m.

West Virginia University

195.0

196.325

Towson

March 03, 2024 06:19 PM | Gymnastics

Results (PDF)

By: Olivia Sneed

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team used a 195.0 final team score to finish third in a quad meet against Pitt, Towson and Western Michigan inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown on Sunday afternoon.

WVU used scores of 48.9 on vault, 48.3 on the uneven bars, 48.675 on balance beam and 49.125 on floor exercise to reach its fifth 195.0+ score of the season. Towson earned first place in the meet with a 196.325, while Pitt finished in second place scoring a 195.225. The Mountaineers' 195.0 was good for third, and Western Michigan took fourth with a 194.625 team score.

Returning to Olympic order and opening up on vault, senior Kiana Lewis once again led the way with a 9.875, followed closely by fifth-year senior Abbie Pierson's 9.85. Sophomore Emma Wehry grabbed a 9.825, while freshman Jayden McDonnell posted a 9.7 for the second straight meet. A 9.65 from sophomore Brooke Alban capped the vault scoring.

WVU struggled a bit on bars, but the rotation was highlighted by the return of junior Anna Leigh, who competed for the first time since sustaining an injury last season. She earned a 9.75 in her much-anticipated season debut. The rotation started with a huge career-high 9.875 from sophomore Miranda Smith, followed by sophomore Jurnee Lane's career-best 9.775. Pierson added a 9.675, before WVU was forced to count freshman Amber Lowe's 9.225.

Hoping to regain momentum on beam, Wehry led the way with a 9.825, followed by a trio of 9.775's from Smith, Pierson and freshman Julia Brown. Lane's 9.525 completed the scoring on beam.

Finishing up on floor, Lewis earned another 9.875 to lead the lineup. Alban and Lowe then tallied matching 9.85's, which marked a career best for Alban. A pair of 9.775 scores from Lane and Brown rounded out the meet for the Mountaineers.

In the all-around, Pierson tallied a 38.825 total on all four events to finish in second place in the final standings. Elsewhere, Lewis tied for second on vault, and Smith earned her second podium finish of the season on bars. Wehry recorded a tie for second place on beam, while Lewis added another second-place finish on floor.

West Virginia now remains in Morgantown to wrap up its home slate, welcoming Rutgers to the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, March 10. Competition is set for 2 p.m. ET, and the Mountaineers will celebrate seniors Ellen Collins, Kiana Lewis and Abbie Pierson following the conclusion of the meet.

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