PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team (1-0) earned a first-place finish in its season-opening dual meet at Temple inside McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Mountaineers posted a team score of 193.6, while the Owls placed second with a final score of 191.3.
 
Opening its campaign on the road for the third time in the last four seasons, WVU started the meet on the uneven bars. The lineup was led by a trio of 9.775's from fifth-year senior Trinity Macy and seniors Brooke Alban and Anna Leigh. Junior Miranda Smith added a 9.7, while sophomore Jayden McDonnell collected a 9.65 for a 48.675 team score in the first rotation.
 
Moving to vault, freshman Sophia Rice made a big splash in her Mountaineer debut with a team-leading 9.85. Smith made her debut on the event with a 9.75, while McDonnell added a 9.7. The scoring was capped by a 9.675 from Alban and a 9.625 from freshman Karleigh DiCello. WVU finished with a 48.6 total on the event.
 
In the third rotation on floor exercise, West Virginia scored an impressive 48.975, with four of five scoring gymnasts securing a 9.8 or higher. Sophomore Amber Lowe led the way with a career-high tying 9.875, followed by a 9.825 from classmate Jurnee Lane. Alban and Leigh each grabbed a 9.8, while freshman Riley Maness made her Mountaineer debut with a 9.675.
 
Finishing the meet on balance beam, sophomores Julia Brown and Kaylei Adams led the way with 9.8's, as Adams made her WVU career debut. Smith tallied a 9.55, before a pair of falls from DiCello (9.35) and Lowe (8.85) were unfortunately counted for a 47.35 event score.
 
In the final results, Rice earned a win on vault in her Mountaineer debut, while Smith secured a third-place finish. On bars, Macy, Alban and Leigh tied for first place, before Brown and Adams tied for first on beam. Lowe secured first place on floor, while Lane tied for second place.

Of note, Adams, DiCello, Macy, Maness, Rice and freshmen Emerson Smith and Taylor Tuohy recorded their first career action for West Virginia in the season opener.
 
Up next, the Mountaineers head back on the road, as they travel to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, for a dual meet at Central Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 12. The meet is slated for 1 p.m. ET inside McGuirk Arena.
 
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