MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Freshman Sophia Rice of the West Virginia University gymnastics team has been named the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
 
The honor is the first Big 12 weekly award of Rice's career, as well as the first for a WVU gymnast this season. The recognition is West Virginia's first Big 12 weekly honor since sophomore Jurnee Lane was named the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week last season on Jan. 30, 2024.
 
Additionally, Rice is the first to be named the conference's newcomer of the week since Chloe Asper received the award on Feb. 23, 2021. Rice is just the fourth Mountaineer to be named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week since 2016.
 
A Morgantown native, Rice made her career debut in West Virginia's season opener at Temple on Jan. 4, helping the Mountaineers secure a 193.6-191.2 dual-meet victory. Competing on vault, she scored a 9.85 to lead WVU's vault lineup and eventually secure the event title in just her first collegiate meet.
 
Rice was the only Mountaineer to score a 9.8 or higher on vault and one of just seven gymnasts to do so throughout the meet. Furthermore, she was one of nine gymnasts to reach the podium in the season opener.
 
Up next, West Virginia heads back on the road, as it travels 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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