Saturday, January 24
Morgantown, W.Va.
4 p.m.
West Virginia University
193.375
vs
196.0
No. 15 Denver
Vault Squad Leads West Virginia in Home Opener
January 24, 2026 09:16 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team opened its home slate and recorded a 193.375 final team score, falling to No. 15 Denver (196.0) inside Hope Coliseum in Morgantown on Saturday night.
Of note, the meet was the fan favorite Beauty and the Beast meet with the WVU wrestling team, as the two teams competed simultaneously in front of 2,629 fans inside Hope Coliseum. The attendance mark ranks No. 10 all-time in gymnastics history.
West Virginia opened the meet strong, recording a 49.025 team score on vault in the opening rotation. Three of five scoring gymnasts scored a 9.8 or higher to tie the squad's season high on the event. Sophomore Karleigh DiCello led the way with a season-best 9.875, while classmates Sophia Rice and Emerson Smith tallied a pair of 9.8's. Senior Carlee Nelson, sophomore Taylor Tuohy and freshman Kayla Smith recorded a trio of 9.775's to help the Mountaineers open in first place after one rotation.
Moving to uneven bars, the squad stayed solid with a 48.425 total. Junior Amber Lowe paced the lineup with a season-best 9.85, while sophomore Kaelyn Skeel set a new season high and matched her career high with a 9.775. Junior Jurnee Lane returned to competition after suffering an injury last season, scoring a 9.65, followed by freshman Haley Mendoza's 9.625. Sophomore Jayden McDonnell tallied a 9.525 to cap the scoring.
On balance beam, West Virginia struggled once again with shaky routines. A 9.725 from Lowe and a 9.7 from Kayla Smith paced the scoring. Junior Kaylei Adams scored a 9.675, before a 9.35 from Nelson and 9.2 from Lane were unfortunately counted for a 47.65 team total on the event.
Finishing the meet on floor exercise for the first time this season, WVU had a few ups and downs to finish with a 48.275 team score. Lane's 9.875 highlighted the rotation, while Emerson Smith scored a season-high 9.85. Nelson secured a new career best with a 9.825, and Kayla Smith added a 9.7. In the lineup's final spot, freshman Auden Pederson's 9.025 was unfortunately counted toward the final team score.
Despite the loss, the Mountaineers topped the podium on three of five events. DiCello finished first on vault for her first podium finish of the year, and Lowe took home the win on bars. Skeel earned a tie for second place on bars, marking her first career podium finish. Lane took the top spot on floor, followed by Emerson Smith in a tie for second. In her third career all-around performance, Kayla Smith finished in second place with a 38.7 total on all four events.
Next up, West Virginia continues its homestand on Friday, Jan. 30, when it welcomes Pitt, Cornell and Kent State for its lone quad meet of the home slate. Competition at Hope Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and it's the Mountaineers' annual Women's Empowerment Meet.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Of note, the meet was the fan favorite Beauty and the Beast meet with the WVU wrestling team, as the two teams competed simultaneously in front of 2,629 fans inside Hope Coliseum. The attendance mark ranks No. 10 all-time in gymnastics history.
West Virginia opened the meet strong, recording a 49.025 team score on vault in the opening rotation. Three of five scoring gymnasts scored a 9.8 or higher to tie the squad's season high on the event. Sophomore Karleigh DiCello led the way with a season-best 9.875, while classmates Sophia Rice and Emerson Smith tallied a pair of 9.8's. Senior Carlee Nelson, sophomore Taylor Tuohy and freshman Kayla Smith recorded a trio of 9.775's to help the Mountaineers open in first place after one rotation.
Moving to uneven bars, the squad stayed solid with a 48.425 total. Junior Amber Lowe paced the lineup with a season-best 9.85, while sophomore Kaelyn Skeel set a new season high and matched her career high with a 9.775. Junior Jurnee Lane returned to competition after suffering an injury last season, scoring a 9.65, followed by freshman Haley Mendoza's 9.625. Sophomore Jayden McDonnell tallied a 9.525 to cap the scoring.
On balance beam, West Virginia struggled once again with shaky routines. A 9.725 from Lowe and a 9.7 from Kayla Smith paced the scoring. Junior Kaylei Adams scored a 9.675, before a 9.35 from Nelson and 9.2 from Lane were unfortunately counted for a 47.65 team total on the event.
Finishing the meet on floor exercise for the first time this season, WVU had a few ups and downs to finish with a 48.275 team score. Lane's 9.875 highlighted the rotation, while Emerson Smith scored a season-high 9.85. Nelson secured a new career best with a 9.825, and Kayla Smith added a 9.7. In the lineup's final spot, freshman Auden Pederson's 9.025 was unfortunately counted toward the final team score.
Despite the loss, the Mountaineers topped the podium on three of five events. DiCello finished first on vault for her first podium finish of the year, and Lowe took home the win on bars. Skeel earned a tie for second place on bars, marking her first career podium finish. Lane took the top spot on floor, followed by Emerson Smith in a tie for second. In her third career all-around performance, Kayla Smith finished in second place with a 38.7 total on all four events.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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