West Virginia Opens 2026 Campaign at No. 3 Florida Friday Night
January 08, 2026 09:31 AM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team is set to open the 2026 campaign in a quad meet at No. 3 Florida on Friday, Jan. 9. Joining the Mountaineers in Gainesville are No. 24 North Carolina and Temple. Competition inside the Gators' Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Friday's meet will be streamed live on SEC Network+, while live stats are available at WVUsports.com.
The Mountaineers are set to open their season on the road for the fourth time in the last five seasons, including the second in a row. Additionally, Friday's contest marks the third straight season WVU will begin the year against Temple. West Virginia is 12-12 in season-opening meets under 15th-year head coach Jason Butts.
Florida holds a 16-2 advantage in the all-time series with WVU, as the two teams will meet in Gainesville for the first time since 2023. West Virginia is 30-16 all-time against North Carolina, and the contest will mark their first meeting since 2022. The Mountaineers are 51-1 against Temple, and Friday's meet marks the third straight season WVU will open its campaign against the Owls.
West Virginia returns to competition in 2026 after posting a 4-14 record in 2025. Despite their final record, the Mountaineers posted three scores of 196.0 or higher at season's end to earn a bid to the 2025 NCAA Regional Championships with a 195.855 National Qualifying Score (NQS). Anna Leigh (floor), Karleigh DiCello (vault, beam) and Sophia Rice also qualified as individual event specialists in the NCAA Regional Championships. WVU finished the season ranked No. 33 overall in the final Road to Nationals poll of the year, posting a final NQS of 391.180.
Furthermore, Rice earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Championship Team after posting a 9.9 on floor to finish in a tie for second place on the event. Leigh was recognized on the All-Big 12 Team on floor exercise, while DiCello and Emerson Smith were recognized on the conference's inaugural All-Freshman Team.
Seniors Brooke Irwin, Carlee Nelson and Miranda Smith return to lead West Virginia this season. Smith is the most experienced gymnast with 27 meets competed and 424.675 career points. Last season, Nelson ranked sixth on the team with 210.8 points on the year. Irwin and Smith's seasons were limited by injury. Of note, Nelson and Smith will look to surpass the 500-career point threshold this season.
Additionally, a trio of freshmen also join West Virginia's roster in 2026. West Virginia's freshman class includes Haley Mendoza (West Chester, Ohio), Auden Pederson (Forest Lake, Minn.) and Kayla Smith (Richmond, Va.). WVU's freshman group hopes to make an immediate impact on the Mountaineers' lineups this season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Friday's meet will be streamed live on SEC Network+, while live stats are available at WVUsports.com.
The Mountaineers are set to open their season on the road for the fourth time in the last five seasons, including the second in a row. Additionally, Friday's contest marks the third straight season WVU will begin the year against Temple. West Virginia is 12-12 in season-opening meets under 15th-year head coach Jason Butts.
Florida holds a 16-2 advantage in the all-time series with WVU, as the two teams will meet in Gainesville for the first time since 2023. West Virginia is 30-16 all-time against North Carolina, and the contest will mark their first meeting since 2022. The Mountaineers are 51-1 against Temple, and Friday's meet marks the third straight season WVU will open its campaign against the Owls.
West Virginia returns to competition in 2026 after posting a 4-14 record in 2025. Despite their final record, the Mountaineers posted three scores of 196.0 or higher at season's end to earn a bid to the 2025 NCAA Regional Championships with a 195.855 National Qualifying Score (NQS). Anna Leigh (floor), Karleigh DiCello (vault, beam) and Sophia Rice also qualified as individual event specialists in the NCAA Regional Championships. WVU finished the season ranked No. 33 overall in the final Road to Nationals poll of the year, posting a final NQS of 391.180.
Furthermore, Rice earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Championship Team after posting a 9.9 on floor to finish in a tie for second place on the event. Leigh was recognized on the All-Big 12 Team on floor exercise, while DiCello and Emerson Smith were recognized on the conference's inaugural All-Freshman Team.
Seniors Brooke Irwin, Carlee Nelson and Miranda Smith return to lead West Virginia this season. Smith is the most experienced gymnast with 27 meets competed and 424.675 career points. Last season, Nelson ranked sixth on the team with 210.8 points on the year. Irwin and Smith's seasons were limited by injury. Of note, Nelson and Smith will look to surpass the 500-career point threshold this season.
Additionally, a trio of freshmen also join West Virginia's roster in 2026. West Virginia's freshman class includes Haley Mendoza (West Chester, Ohio), Auden Pederson (Forest Lake, Minn.) and Kayla Smith (Richmond, Va.). WVU's freshman group hopes to make an immediate impact on the Mountaineers' lineups this season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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