The West Virginia University gymnastics team competed in four meets during the month of January, finishing with one quad meet win and a 4-5 overall record. The team was highly consistent throughout the beginning of their season, with a high team score of 195.875 and the lowest of 192.025. Read more: WVU Gymnastics builds momentum through January schedule.
Quad meet at No. 3 Florida – season opener
WVU traveled to Gainesville, Florida for their season-opening quad meet. The Mountaineers placed fourth with a final team score of 193.45. The Gators placed first with a score of 197.725, while No. 24 North Carolina followed shortly behind with 196.675. Temple came in third with 193.875.
This challenge to open the season showcased the improvements that needed to come throughout the month for West Virginia to be successful. WVU showed strengths on vault and floor, but beam scores fell behind the competition.
Tri-meet at Kent State
Following the tough losses in Florida, the Mountaineers made their way to Kent, Ohio. With a final team score of 192.025, the Mountaineers found success with a second-place finish. Kent State came in first place with a team score of 194.925. Fisk placed third with a 188.975.
WVU continued to improve its lineup, and execution soared compared to the season-opener. The beam continued to be an issue for the Mountaineers; they were forced to count three falls with a 46.55 event score. The tri-meet served as a solid mid-January road test ahead of WVU’s home opener against No. 15 Denver.
Read related: January: WVU Swimming and Diving
Home opener vs. No. 15 Denver
Following five matchups on the road, the Mountaineers finally returned home to welcome their opponents for the first time this season to the Hope Coliseum. It was a dual meet with No. 15 Denver, resulting in a loss. WVU finished with a team score of 193.375
Despite the loss, vault was the highlight of the match. The Mountaineers finished with a team score of 49.025, with three of five scoring gymnasts scoring a 9.8 or higher to tie the season high for this event. Karleigh DiCello led with a season-high 9.875, while Sophia Rice and Emerson Smith both tallied a 9.8.
Home quad meet win
WVU improved in many events, but was still unable to secure consistent wins. WVU welcomed Pitt, Kent State, and Cornell on January 30. The Mountaineers posted a season high to win the meet, finishing with a score of 195.875. Not only did the team secure a season-high team total and season-best event scores across multiple rotations, but they also got the win over Pitt and Kent State, while remaining undefeated all-time vs. Cornell.
January progression – What’s next?
As the season rolled throughout the January slate, the improvement in scoring progression is clear. The Mountaineers were able to improve their team score by more than three points from their lowest meet of the month to a season-high performance on January 30.
The momentum from the quad meet win serves as a huge step toward the rest of the season. Beam consistency is an area WVU must continue to improve upon, but the Mountaineers have already shown growth across multiple events.
Up next, the Mountaineers will travel to Iowa State, Arizona State, and Arizona. Each of these dual meets will be an opportunity for the team to improve, especially now following the confidence boost provided during the quad meet on January 30.
