RESULTS: https://wvusports.co/3HGMe1t
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team posted a season-best team score to finish in first place in its quad meet against Iowa State, Towson, and Eastern Michigan inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown on Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers (7-4, 1-0 Big 12) tallied a 196.375 to take the top spot, recording season-high marks on all four events. The score is WVU’s highest since March 18, 2022, as well as its first total of 196.0+ this season. Additionally, the total ranks No. 21 on West Virginia’s all-time top 50 team scores.
Towson took second place with a 196.025, while Iowa State followed in third (195.825) and Eastern Michigan took fourth (194.05). With the win over Iowa State, WVU earned its first regular-season, Big 12 win since 2017 when it topped the Cyclones, 195.95-195.725, on Feb. 26.
Also of note, the Mountaineers hit 24-of-24 routines for the first time this season.
Competing in Olympic order for just the second time this year, WVU earned a season-best 49.025 on vault with three of the five scoring gymnasts earning scores of 9.825 or higher. Freshman Brooke Irwin led the way with a career-high 9.85, while classmate Emma Wehry also added a career-best 9.825. Junior Kiana Lewis matched it with a season-best 9.825 of her own, and seniors Abbie Pierson and Kianna Yancey completed the rotation with a 9.775 and 9.75, respectively.
On the uneven bars, West Virginia put together its best performance on the event this year with a 48.775 total. Yancey led the way with a career-high matching 9.875, before fifth-year senior Kendra Combs secured a 9.825. Irwin added her second career-best total of the night, earning a 9.725. Sophomore Anna Leigh totaled a 9.7, and freshman Miranda Smith made her Mountaineer debut with a 9.65 to round out the scoring.
Moving to balance beam, the Mountaineers earned their second 49.0+ event score of the afternoon with a season-high 49.2. All six gymnasts posted a 9.8 or higher, led by freshman Carlee Nelson’s career-best 9.875. Junior Chloe Asper and Yancey added a pair of 9.85s, while Combs and Pierson secured a 9.825 and 9.8, respectively, to complete the scoring.
Riding its momentum from the first three rotations, West Virginia moved to its best event and put together a season-best 49.375 on floor exercise. The score also is the Mountaineers’ highest since Feb. 21, 2022, when they earned a 49.525. Senior Emily Holmes-Hackerd once again paced the lineup with a career-high matching 9.925, before Lewis and Yancey earned their own career-high matching 9.9s. Pierson, Combs and Leigh each tallied a 9.825 as all six gymnasts once again earned a 9.8 or better.
Yancey competed in the all-around for the second time this season, posting a career-best 39.375 total on all four events to take first place in the final event standings. Holmes-Hackerd also topped the floor podium for the second straight meet. Additionally, Irwin, Nelson and Wehry all earned their first career podium finishes Sunday afternoon. Irwin earned first place on vault, while Wehry finished a tie for third with Lewis in the final vault standings. Nelson took solo third on beam.
WVU now looks ahead to its first dual meet of the campaign as it travels to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Feb. 3, to take on rival Pitt. The meet is set for 7 p.m. ET, inside Fitzgerald Field House.