MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Following a 49.150 showing on floor exercise on Feb. 7, the West Virginia gymnastics team moves up four spots to No. 20 on floor in this week’s Road to Nationals Rankings, which were released Tuesday.
The Mountaineers (0-3, 0-3) moved up in the event rankings thanks to a 49.017 season average. WVU sits just outside the top 25 on balance beam, moving up one spot to No. 26 with a season average of 48.725. WVU also is tied at No. 32 on vault (48.708 avg.) and ranks No. 35 on uneven bars (48.500 avg.).
Additionally, the Mountaineers continue to sit at No. 30 (194.950 avg.) nationally despite improving their overall season average.
Individually, sophomore Kianna Yancey and senior Kendra Combs rank inside the top 45 nationally in their respective events.
Yancey, a native of Hatfield, Pa., is tied at No. 39 on beam after scoring a career-high 9.85 to lead the Mountaineers’ lineup last weekend. She made her season debut in the event and tied for first overall.
Combs, a native of Windsor, Conn., ranks No. 43 on floor with a season average of 9.867. She improved her average with a matching career-high total of 9.9 last weekend. The mark was WVU’s first 9.9 score of the season, as she tied for first overall.
The Mountaineers continue to rank No. 6 overall in the Southeast Region. WVU also sits at No. 5 on every event except beam, as the squad remains at No. 4 for the third straight week.
Combs leads a trio of Mountaineers in the top-25 regional rankings on floor, sitting at No. 6. Senior McKenna Linnen and sophomore Emily Holmes-Hackerd are tied at No. 8 with matching season averages of 9.85, while Yancey completes the top 25 with a 9.8 season average.
Yancey also is tied at No. 7 on beam. Linnen is tied at No. 13 (9.8 avg.), followed by sophomore Abbie Pierson at No. 20 (9.767 avg.).
Pierson leads the Mountaineers on vault, coming in at No. 19 (9.792 avg.). Senior Michelle Waldron and freshman Kiana Lewis round out WVU in the top 25 with matching season averages of 9.767 to sit at No. 23.
Junior Esperanza Abarca and Combs pace WVU on bars with matching season averages of 9.792 to rank No. 19 regionally.
Additionally, Yancey ranks No. 13 (38.300 avg.) in the all-around, with Holmes-Hackerd trailing at No. 15 (38.063 avg).
WVU continues to rank No. 4 overall in the Big 12. The Mountaineers also sit at No. 4 in all four events, with the exception of the floor lineup checking in at No. 3.
