MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A season-high score on balance beam helped the West Virginia gymnastics team sweep the competition Sunday afternoon, with a 196.0 showing in the program’s sixth Beauty and the Beast Meet held at the WVU Coliseum.
Western Michigan (7-5, 5-0 MAC) finished second overall with a 195.075 score, and Bowling Green (6-8, 0-5 MAC) placed third with a 194.225 mark. Towson (6-6, 1-3 EAGL) totaled 193.425 and finished fourth.
The Mountaineers (10-6, 0-2) nearly swept the event wins, finishing first on uneven bars (48.875), beam (49.175) and floor exercise (49.125). WVU also finished second on vault (48.825).
“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing,” WVU coach Jason Butts said. “I told them that we can do this on the road. It doesn’t matter that we were at home. This team travels well. We have to be a self-contained squad. We have to go to these competitions regardless if it is at the WVU Coliseum or on the road. We just have to go there and do the gymnastics that we know how to do.
“We were kind of waiting for that magic moment today, and it happened for us on beam. We must keep that energy going, and it flowed over for us today on floor. This is an extremely talented team, and we can do that exact same thing, week-in and week-out.”
