Luciana Alvarado-Reid posing on floor exercise

LIVE BLOG: No. 28 West Virginia at No. 30 Central Michigan

Welcome to week two of the 2025 season, featuring an exciting dual meet between No. 28 West Virginia and No. 30 Central Michigan.

Both teams were in action during the opening weekend. Central Michigan faced off against Minnesota, scoring a 193.400 in a narrow loss. The Chippewas shined on floor exercise, where they posted a 48.775. Freshman Ava Wellmeier shared the event title with Minnesota’s Mya Hooten after earning a 9.825. Junior Luciana Alvarado-Reid also claimed the all-around title with a 39.000.

West Virginia started its season strong with a 193.600 win over Temple. Freshman Sophia Rice impressed on vault, winning the event with a 9.850. On bars, seniors Brooke Alban and Anna Leigh, along with fifth-year Trinity Macy, tied for first with matching 9.775s. The balance beam also saw a tie, with sophomores Kaylei Adams and Julia Brown both scoring 9.800. Sophomore Amber Lowe capped off the meet with a standout performance on floor, earning a 9.875 to take the event title.

Today’s meet is hosted by Central Michigan at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant. Let’s get ready for an exciting showdown!

Rotation 1: CMU VT, WVU UB

Bootz (CMU): Front handspring front tuck half with step back. 9.725

Alban (WVU): Gienger to Bail handstand, dismounts with double layout with a hop backward and small step. 9.700

Germond (CMU): Yurchenko full with a pike down and step to the side. 9.625

Smith (WVU): Free hip to handstand, big Tkachev to Bail handstand, last handstand a little short to a double layout dismount and a slight shuffle of the feet. 9.725

Appleget (CMU): Yurchenko full attempt to a fall. It looks like her hand slipped and the full didn’t make it all the way around. 7.40

McDonnell (WVU): Mounts high bar, toe hand to big Tkachev, Pac Salto to low bar with leg separation, dismounts with double layout. Lets go of bar a little early and takes a large step with hands down. 9.425

Skrupa (CMU): Nice Yurchenko full with a small hop back. 9.550

Leigh (WVU): Nice first handstand, blind change to Jaeger, Pac Salto, sets up for dismount and peels off the bar. Salutes the judge and doesn’t repeat the dismount. 8.900

Alvarado-Redi (CMU): Yurchenko full with chest slight down and a small hop. 9.625

Irwin (WVU): Blind change to straddle Jaeger with separated legs, Bail handstand, dismounts with high double layout. 9.675

Wellmeir (CMU): Good Yurchenko full to a stuck landing. Nice position in the air and form. 9.725

Macy (WVU): Blind to Pike Jaeger to shoot over with a little leg separation, dismounts with double layout and a small hop back. 9.800

Lowe (WVU-EX): Blind to pike Jaeger, Pac Salton, blind full to a double tuck dismount and great landing.

After 1: CMU 48.250, WVU 48.325

West Virginia has a slight lead over Central Michigan after one. Both teams had a significant fall and thankfully were able to drop those scores. It’s anyone’s meet after one rotation. Let’s keep an eye for stuck vaults and dismounts in the next rotation.

Rotation 2: WVU VT, CMU UB

Tuohy (WVU): Yurchenko full with a hop back and then two small steps back. 9.475

Shannon (CMU): Blind to pike Jaeger, Bail handstand, great last handstand to a double layout and a step back. Nice start. 9.800

DiCello (WVU): Yurchenko full to a good landing. Her roundoff on the board was far back and the vault was a little flat but well executed. 9.750

Johnson (CMU): Tkachev to shoot over with a little form, double layout to a stuck landing. 9.850

Smith (WVU): Yurchenko full with a small hop on the dismount. A little flat and form in the air. 9.575

Schwab (CMU): Nice first handstand, Gienger, dismounts with a double layout with a slight step on the dismount. 9.775

Rice (WVU): Tsuk layout full to a small hop on the landing. Nice one. 9.650

Appleget (CMU): Free hip to Gienger then a shoot over with a little form. Nice last handstand and dismounts with a big double layout to a small hop. 9.850

Irwin (WVU): Yurchenko half with a stumble backwards but stays on her feet. 9.625

Alvarado-Reid (CMU): Maloney to Pak Salto, full pirouette to double tuck dismount and a stick. Gorgeous form and toe point throughout the routine. 9.925

Smith (WVU): Yurchenko full with chest down and a step forward and off to the side. 9.500

Kmieciak (CMU): Maloney to a fall, mounts bar and repeats the Maloney, dismounts with a beautiful double layout to a small step forward. Good recovery. 9.200

Zimmerman (CMU-EX): Blind to straddle Jaeger to Pak Salto, falls on a Blind change, repeats the blind change and dismounts with a double tuck to a stuck landing. 9.250

After 2: CMU 97.450, WVU 96.475

Central Michigan had an excellent bars rotation highlighted with Luciana Alvarado-Reid’s 9.925. West Virginia had a good vault rotation with DiCello’s Yurchenko full leading the scores with a 9.750. Central Michigan has started to pull away from West Virginia with just shy of a 1-point gap between the two teams.

Rotation 3: CMU BB, WVU FX

Johnson (CMU): Front tuck toss to immediate back tuck with a balance check, front pike toss, full turn, switch leap to split jump to beat jump. Dismounts with Gainer pike and small step. 9.475

Maness (WVU): Opens with back 1.5 to punch front layout to a good landing, switch ring to switch half, next pass is front handspring to Rudi to a controlled landing. Nice start. 9.650

Zimmerman (CMU): A little delay due to judge’s meeting on beam. Candle mount, wolf turn, BHS LOSO is solid, switch leap to switch half to beat jump, front aerial to a fall, dismounts with punch front full to a stuck landing. 9.275

Lane (WVU): Opens with Rudi to immediate back layout and go out of bound, nice leap series, ends with a front double full with a slight out of controlled landing and potential out of bounds. 9.375

Pelfrey (CMU): Side aerial to immediate roundoff with a wobble and chest down. Full turn, switch leap series, side aerial to a little wobble, cartwheel to full of the side of the beam with step. 9.400

Alban (WVU): We have another delay on floor. Opens with a huge double pike to a great landing, second pass is punch front layout to a punch front full to another good landing. Leap series is switch side to wolf full, ends with a double tuck to a controlled landing. Overall, great routine especially after the long wait. 9.675

Applegat (CMU): Switch leap, switch leap to a pike jump, BHS to back layout seems secure and then an arm wave leads to a fall, beat jump to standing layout step out, full turn, dismounts with roundoff 1.5 to a stick. 9.275

Smith (WVU): Opens with a roundoff to a big full twisting double back to a good landing, nice leap series, closes with a front layout to Rudi. The first pass was a successful debut. 9.850

Alvarado-Reid (CMU): BHS LOSO is solid, switch leap to switch side to beat jump, beat jump to side aerial, full turn, dismounts with a back gainer pike to a stuck landing. Beautiful routine. 9.850

Leigh (WVU): Opens with front handspring front double full to a great landing, switch side to Popa is strong, closes with front handspring Rudi to an immediate layout step out. Good one. 9.950

Skrupa (CMU): Difficult switch leap mount to start, front aerial to immediate back handspring, full turn, switch leap to split jump is solid, side aerial to slight balance check, dismounts with BHS 1.5 to a stuck landing. Great routine. 9.800

Lowe (WVU): Opens with a huge double tuck to a great landing, nice leap series, second pass is a back 1.5 to a punch front layout, closes with a double pike with a little squat on the landing and a step forward. 9.725

Light (CMU-EX): Ful turn, BHS to immediate side aerial, switch leap to split quarter, beat jump to a side somi, dismounts with stuck pike gainer. 9.700

Tuohy (WVU-EX): Opens with front handspring double front slightly under rotated and a little struggle on the landing, three element leap series is solid, closes with back 1.5 to a punch front layout with a little form and footing at the end. 9.575

Bootz (CMU-EX): Full turn to slight wobble, BHS LOSO with a little form, switch leap to switch leap to pike jump, front toss to beat jump, dismounts with pike gainer and a small step. 9.550

Skeel (WVU-EX): Opens with a punch front double twist with a struggle on the landing and two feet out of bounds, switch ring leap series, closes with front layout to front full and a squat on the landing.

After 3: WVU 145.325, CMU 145.250

West Virginia has taken a slight lead after a soldi floor rotation highlighted by Anna Leigh’s huge score of 9.950. Central Michigan struggled in the first half of its beam rotation with a couple falls, but was back on track after Luciana Alvarado-Reid’s 9.850 and Quinn Skrupa’s 9.800. The meet is up for grabs heading into the last rotation!

Rotation 4: WVU BB, CMU FX

Brown (WVU): BHS BHS LOSO is solid, full turn, switch leap to pike jump, dismounts with RO double full to a tiny step. Great start. 9.825

Parker (CMU): Opens with double pike to a controlled step, nice leap series, next pass is a back 1.5 to a punch front layout. Great dance throughout. 9.600

Lowe (WVU): Full turn, side aerial to immediate side somi is solid, beat jump to split three-quarter, dismounts with RO 1.5 to a small hop forward. 9.800

Zimmerman (CMU): Opens with a punch front double full and lost control on the landing with a large step forward, switch ring to switch half to wolf full, closes with front layout to front full to a good landing. This was her debut floor routine. 9.725

Nelson (WVU): BHS LOSO to a wobble with a step back, cat leap to side aerial and falls, leap series is solid, cartwheel gainer full dismount with a tiny step. 8.850

Appleget (CMU): Opens with punch front through to double pike and a slightly uncontrolled landing, leap series is solid, closes with front full to a front layout and a good landing. 9.750

Adams (WVU): Full turn to a little balance check, front aerial to BHS LOSO to another balance check, beat jump to split jump to split three quarter, dismounts with pike gainer and a large step on the landing. 9.600

Wellmeier (CMU): Opens with a huge double pike with a bounce back, next pass is back 1.5 full to a pike jump, switch half to Popa to Popa is solid, and closes with a double tuck. 9.800

DiCello (WVU): Full turn, BHS LOSO LOSO is solid, switch leap to switch leap, dismounts with RO 1.5 full to a tiny hop. 9.800

Skrupa (CMU): Opens with a double pike with a large bounce back, next pass is a back 1.5 full to front layout, switch ring to switch half, closes with a double tuck to a small hop on the landing. 9.625

Lane (WVU): Front toss to wolf full is solid, BHS LOSO to balance check, full turn to balance check, split jump to beat jump, dismounts with BHS 1.5 full with a hop forward. 9.250

Alvarado-Reid (CMU): Opens with a front handspring Rudi to immediate stag jump, beautiful leap series and dance throughout the routine, next pass is back 1.5 full to punch front layout. 9.800

Irwin (WVU-EX): Cat leap to switch half to beat jump, BHS LOSO to small check, full turn, BHS gainer full dismount to good landing. 

Johnson (CMU-EX): Opens with double tuck to a good landing, strong leap series, next pass is back 1.5 to punch front layout.

Rice (WVU-EX): Cat leap to front aerial with a balance check, repeats series and adds a back tuck after the front aerial (will miss the connection), full turn, dismounts with punch front tuck full with a step backward. 

FINAL: CMU 193.950, WVU 193.600

Fun and close meet to watch. Central Michigan was able to hold on for the win. Both teams show a lot of potential early in the season with areas to work on. It will be fun to see how they progress in 2025.

VT: DiCello (WVU), 9.750
UB: Alvarado-Reid (CMU), 9.925
BB: Alvarado-Reid (CMU), 9.850
FX: Leigh (WVU), 9.950
AA: Alvarado-Reid (CMU), 39.200

READ THIS NEXT: Data Deep Dive: Mapping the Miles Teams Face After Conference Realignment


Live blog by Jackie Craig

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.