Does it feel weird to anyone else to have Thursday night gymnastics? No? OK, just checking.
Welcome to the beginning of week three of Big 12 gym! After a down year where it didn’t qualify to regionals for only the third time under head coach Jason Butts, West Virginia is headed into its third meet of the season and opening its home slate with a challenging opponent in Kent State. The Mountaineers will be led by reigning Big 12 Co-Event Specialist of the Week Anna Leigh, who’s coming off of a new career high of 9.950 on floor after not competing the event since 2023. Heading into tonight, they will want to have a complete meet and avoid counting scores in the 9.500s if possible.
Kent State is only one meet into 2025, but it had an impressive performance against Fisk and Wilberforce. Its weak spot was on bars, where falls from Mya Migliore and Nastia Rudnitskaya held the event total to a 47.775. If the Golden Flashes can improve bars and maintain their steadiness on the other three events, they could walk out with a road victory and more importantly, a solid road score. Look for veteran presence from Dani Fuertez and Alyssa Guns to lead the effort.
You can follow along live on ESPN+ and live stats here!
We’re about to get started finally and let me just say, West Virginia’s new leotard is absolutely GORGEOUS on screen.
Rotation 1: WVU vault, KSU bars
Alban (WVU): Yurchenko full, good block off the table, tiniest pike in the hips, and a tiny hop on the landing. 9.675
First bar routine for Behner of Kent State was a hit, or what I saw of it. #StreamingProbs (It was a 9.700)
DiCello (WVU): Yurchenko full, lot of distance, little bit of loose knees in the air and a pike down, hop back. 9.675
Migliore (KSU): She fell on this event last time out, so having a hit here would be huge. blind to Jaeger, bent knees in the catch, directly to overshoot, little whippy on the double layout dismount. 9.800
Tuohy (WVU): Yurchenko full, BEAUTIFUL body position in the air, slightly piked in the air, hop backward on the landing. 9.625
Schultz (KSU): clear hip to Maloney, some split legs throughout but keeping it clean. Double layout, lacked a little distance, but got the stick. 9.800
E. Smith (WVU): lineup switch here. Yurchenko full, looked a little off center in the air, good form in the air, small step back on the landing. 9.550
Alvine (KSU): Loose back on the first handstand and comes off. Remounts and repeats the cast, Maloney to bail, good positions on the handstand. Blind full to double tuck, side step on the landing. 9.075
Irwin (WVU): Yurchenko half, way way too much power and she takes about four large steps forward and almost falls. I’m glad she’s back in this lineup, though, as she controls it, that vault is going to be a big score. 9.250
Rudnitskaya (KSU): Following a fall before her and had a fall last week. blind to piked Jaeger, good form in the release. Pak salto, legs nicely glued together. half pirouette slightly below the top of the bar, double layout dismount, slide backwards on the landing. Great comeback!! 9.750
Rice (WVU): Tsuk full, good height and distance, underrotated on the landing and had to take a step forward. 9.675
Tsipis (KSU): blind to Jaeger, lost a little leg form upon recatch, Pak salto some leg separation in the air. Blind full to double tuck dismount, good landing. Alvine’s fall is dropped and Kent State will have the lead heading to rotation 2. 9.800
After 1: KSU 48.850, WVU 48.200
Not quite the start either team wanted, but both were able to drop a fall in their lineups. The big difference is that West Virginia didn’t have a single vault score above a 9.700, while Kent State counted two 9.800s. Cleaning up landings will be key for both teams in rotation 2.
Rotation 2: KSU vault, WVU bars
Compson (KSU): Yurchenko full, piked down on the landing, large hop back. 9.525
Alban (WVU): clear hip to gienger, bit of leg separation on the catch, bail to handstand was good and tight, double layout, slide back on the landing. 9.625
Migliore (KSU): Yurchenko full, very clean off the table, small hop back on the landing. Needed a bit more distance. 9.65
McDonnell (WVU): Glad to see her on bars, she’s normally in the vault lineup too, so I was a little worried. toe hand to Ray, great height off the bar, Pak salto, very straddled from the front view. Double layout dismount, lot of distance, hop forward on the landing with a low chest.
Rudnitskaya (KSU): Yurchenko full, lacked a little distance, slightest leg split in the air, small hop on the landing.
Lowe (WVU): little short on the first handstand, regroups on the Jaeger to Pak combination, blind full to double tuck dismount, hop forward with a low chest.
Riley (KSU): Yurchenko full, some form issues in the air, it’s almost like her layout and her twist were separated? Good landing with a step. 9.675
These vault judges are being very tight, but it’s been fair on both sides.
Leigh (WVU): Blind to straddle Jaeger, good toe point. Pak salto was good to switch kip. Double layout dismount, small movement in place. THAT was a much needed routine for WVU. 9.825, first score above 9.800 for the Mountaineers.
Behner (KSU): Yurchenko full, best amount of distance by far, clean form in the air, hop back on the landing.
Irwin (WVU): blind to straddle Jaeger, nice form, Bail to handstand, little short on the positioning. Double layout dismount, side step on the landing. New dismount and she does very well! 9.600
Alvine (KSU): Yurchenko full, flared out before the landing, stuck landing. If that doesn’t get a high score, I will riot. 9.850, well deserved.
Macy (WVU): blind to piked Jaeger to immediate overshoot, good flow between her skills. Double layout dismount, stuck!
And there’s a plunger hat? Okay, sure.
After 2: KSU 97.200, WVU 96.900
Good comeback for West Virginia on bars after being (very) tightly scored on vault! Dropping a 9.600 and finishing with two straight 9.825s will be a good boost heading to beam. Kent State did well on vault, but also suffered some tight scoring, leaving a gap of about 3 tenths. However, the Golden Flashes have some weapons on floor, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see that gap grow between these teams.
Also worth pointing out that Miranda Smith is in a boot and on a scooter. She has competed vault, bars and beam so far this season for the Mountaineers. Olivia Pitzer is also on crutches and has a pretty sizable knee brace on. She has been a depth option on vault.
Rotation 3: WVU beam, KSU floor
Brown (WVU): triple series BHS BHS LOSO, very well done. switch leap to pike jump, lacked the 180 position from my angle, so no clue what the judges see. Double twist dismount, stuck! 9.675
Rudnitskaya (KSU): Double pike to open, little bit of a low chest. Switch side straddle full wolf full, maybe a touch short in rotation? Back 1.5 to front full, good rise between the skills. Double tuck, underrotated and had to put a knee down. Pressure sets the rest of the way for Kent State. 9.000
Lowe (WVU): Side aerial to what was supposed to be a side somi, misses her foot and falls. Beat jump to split 3/4, round off 1.5 small hop forward and a bit of bent knees. 8.975
Masse (KSU): Double pike to open, sizeable step back and out of bounds. Love the toe point in the leap series, she’s got such fun musicality in her choreo! Front tuck through to double tuck, similar to Rudnitskaya, has to put a knee and hands down. Kent State now counts a fall. 8.850
Adams (WVU): The Mountaineers can capitalize here with a hit. And as soon as I go to type that, she falls on the front aerial. I am the jinx. BHS LOSO series, regroups well. Good leap series, gainer pike off the end of the beam. 9.150
Riley (KSU): Front tuck through to double tuck, good control throughout. Position looked a little interesting on the leap series, but did it well. front layout to Rudi LOSO, and the Golden Flashes get a hit routine. 9.750
DiCello (WVU): Triple series BHS LOSO LOSO, nails. Switch leap switch leap, looks interesting in the air. And then…she looks to possibly injure something as she walks off the beam? And then goes back to redo the dismount. Hopefully, she is okay, but that was a strange series of events. 9.075
Alvine (KSU): thanks to the streaming lag, i missed a good chunk of the routine, but both the tumbling passes I see were clean with a slight slide back. 9.850
Nelson (WVU): Cat leap front aerial (with some wobbles, but she kept those arms moving!) BHS LOSO, better than last week’s. Hitch kick to switch side, good split position, BHS gainer full off the side. Good and much needed reset routine. 9.250
Behner (KSU): Front tuck to double tuck opening pass, slide back of the front foot and big hop on the lunge. Leaps had very nice extension. Front double full to end the routine, that was really nice!
Irwin (WVU): Nice to see her back on three events tonight after coming back from an ACL tear! Cat leap to switch half to beat jump, very nicely done! BHS LOSO, bit of a balance struggle but fights to keep it on the beam. BHS gainer full, my heart just DROPPED watching her knee buckle a little but she looks to be okay. 9.500
Guns (KSU): FLO to Rudi to split jump to open, very solid routine. Switch ring to split looked good in motion, good toe point. Double pike to close, step backwards and out of bounds. A hit is a hit, but the out of bounds deduction will definitely sting.
Just saw a front aerial FHS beam series in exhibition from Emerson Smith. Get that in the lineup ASAP please.
After 3: KSU 145.225, WVU 143.600
I’m never blogging on a Thursday night again, this is too much chaos for me.
Neither team really had a lot of momentum, so this was full of twists and turns. West Virginia is needing around the 49.400 range on floor to hit a 193, while Kent State needs around a 48.700 on beam to hit 194. Not a score either team wants, but will be thankful to have at this point.
Also worth noting that Dani Fuertez wasn’t on either of her signature events tonight. Not sure what’s going on with that, but hopefully she’s just getting rested.
Rotation 4: KSU beam, WVU floor
Riley (KSU): Good series to open, slight pause between leaps so it will be interesting to see if she gets credit for it. Side aerial, slight correction in the air to keep it on the beam. Side gainer full with a step back. 9.650
Maness (WVU): Her floor is so captivating, my GOODNESS! Back 1.5 to front layout to arabesque, super pretty in the air. Her toe point on these leaps is impeccable. FHS to Rudi to close the routine, great opening routine as a freshman! 9.650
Migliore (KSU): Switch leap, bit of a pause before going for the standing split jump. She will lose start value for breaking that connection. BHS LOSO was solid. Tiny balance check after the front toss. Beat jump to split jump to straddle quarter, very nicely done, so she might not lose that SV. Tucked full to close, step forward on the landing. 9.275
Lane (WVU): Rudi to two foot layout to split jump, fun and unique combination! Had a lot of control on that leap series compared to last time out. Front double full to close, much improved landings on this routine. 9.800
THEY ONLY HAD ONE DAY OF PRACTICE???? Geez…also, it’s 90s night in the Coliseum. I was born in the 90s. Am I officially old?
Rankin (KSU): BHS LOSO to open, good. Switch leap to straddle quarter, nice rise on the straddle. Went to connect the cat leap to another skill, but had a balance check. Repeats the skill and gets her connection to an aerial. Hitch kick to gainer pike dismount with a step. 9.500
Alban (WVU): Double pike to open, nice high chest with a controlled step out of it. Front layout to front full, tiny leg separation in the air. Switch side straddle full, nice toe point in the leaps. Double tuck to close, low chest on the landing, but overall a good routine! 9.750
Alvine (KSU): LOSO LOSO, tiny balance check after the series. Switch leap switch leap, very nicely done. Front aerial, this has been a good rotation for Kent State so far! BHS layout two feet 1.5 twist, WOW! Pretty difficult dismount but does it well. 9.775
Lowe (WVU): Double tuck to open, nice control on the lunge out of it. Nice 180 split on the leaps! Back 1.5 to front layout, deep knee bend on the layout but stays standing. Double pike, lacked a little bit of endurance so she had a short landing. 9.325
Guns (KSU): Little wobble after the full turn. Beat jump to front aerial, nicely done. BHS LOSO, another tiny lean but she dances out of it. Switch leap split jump, good toe point. Cartwheel gainer full dismount, very nice routine for KSU. 9.775
Leigh (WVU): Following up a 9.950 last week as the reigning Specialist of the Week. FHS front double full, nailed it. Switch side straddle full leap series, good rise. FHS rudi LOSO, about as good as she did it last week. Interesting to see what the score will be. 9.825
Schultz (KSU): beat jump to split 3/4, loved that combination. Front toss to BHS series, super difficult and nicely done. Another front toss, this time piked, I love the difficulty throughout this routine. 1.5 twist dismount, small hop forward. 9.850
E. Smith (WVU): Round off straight into a full-in, the amount of power she has is INSANE. Great height on the leap series! Front layout to Rudi to close, nice tight twist in the air. I can’t wait to see how she progresses throughout the season! 9.700
FINAL: KSU 193.775, WVU 192.325
Not a great meet on either side, but ultimately Kent State gets away with the victory. This road score is not one the Golden Flashes will want to count come NQS time, but a win is a win. For West Virginia, losing back-to-back dual meets against MAC teams is not something you really want to see, but hopefully the team finds its highest scoring lineups soon to get it back into a winning position again.
VT: N. Alvine (KSU): 9.850
UB: A. Leigh & T. Macy (WVU): 9.825
BB: H. Schultz (KSU): 9.850
FX: N. Alvine (KSU): 9.850
AA: N. Alvine (KSU): 38.550
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Live blog by Savanna Wellman
