PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (March 14, 2025) – Scoring their third consecutive 196.0+ score, the West Virginia University gymnastics team earned a 196.0-195.625 win over Penn, inside The Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday night.
WVU tallied scores of 49.125 on vault, 48.625 on the uneven bars, 49.075 on balance beam and 49.175 on floor exercise. Of note, the total on vault marked a season high, as well as the team’s first 49.0+ score on the event this season.
Opening up on bars, sophomore Amber Lowe’s 9.85 led the rotation, while senior Brooke Alban followed with a 9.75. Fifth-year senior Trinity Macy scored a 9.725, and sophomore Jayden McDonnell was just behind her with a 9.7. Junior Brooke Irwin wrapped up the scoring on bars with a 9.6.
WVU picked up the momentum on vault, using three scores of 9.8 or higher to reach the season-high score. A trio of career-best scores from freshmen Sophia Rice, Karleigh DiCello and Taylor Tuohy led the lineup. Rice earned her first career 9.9, closely followed by DiCello with a 9.875 and Tuohy with a 9.8. Alban and junior Carlee Nelson added matching 9.775’s to finish the rotation.
Moving to floor, West Virginia continued to shine, as senior Anna Leigh led the way with a 9.9. Rice followed with a career-high matching 9.85, while Alban and freshman Emerson Smith scored matching 9.825’s. Lowe added a 9.775 to cap another impressive floor rotation for WVU.
The Mountaineers once again sealed the 196.0+ score on beam, led by DiCello with a career-high matching 9.925. Nelson, sophomore Julia Brown and freshman Eden Webster all collected 9.8’s, while Lowe finished the meet with a 9.75. Webster once again delivered in the anchor spot, as WVU was looking to replace a low score before her in the lineup.
In the final event standings, Rice finished in second on vault, followed by DiCello in third. Lowe secured the title on bars, while DiCello earned the title on beam. Brown, Nelson and Webster also finished in a tie for third place on beam. On floor, Leigh topped the podium and Rice finished in a tie for third place.
West Virginia now prepares to cap the regular season when it travels to Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, March 16, to wrap up its double meet weekend. WVU will compete in a quad meet against No. 23 Ohio State, Kent State and Pitt, beginning at 2 p.m. ET, inside the Covelli Center.
Press release and photo courtesy of WVU Athletics.
