After placing second at the NCAA Regionals hosted by Penn State, the Mountaineer Gymnastics team capped off their 2025 season. This was a season fueled by new traditions and adversity from start to finish.
The Mountaineer Gymnastics team finished their season with a 4-14 overall record, winning less than 25% of their meets throughout the season. The Mountaineers finished 0-6 in Big Twelve Conference meets and did not secure a first-place finish at home going 0-5 in that category as well. It seems as though the Mountaineers found the most success on the road, with wins in their season opener against Temple, followed by wins at George Washington, Penn, and Kent State. The Mountaineers boasted a season-high score of 196.275 in a “Backyard Brawl” meet against the team up north, but still did not manage to secure the victory.
There seemed to be a plethora of meets where West Virginia would put up exceptional scores, but, those scores would never be enough to give them the victory. This was because of West Virginia’s formidable adversaries on their schedule. West Virginia had one of the hardest schedules in recent years, facing six ranked opponents in eighteen matches. That is difficult enough for any team, but, it was which teams they had to face that made West Virginia’s schedule that much more difficult. West Virginia had a two-meet stretch where they faced off against a sixteen-ranked Denver squad in Denver, followed by a home meet where the Mountaineers hosted the No. 2 ranked Florida Gators, and the No. 4 ranked Utah Utes. The Mountaineers lost against these opponents by more than one point, and even by as much as two points in their meet against Florida and Utah. Their struggles would continue as they faced off against the No. 25 ranked Arizona Sun Devils and the No. 20 Arizona Wildcats where they would fall short yet again. Finally, they would cap off the back end of their season in a matchup against the No. 23 team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes where they yet again would fall short. It was crucial placings and victories such as the victory against Penn towards the back half of their season that pushed the Mountaineers over the hump and gave them a bid to the NCAA Regional in State College.
So what saved this team’s season? Was it stellar performances by their young and talented freshman? Or was it their new and infamous stick crown that looks like a plunger? Believe it or not, it was both of these things combined. True Freshman, Emerson Smith, Karleigh DiCello, Sophie Rice, and Taylor Tuohy were all key performers that shined the brightest when the Mountaineers needed it most, sticking multiple near flawless landings giving the Mountaineers the best possible chances at success all while receiving that celebratory crown.
Looking past their record, this season was a season to remember for Mountaineer Gymnastics. Their new stick crown brought many more fans to the sport and their young Freshman talent displayed the bright future that lies ahead for the program as they continue to grow and develop.
