WVU’s Floor Lineup Ranks No. 19

West Virginia gymnast Emily Holmes-Hackerd goes through her floor routine during a meet hosted by the Mountaineers at the WVU Coliseum in 2021. (Photo: Jamie…

West Virginia gymnast Emily Holmes-Hackerd goes through her floor routine during a meet hosted by the Mountaineers at the WVU Coliseum in 2021. (Photo: Jamie Green)

by: Olivia Sneed, WVU Athletics

Posted: Mar 21, 2022 / 05:04 PM EDT

Updated: Mar 21, 2022 / 05:04 PM EDT

The West Virginia University gymnastics team’s floor exercise lineup continues to rank inside the top 25 of the Road to Nationals rankings, as announced on Monday.

WVU (13-5, 0-2 Big 12) is tied for No. 19 in this week’s national rankings, with a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 49.345. NQS is obtained by taking a team’s six best regular-season event scores – three of which must be away – and dropping the top score before averaging the remaining five.

Overall, the Mountaineers did not crack the top 25, but sit at No. 31 nationally with a 196.315 NQS. The ranking is enough to qualify WVU for the 2022 NCAA Regional Championships, with the 2022 Selection Show set for Tuesday, March 22.

Of note, West Virginia’s NQS of 196.315 marks its highest since 2004 when the Mountaineers reached a National Qualifying Score of 196.685 in the final week of the rankings.

Regionally, the Mountaineers rank No. 5 in the Southeast. The team sits at No. 2 on floor, as well as No. 7 on vault (49.005 NQS), the uneven bars (49.055 NQS) and balance beam (49.060 NQS).

Individually, senior Kendra Combs sits in a tie for No. 44 nationally with a 9.910 season NQS. Combs sits in a tie for No. 7 in the individual regional rankings on floor. She is followed by junior Abbie Pierson in a tie for No. 10 (9.895 (NQS), while sophomore Kiana Lewis checks in at No. 15 (9.870). Juniors Kianna Yancey and Emily Holmes-Hackerd are tied for No. 18 in the region with matching 9.865 National Qualifying Scores. Freshman Anna Leigh sits in a tie for No. 23 in the region with a 9.855 NQS.

Nationally, Oklahoma continues to rank No. 1 this week, posting a 198.140 NQS. Florida (198.135 NQS) ranks No. 2, while Michigan (198.015 NQS) and Utah (197.920 NQS) sit at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Rounding out the top five is Alabama, who claims the No. 5 spot this week with a 197.790 NQS.

The Mountaineers now wait to learn their fate in the 2022 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, with the NCAA Selection Show scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, at 12 p.m. ET. The show will air on NCAA.com, and the 2022 NCAA Gymnastics Regional Championships are tabbed for March 31-April 2.