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TUMBLER'S TALES
By Shannon McNamara for WVUsports.com
April 07, 2012 04:42 PM
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The day the West Virginia University gymnastics team has trained for all season is finally here – the NCAA Regional Championships.
The Mountaineers met with first-year coach Jason Butts prior to leaving for Auburn Arena today. Reminding the team of his motto – anything is possible – Butts told the story of the Butler men’s basketball team. He said that the Bulldogs’ run to the 2010 NCAA Championship game should inspire underdogs everywhere and that no obstacle is too big to overcome. Before boarding the bus, Butts instructed the Mountaineers to lay everything on the line tonight.
The team was greeted by a large, loud fan contingent in the hotel lobby. The group, armed with home-made signs and gold and blue pom-poms, exploded in rowdy cheers of “Let’s Go, Mountaineers” as the bus pulled away.
Once at Auburn Arena, the Mountaineers were accompanied on the trip to their locker room by the WVU fight song, blasting on the team’s portable speaker. One hour way from open warm-ups and the team is zoning in on completing its season-long goal of advancing to the national championships.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Follow WVU Gymnastics on Twitter: @WVU Gymnastics
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TUMBLER'S TALES
By Shannon McNamara for WVUsports.com
April 07, 2012 12:28 PM
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The day the West Virginia University gymnastics team has trained for all season is finally here – the NCAA Regional Championships!
Seeded fifth in tonight’s Auburn Regional, the Mountaineers brought the same swagger and confidence they displayed in their win at the 2012 East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championship win down to Alabama and are ready to clinch to their first bid to the national championships since 2000.
The squad arrived in Auburn early Thursday morning and immediately headed to Toomer’s Corner and the campus’ main strip for lunch. While only half of the team was familiar with the school’s famous trees and tradition, the entire squad is now inspired to have its own reason to “roll” the trees after tonight’s meet.
While the team is busy this morning focusing on the task at hand, I was able to enjoy the first nice day in Alabama and set out on my own walking tour of campus. I immediately headed out to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Though I watched the 2009 WVU-Auburn game from Morgantown, I am very familiar with the weather ordeal that those in attendance faced that night, and the game is still a bit of a folk legend around these parts. As someone told me yesterday, the water came up to everyone’s knees, and the thunder rolled for days.
The team will meet later this afternoon for a meeting before leaving for Auburn Arena. Check back here for more updates as the Mountaineers prep for tonight’s meet.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Follow WVU Gymnastics on Twitter: @WVU Gymnastics
