Three members of the West Virginia University gymnastics team have qualified to compete as individual event specialists at the 2026 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Championships, scheduled for April 2 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
This qualification is significant for the athletes and the program, as it provides an opportunity to compete at a high level and potentially advance to national championships.
Junior Amber Lowe earned her first individual qualification on balance beam with a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 9.855. Lowe is ranked No. 9 in the Big 12 Conference and No. 18 in the southeast region on beam, achieving a career-high score of 9.9 during a quad meet at Towson on March 1.
Sophomore Sophia Rice qualified as an event specialist on vault for the second consecutive season with a NQS of 9.83. Rice holds rankings of No. 13 in conference and No. 23 in region this season, reaching a season high score of 9.875 at Utah on March 7 and holding a career best of 9.975.
Emerson Smith, also a sophomore from Westerville, Ohio, received her first event specialist qualification with an NQS of 9.87 on floor exercise this year. Smith is ranked No.13 in conference and No.22 regionally on floor exercise; she has twice scored a season high of 9.9 and owns a career best mark of 9.925.
The NCAA committee selects top all-around competitors and event specialists based on NQS scores from across teams nationwide for regional placement while keeping individuals from each team together geographically when possible.
At each regional site, only the top two teams plus one all-around competitor not already advancing will move forward automatically to nationals; additionally, one top event specialist per site not part of an advancing team or all-around group can progress to nationals solely for their specialty event.
The national championships are set for April16-18 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
