West Virginia Gymnast Kayla Smith Named Student-Athlete of the Week
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Freshman Kayla Smith of the West Virginia University gymnastics team has been named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by University Apartments, after achieving a career-high all-around score in a home quad meet on January 30, 2026.
Smith, a native of Richmond, Virginia, recorded a total of 39.125 on all four events, marking her first all-around score of 39.0 or higher and securing a win in the all-around competition. She also achieved career-best scores on the uneven bars (9.8) and floor exercise (9.9).
Her 9.9 on the floor exercise was not only a personal best but also the first 9.9+ score by a Mountaineer on any event this season. Smith’s performance at the January 30th meet resulted in wins on both the floor exercise and in the all-around competition – her second all-around win and first on floor.
The Mountaineers’ performance, boosted by Smith’s contributions, led to a first-place team finish with a season-high score of 195.875. West Virginia defeated Kent State, Pitt, and Cornell in the quad meet.
West Virginia will return to competition on Friday, February 6, with a Big 12 Conference dual meet at Iowa State. The competition is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
