If one would ask West Virginia head gymnastics coach Linda Burdette-Good who the leaders of her squad are, Amy Bieski and Chelsi Tabor would likely be two of her top choices.
Saturday in a tri-meet against No. 15 Michigan and William and Mary, the pair proved their importance to the squad.
Bieski finished second overall in the meet, finishing with a 39.025 including matching a season-high second-place 9.825 performance on the floor event.
Bieski also tied her season-high on the vault (9.775).
Tabor, who has excelled on the vault this season, tied Bieski's 9.775 score on the event as both tied for sixth place in the event. The senior also set a career-best 9.8 score on the beam.
"Both of them work very, very hard in the gym," Burdette-Good said. "Both of them are very motivating to the freshmen whenever they get a little discouraged or make a mistake."
The two have led the Mountaineers to a 10-3 record to start the season, while they currently sit third in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League with a 6-0 conference mark.
Tabor averages a team-best on the balance beam (9.675) and vault (9.806), where she has claimed three first-place finishes thus far this season.
With just a month remaining on her West Virginia athletic career, the senior admits it still hasn't hit that her career is winding down.
After all, Tabor started to attend WVU meets when she was just eight years old. When asked about competing in the Coliseum, the Beckley, W.Va., native says she still gets butterflies before performing.
Tabor says it's been great to have Burdette-Good as a coach throughout her tenure at WVU.
"(Burdette-Good) watched us grow up, watched us come to camp every year and, seeing how successful me and Ashley (Wilson) have been this year, it's an awesome way to finish out our senior year," Tabor said. "I feel like her experience really helps us as team go a long way."
Meanwhile, Bieski has been the heart of the Mountaineers‘ squad this season despite having the tough task of replacing standout Mehgan Morris in the all-around.
The Nanticoke, Pa., native averages a team-best 9.8 on the floor exercise this season.
As a junior, Bieski acknowledges that everyone has their own responsibility.
She just tries to play her role to the best of her ability.
"I like the position, but I don't look at it as leading necessarily," Bieski said of her floor performance. "We all have our own roles. You can only control what you do."
Without junior Naja Johnson in the lineup recently, Bieski and Tabor have played pivotal roles in the functioning of the Mountaineers' squad.
Losing her top bar performer, Burdette-Good remains optimistic for the season.
"This team probably has more fight than any team I've ever coached.
They're just not giving up," Burdette-Good said. "Everybody just keeps stepping up and getting better."
It's especially true for Bieski and Tabor.
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