Georgia is coming into the 2024 season with a stellar freshman class that looks to propel the Bulldogs into regional final contention at the end of the season. There were some injury concerns from Georgia after the first look, so that will be something to watch out for when lineups are released.
The Wolfpack did not have the strongest performance in the postseason last season, but the key returning fifth years will make for high expectations in the first ACC season. Georgia should be the favorite in this matchup with being at home, and the higher NQS last season, but N.C. State has the scoring potential to keep it close and capitalize on early season mistakes.
The trio of Chloe Negrete, Emily Shepard and Alexis Ortega will provide great highlights for those who don’t typically watch N.C. State. Watch out for Shepard in the all around, Oretega’s back handspring Onodi combination on beam, and Negrete’s floor routine. The scoring at Georgia’s first look went a little off the rails, especially on bars, but Lily Smith and JaFree Scott are both stellar on that event and should produce big scores.
Injury Update: De Jong was injured during warmups, and only going five up on vault.
Rotation 1: Georgia vault, N.C. State bars
Cashman (UGA): High full, not too much distance. A hop back on the landing. Pretty center on the mat. 9.8
Adomaites (NCS): Legs clued together for the toe on the Maloney to pak. Great stalder to double tuck, flexes the feet on the double tuck, but sticks the landing. 9.725
LaClair (UGA): Big Yurchenko full, flairs it out and hops back with her momentum continuing to go back in the salute. 9.75
Childs (NCS): Grip change to jaeger to overshoot was a little wonky but hit. Solid last handstand and a hop on the double tuck dismount. 9.8
Battle (UGA): Really nice Yurchenko 1.5 with great dynamics, slightly off on the shoulder angle on the table, and a hop forward on the landing. 9.8
Hall (NCS): Nice first handstand and toe hand. The Maloney to pak was clean with good rhythm. Good finish on the giant full and stuck the double tuck dismount. 9.8
Finnegan (UGA): Small hop forward on her Yurchenko 1.5. Leg separation on the table was minimal, but there. 9.85
Harper (NCS): Hit the first handstand. Caught the bar close on the geinger after the clearhip. Clean bail. Sticks the double layout dismount. 9.8
Wahl (UGA): Large hop forward on her Yurchenko 1.5 Great distance and height on it though. 9.775
Ortega (NCS): Fall on the Hindorff. Some feet on that too. Clean bail. Hit her feet on the ground on the following kip. Hop on the double layout dismount. 8.8
Shepard (NCS): Great first handstand. Close on the jaeger and had to bend her elbows. Bent knees on the pak. Step forward on the full twisting double back dismount. 9.6
After 1: Georgia 48.975, N.C. State 48.725
Georgia’s vaults were very first meet of the season with the hops and steps on the landings, but it was good to see all five hit after the lineup changes. N.C. State had multiple stuck landings early in the lineup which looked like it was setting up for some big scores for the fifth years at the end of the lineup, but Shepard and Ortega were not able to capitalize.
Rotation 2: N.C. State vault, Georgia bars
Adler (NCS): Really high Yurchenko full and stutter hopped back as if unsure of the landing. 9.725
Cashman (UGA): Strong opening handstand, but falls on the tkatchev. Looked a little bit far from the bar and didn’t have the turnover on it. She repeated it and got it. Bent elbows on the toe on before the bail. Holds on to the landing of the double layout on her toes. 9.2
Hall (NCS): Good distance on her fall, not as high. Good body position though and a small slide back. 9.8
Fitzgerald (UGA): Looked to muscle the initial toe on, but great tkatchev to shootover combination. A couple steps back on her double layout dismount. 9.75
Ortega (NCS): Big hop back on her Yurchenko full and was not able to hold the landing before the salute so might get dinged for more than the one hop. 9.65
Wahl (UGA): Archy first handstand, but hit the Maloney to pak. Over on the cast half. Short on the last handstand. Stuck the double layout dismount with a lean. 9.8
Knight (NCS): Powerful front pike half with a couple hops to the side, but stays between the white lines on the map. 9.775
Finnegan (UGA): Very close on the Ray with bent elbows. Big leg separation on the pak. Hops back on the full twisting double back dismount. 9.775
Shepard (NCS): Big Yurchenko full with a slight pike down and maybe the slightest scooch on the landing. 9.85
Scott (UGA): Very high Ray and the close on the connected pak. Strong Maloney half. Slight shift of the feet on the double layout dismount. 9.875
Negrete (NCS): Bounces in place on the landing of her Yurchenko full. High chest on the landing and really tries to hold that landing. 9.875
Smith (UGA): Great handstand and Maloney to bail with her legs glued and toes pointed. Sticks the full twisting double back. Great execution. 9.975
After 2: Georgia 98.150, N.C. State 97.750
The back half of N.C. States vault lineup featured some great vaults. Once the landings come for the first half that will be a strong rotation for the Wolfpack. Georgia started with a fall and then went five for five with some close catches on release and missed handstands, but the near perfection from Smith made up for that to give Georgia a four tenth lead at the halfway point.
Rotation 3: Georgia beam, N.C. State floor
Wahl (UGA): Clean bhs bhs loso series. Clean full turn. Solid on the side somi. Slight adjustment at the end of the beat jump to split 3/4s. Small hop forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.775
Ortega (NCS): Controlled landing on the Rudi. Slightly short of rotation on the leap combination. Awkward on the front layout out of the back 1.5 with a bounce forward. Stutter on the front layout to front full. Just came in a little short. 9.6
Battle (UGA): Clean full turn to start. Hit the transverse split half and the jump combination. Very high and solid front toss to beat jump. Flexed feet and a lean on the bhs loso. Sticks the bhs gainer full dismount. 9.85
Hall (NCS): Solid landing on the opening double tuck and the leap series. Large step out of the Rudi, but kept the front foot down. Went for a double L turn to wolf jump full, but it did not look all the way around. Hit the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.7
Fitzgerald (UGA): Bent knees on the bhs loso series. A little over on the full turn, but holds it. Clean beat jump to switch side. Solid side aerial to two feet. Step forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.85
Zultevicz (NCS): Great back 2.5 to front tuck with the front tuck going straight up. Clean tour jete half to wolf full, but lacking some amplitude. Cowboys the double tuck and has a low chest, but controls the landing. 9.75
Turner (UGA): Aggressive full turn. Solid on the bhs loso loso with some feet. Slow connection between the switch and split jump. Leg cross on the back 1.5 dismount and a small hop. 9.875
Knight (NCS): A little lack of control on the front double full. Tour jete half to tour jete half was around. A small bounce out of the front full to front pike. Clean Rudi to loso to end. 9.775
Smith (UGA): Super clean front aerial to bhs bhs. Wobble between the switch to split jump, but will likely still get the connection. Slight adjustment out of the front toss. Correction on the full turn. Step forward on the gainer full dismount. 9.75
Shepard (NCS): Big double pike to open and holds the landing. Clean rotation on the tour jete half to split jump full. Clean landing on the front layout to front full. High double tuck with a clean landing. Some feet on the double tuck. That is some mid season conditioning for that floor routine. 9.85
Scotte (UGA): Clean full turn. Front handspring with an adjustment before the bhs loso and she falls. Clean front aerial and. Solid split leap to switch to bhs. Small hop forward on the fhs front full dismount. 9.2
Negrete (NCS): A lot of fun chorography to open. Step forward on the double pike. Really clean switch full. Front full to front tuck. Jump combo was around. Short on the double tuck with a step forward. 9.625
After 3: Georgia 147.250, N.C. State 146.450
Georgia had another fall in this rotation, but it came after five hit routines so Georgia remains in the lead. N.C. State had some floor routines like Negrete at the end that just seemed to lack some conditioning as expected for three pass routines at the beginning of the season. Shepard did not seem to get that memo though.
Rotation 4: N.C. State beam, Georgia floor
Adler (NCS): Super clean bhs loso with pointed toes. Good finish to the full turn. Small scooch on the landing of the switch to straddle quarter. Hit the side aerial. Clean cat leap to switch side. Sticks the gainer full off the side. Solid start. 9.825
LaClair (UGA): Solid landing on the front full step out to back double twist. Clean jumps. Rudi to loso was cleanly landed. 9.8
Jennings (NCS): Controlled full turn. Right on for the bhs bhs loso. Hit the switch to tuck 3/4s. Not full rotated for the side aerial and falls. Stuck the gainer full dismount. 9.225
Williams (UGA): Controlled landing on the opening double pike. Through the jumps. Looks to maybe go out of bounds on the front layout to front full. Under on the double tuck with a step forward. The commentators said not out. 9.725
Hall (NCS): Fall on the opening bhs loso series. N.C. State counting a fall now. Almost off on the full turn. Cam back for the switch half. Hit the front aerial and 3/4 jump. Hop to the side on the gainer full. Was a little off throughout after the initial fall. 9.075
Fitzgerald (UGA): Shifts the back foot at the end of the Rudi to layout step out. Not proper rotation on the leaps. Clean final landing on the double back. 9.775
Ortega (NCS): Clean L turn. Off on the bhs Onodi. The falls are contagious, I am blaming the Georgia beam. Hit the switch to split to beat. Step forward on the front handspring. Sticks the switch to gainer pike dismount. 8.750
Cashman (UGA): Underrotated the front full out of the back 1.5 and did a crossover step. Switch side half to straddle jump was clean. Under on the double tuck as well with a step forward. Some feet on that as well. 9.5
Shepard (NCS): Leg above horizontal on that L turn. Clean switch to 1/4 jump. Some feet on the bhs loso series, but cleanly landed. Adjustment on the side aerial. Hit the split half. Under on the side aerial to back 1.5 and took a step back. 9.75
Smith (UGA): Clean front double full with a controlled step. A little low on the front layout out of the back 1.5. Not clear rotation on the jump combination. Controlled landing on the Rudi to straddle jump. 9.825
Negrete (NCS): Smooth through the front aerial to bhs. Solid through the cat leap to switch half to beat jump. Sticks the round off double full dismount. Great finish. 9.9
Wahl (UGA): Big full in to open with a large lunge out and some feet. Better leap rotation. I feel like the choreography here is 20 seconds of waiting to do her last tumbling pass. Front tuck through to double tuck had some feet and was a little under with a step forward on the landing. 9.825
FINAL: Georgia 196.200, N.C. State 194.225
N.C. State will want to forget and move on from that beam rotation. Many of the mistakes on the other three events seem to be early season mistakes that will be cleaned up in the next couple of weeks. For Georgia, the injury to De Jong is something to watch, but the freshmen contributed well and will be able to improve on that team score throughout the season.
VT: Negrete 9.875
UB: Smith 9.975
BB: Negrete 9.900
FX: Shepard 9.850
AA: Wahl 39.175
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