Hi all! We’re live again from Littlejohn Coliseum on this fine Friday evening. We have another ACC matchup this week, the Tigers are hosting the NC State Wolfpack for their National Women and Girls in Sports Day celebration. It’s a cool night to have this matchup as both teams have female head coaches. This celebration is huge for the Tigers as Clemson University has also recently added women’s rowing and lacrosse, in addition to the gymnastics program.
The Wolfpack had a fantastic outing last week at home. Standout performances from Chloe Negrete, Ashley Knight, Alexis Ortega, and Emily Shepard helped lead the Wolfpack to a season-high 196.500 and a home victory. Some highlights include multiple 9.925s from Negrete and Shepard and an all-around win from Shepard. NC State has always been one of those fun-to-watch bubble teams and I can only imagine the introduction of ACC gymnastics will make the Wolfpack an even stronger and hungrier team this year.
The Tigers have had an incredible start to their inaugural season and brought home their first road win against UNC last week. The Tigers also posted a season-high last week with the help of NC State transfer Lauren Rutherford’s 9.925, a series of 9.9s on beam from Kielyn McCright and Brie Clark, and Clark’s 9.925 on floor. After another great showing the Tigers scored a 196.550, placing them 1st in ACC and 20th nationally. I feel like the Tigers are looking for that high 196 or even low 197 and this might be their week to get it.
These two teams swept the ACC weekly awards as Shepard and Knight earned gymnast and newcomer of the week and Clark brought home specialist of the week. With a great matchup, especially in the ACC, and Littlejohn’s always incredible atmosphere, this should be an exciting meet!
Rotation 1: Clemson VT, NC State UB
Jackson (CU): Yurchenko full, takes it out a little and a small step back. 9.700
Adomaites (NCSU): Maloney to Pak, pretty. Little over on last handstand. Stalder to double back, stuck. A solid start for the Wolfpack! 9.725
Arnold (CU): Beautiful Yurchenko 1.5, stuck. 9.850
Childs (NCSU): Pretty Jaeger. Nice bail. Blind full to double back, went for the stick but had some soft knees and took a small hop forward. 9.775
Rutherford (CU): The vault queen herself does another pretty Yurchenko 1.5, she wanted the stick so bad but took a small step backward. 9.825
Hardrick (NCSU): Maloney to Pak, pretty. Pretty lines throughout. Nice and high full-twisting double back, stuck. 9.800
Minner (CU): Tucked Yurchenko 1.5, anticipated the landing a little and takes a slightly large step forward. 9.750
Harper (NCSU): Nice clear hip handstand. Pretty Gienger, looked a little close to the bar personally. Nice lines and handstands. Stuck double layout. The sticks are contagious for the Wolfpack it seems. 9.800
Brown (CU): Solid Yurchenko full, chest seemed a little down and takes a small step back. 9.775
Ortega (NCSU): Nice Hindorff, seemed a little close. Solid bail. Pretty double layout, ANOTHER stuck landing. 9.825
Holman (CU): Fhs front pike half, steps back but pretty in the air. 9.800
Shepard (NCSU): Pretty Jaeger. Gets a little stuck in her handstand leading up to her Pak. Nice Pak. Full-twisting double back, small side step. 9.850
After 1: Clemson 49.050 NC State 49.050
Well, I certainly didn’t have the meet being tied after the first rotation on my bingo card for tonight. Tied-up rotations only make for great meets though! Clemson athletics honored the women’s soccer team and their record-breaking season during the break. Love seeing women’s sports being honored all around tonight. Both teams are heading to two events they’re each a little stronger on so let’s see what rotation two brings!
Rotation 2: Clemson UB, NC State VT
Adler (NCSU): Nice Yurchenko full, small bounce up after landing. 9.750
Wells (CU): Nice Tkatchev. Nice held handstands throughout. Full-twisting double back, a little soft in the knees and takes a small hop forward. 9.775
Ortega (NCSU): Yurchenko full, pikes it down a little and slides back. 9. 750
Jackson (CU): Nice Jaeger. Immediate bail after. Another full-twisting double back, fights for the stick and gets it! 9.850
Zultevicz (NCSU): Nice Yurchenko full, small slide back. 9.775
Lippeat (CU): Nice high Tkatchev. Bail to handstand. Sole circle back to high bar. Pretty double back, stuck. 9.825
Knight (NCSU): Fhs front pike half, slight leg separation in the air but sticks it. 9.850
DeGuzman (CU): Beautiful straddled Jaeger. Nice bail. Pretty double layout, stuck cold. The bar dismount sticks are contagious for the Tigers also! 9.850
Shepard (NCSU): Balks on the first vault and runs off the side of the runway. Second attempt was a pretty Yurchenko full, small slide to the side. 9.800
Rutherford (CU): Gorgeous Jaeger. Nice lines throughout. Pretty double layout, small hop backward. 9.800
Negrete (NCSU): Nice Yurchenko full, stuck cold. 9.875
Webb (CU): Nice Maloney to Pak. Some loose knees here and there but pretty overall. Double layout, almost locked her knees but takes a step back instead. A solid routine for her collegiate debut! 9.825
After 2: Clemson 98.200 NC State 98.100
The Tigers looked fantastic on bars with a series of stuck landings and an awesome collegiate debut from Trinity Webb. The Wolfpack also looked solid on vault with quite a few 9.8s or higher. The next two events contain a few collegiate or season debuts from both teams, so I’m excited to see some fresh faces in these lineups!
Rotation 3: Clemson BB, NC State FX
Lippeat (CU): Front aerial bhs swing-down, pretty. I love the backward shoulder roll she does out of that series. Side aerial split jump, nice lines. Split half facing the judges, small balance check. Front gainer full, small side step and low chest. 9.775
Hadrick (NCSU): Front layout Rudi, nice and powerful. Switch leap switch half wolf 1.5, nice posture throughout. Pretty L turn, I love seeing this in college! Ro 1.5 front layout, pretty in the air but a little low and small knee bend in her layout. 9.825
Jackson (CU): A beautiful bhs loso loso to start, my favorite! Switch leap cat leap half, slightly missed 180 but pretty, lacked a little amplitude going into cat leap. Nice full turn. Ro 1.5, small hop forward. 9.700
Knight (NCSU): Punch double full, just wow. Switch leap switch full stag jump, pretty. Nice dance into straddle jump, perfectly timed with her music ahhhhh I loved this. Punch Rudi to loso, studders out of it a little but nice power. 9.875
Kuhl (CU): Bhs bhs loso, super pretty in the air but slips and thus falls. Switch leap beat jump, small shoulder drop but nice lines. Nice full turn. Front toss beat jump, small balance check after front toss but keeps it moving. Ro 1.5, small hop forward. 8.875
Zultevicz (NCSU): Ro bhs 2.5 front layout, lacked a little rise on the front layout but stuck and beautiful in the air. Pretty leaps and posture. Ro bhs double back, slightly cowboyed and lands with chest down but gets the stick. 9.850
Wells (CU): Switch leap tour jete 3/4, lifts leg slightly for a small balance check. Nice bhs loso, good height. Pretty full turn. Ro double full, slight hop back. 9.850
Hall (NCSU): Opens with a powerful ro bhs double back. Switch leap switch half straddle half, pretty lines. Fhs Rudi, little low on the landing. L turn to wolf full, this was super cool. Ro 1.5 front layout, also a little low but pretty in the air. 9.650
McCright (CU): Pretty full turn. Nice bhs loso. Tuck full, fairly large balance check and couldn’t connect the beat jump out of it. Side aerial, another large wobble and missed the jump connection as well. Side gainer full, stuck. 8.900
Shepard (NCSU): A huge ro bhs double pike to open. Pretty leaps as always. Punch front layout front full, beautiful all around. Closes with another huge double back, steps forward. 9.900
Church (CU): Nice bhs loso. Pretty full turn. Beat jump split 3/4, chest way down but saves it. Ro 1.5, steps forward. A great collegiate debut from the North Carolina native! 9.650
Negrete (NCSU): A HUGE ro bhs double pike to start the final routine off for the Wolfpack. Punch front full front tuck, nice height and posture. Ro bhs double back to close, slightly underrotated and steps forward. 9.900
After 3: Clemson 146.075 NC State 147.450
After counting a fall, the Tigers are in a bit of a scoring deficit going into the final rotation. Personally, I think the beam scoring was a little harsh but what do I know 🙂 NC State looked solid on floor and pulled ahead quite a bit. Clemson’s women’s lacrosse and rowing teams were honored in regards to their debut in Clemson athletics this year, what a big year it has been for the Tigers. Onto the last event, we go!
Rotation 4: Clemson FX, NC State BB
Adler (NCSU): Bhs loso, small balance check. Pretty full turn. Cat leap straddle 1/4, nice lines. Side gainer full, the smallest of shuffles. 9.700
Holman (CU): Opens with a HUGE fhs double full, small foot adjustment. Switch side wolf full, pretty. Ro double full loso, pretty in the air. Man this student section is really into these floor routines every single meet, I love to see it. 9.900
Jennings (NCSU): Nice full turn. Bhs bhs loso, large wobble and picks her leg up to save it. Side aerial split jump, nice posture and form. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.700
Brown (CU): Sky high front through ro bhs double back, nice control on landing. Switch side straddle half, nice height. Solid tuck jump full. Ro bhs double pike, little short and takes a step forward to compensate. I love how she draws the crowd in every time she steps onto the floor. 9.800
Harper (NCSU): Switch leap split half (I think), pretty. Bhs loso, nice in the air. Cat leap split 1/4, pretty but chest was a little forward on split jump. Front toss, small balance check. Tucked front full, small step. 9.725
Jackson (CU): Huge full-out to open, opens a little early and steps forward. Switch leap wolf half, nice height. Front through to ro bhs double back, stuck. Nice tuck jump full. The student section shouting 10.0 is so cute and heartwarming (I hate to tell them that it wasn’t quite perfect even though it was fantastic). 9.850
Ortega (NCSU): Nice full turn. Bhs Onodi, steps out of it but OH MY GOD this was so cool. Switch leap split jump, nice height and 180. Nice dismount, small step. 9.800
Arnold (CU): HUGE stuck full-in to open. Switch half wolf full, nice height. Ro bhs 2.5 front tuck, great amplitude and control. That was a fantastic routine, not many deductions that I saw. 9.950
Shepard (NCSU): Beautiful L turn. Switch leap switch side, nice posture and form. Pretty bhs loso. Side aerial, little off but not noticeable. Beat jump tuck half, nice. Aerial gainer 1.5, hops forward. 9.800
Rutherford (CU): This is one of my favorite floor routines in the NCAA right now. Ro bhs 2.5 front tuck, stuck. Beautiful leaps and lines. Ro bhs double back, great height and landing to close. 9.950
Negrete (NCSU): Nice full turn. Front aerial to bhs, pretty. Cat leap switch half beat jump, nice form and height. Ro double full, beautiful in the air and almost gets the stick. 9.825
Minner (CU): Punch double full, just perfect in my eyes. Switch leap split half wolf full, nice height. Fhs Rudi loso, a little low in the loso but a pretty pass to watch. That was a beautiful routine to close the Tigers out tonight. 9.900
FINAL: Clemson 195.600 NC State 196.300
Minus a rough outing on beam, the Tigers had a great meet overall. With a little cleaning up on landings, the Tigers should break into the top 15 and get out of the top 20 range. The Wolfpack had a fantastic meet and will take home the win, I mean just wow have yourself a night NC State. I’ve been to many NC State meets and that was close to the best I’ve seen. I loved how open and empowering this meet was for not only women’s gymnastics but all women’s sports for National Women and Girls in Sports Day. If this meet was any indication of what’s to come for ACC gymnastics, I’m excited to see where it goes from here! The Tigers will meet the Wolfpack again on Feb. 17 at Reynolds Coliseum.
VT: Chloe Negrete (NCSU): 9.875
UB: Eve Jackson (CU): 9.850
BB: Rebecca Wells (CU): 9.850
FX: Molly Arnold (CU) & Lauren Rutherford (CU): 9.950
AA: Emily Shepard 39.350
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Live blog by Jessica Brock
