There’s nothing like an in-state rivalry meet! It’s been a great first season so far for ACC gymnastics, driven in no small way by N.C State. The Wolfpack are coming off a 196.300 and a win against Clemson last week, and will be aiming to break 196 again as they seek to secure their place on the right side of the regionals bubble.
North Carolina has not lived up to expectations this season, but has shown flashes of greatness. If they can nail their landings on bars and floor, they can make up the tenths they need to put up a stronger score. Julia Knower has the ability to hit big on floor, and Isabelle Schaefer can put up a really clean bar set.
For the Wolfpack, Chloe Negrete is one to watch on leg events, with a very stickable Yfull and a floor routine that went 9.9 last week. Emily Shepherd is the Wolfpack’s key all-arounder, scoring 39.350 this week. If N.C. State can hit to the best of their ability today, they’ll prove themselves to be a force in ACC gymnastics.
Rotation 1: N.C. State VT, UNC UB
Sorry all, so far there’s no stream (curse you basketball overtime)! I can keep scores updated here until it’s resolved.
Adler (NCSU): 9.675
Forbes (UNC): 9.675
Knight (NCSU): 9.850
Knower (UNC): 9.700
Ortega (NCSU): 9.775, career high!
Shearer (UNC): 9.675
Zultevicz (NCSU): 9.825
Schaefer (UNC): 9.700
Shepherd (NCSU): 9.850
Fink (UNC): 9,825
Negrete (NCSU): 9.800
Yay the stream is here!
Dekanoidze (UNC): Came in at the end of her routine, great double lay dismount, just a small hop. 9.850
After 1: NCSU 49.100, UNC 48.750
Welp, I saw almost none of that rotation, so I’m using the commentary recap to catch up. Apparently, both teams need to work on landings. It looks like NCSU did what it needed to do on vault, while some sub-9.7 scores and a lower than usual score for Schaefer held UNC back.
Rotation 2: NCSU UB, UNC VT
Schaefer (UNC): Tucked Yfull, bit too open, landed short and took a step forward. 9.6
Adomaites (NCSU): Maloney, pak, gorgeous form and lines. Left hand slips and she has to take an extra kip. Lovely last handstand. Double tuck dismount with a small hop forward. 9.6
Judge’s conference on Schaefer’s score, probably due to the body position questions.
Shinohara (UNC): Y full, lots of height and distance, a tiny bit off line with a small hop on landing. 9.675
Childs (NCSU): Straddle jaegar to shootover, great combination. Hits the last handstand and the pirouette, double tuck dismount, maybe stuck? Stream didn’t show her feet. 9.8
Prejean (UNC): Yfull with a big hop back. 9.725
Reid (NCSU): Maloney, pak, misses her kip and has to redo it. Sky high full twisting double tuck with a foot scoot. 9.725
Knower (UNC): Yfull with a pike down and a hop in place, just didn’t bend her knees to absorb the momentum and bounced back up. 9.75
Harper (NCSU): Big Geinger, a bit of leg form on the bail. Double lay with a tiny hop. 9.75
Dekanoidze (UNC): Y full, lots of distance, small hop in place. I’m so sorry, that was absolutely not a stick. 9.825
Ortega (NCSU): Short on the first handstand, nice Hindorff. Double lay with a hop back. 9.8
Forbes (UNC): Yfull, in the rafters, small hop back. 9.825
Shepard (NCSU): Beautiful first handstand. Straddle jaeger to pak, good. Milks the last handstand. Full twisting double back, stuck!! Beautiful routine. 9.875
After 2: NCSU 98.050, UNC 97.550
A couple missed handstands held NCSU back there, but the bars team rallied and still put up a solid rotation just shy of the 49 mark. UNC improved their vault score by three tenths from last week, so they should be happy with that.
Rotation 3: NCSU BB, UNC FX
Adler (NCSU): BHS LOSO, tiny adjustment but otherwise good. Clean full turn. Switch leap, straddle quarter, solid. Side aerial, lovely. Cat leap, switch quarter, no issues. Gainer full off the side, couldn’t see her feet on the stream but seems good. Great leadoff! 9.825
Wozniak (UNC): Whip to double tuck to open. Front tuck added to the choreo. Switch leap, to wolf jumps in…some direction, couldn’t really tell what. Whip to double pike, big lunge with a foot slide. 9.75
Jennings (NCSU): Good full turn. BHS BHS LOSO, rock solid. Leaps are solid. Side aerial, snaps her arms back to prevent any wobbles. Gainer full, piked down but stuck! 9.9
Schulze (UNC): Very upbeat music and choreo. Front lay, front rudi, has a bit of a stumble on the lunge. Back 1.5 to front lay, small shuffle on the lunge. Little shy of splits on her leaps. 9.7
Harper (NCSU): Beat jump, straddle 3/4, doesn’t quite hit 180. BHS LOSO, good. Cat leap, switch 1/4, better position there. Full turn is solid. Front toss, a little off but pulls it back. Front tuck full, fully could not see the landing. 9.775
Rueda (UNC): Double pike, too much juice and lunge isn’t very controlled. Good leaps. Back 1.5, front lay, nice. Double tuck to close, very clean. 9.875
Ortega (NCSU): L turn is beautiful. BHS, onodi, steps out of it into dance. Switch leap, split leap, beat jump, very confident. Front handspring step out, again dances out of it. Switch leap, gainer pike, stuck! Great routine. 9.925 and well deserved
Miller (UNC): Front tuck through to double tuck, good. Switch ring, switch half, hits 180 degrees. Double pike, lands short and has to lunge forward. Switch half ring is good. 9.85
Shepard (NCSU): L turn, lovely. Switch leap, straddle quarter, great split positions. BHS LOSO, solid. Side aerial is textbook. Beat jump, straddle half. Her finish on this event is just gorgeous. Side aerial to 1.5 twist, let’s call that a stick with a bounce. 9.9
Forbes (UNC): Tuck full, stuck cold. Wow. Front lay, front full, good. Hits oversplits on her leaps. Double tuck, too much power and hops back rather than lunging. 9.775
Negrete (NCSU): Front aerial to BHS, calm and confident. Cat leap, hesitates before the switch half to beat jump. Split leap, lovely position in the air. RO, double twist, small foot adjustment on landing. 9.85
Knower (UNC): Double pike, really high with a perfectly controlled lunge. Front full, front lay, very floaty. Shy of splits on leaps. Double tuck, same story as her double pike. 9.850
After 3: NCSU 147.450, UNC 146.650
NCSU put on a SHOW on beam, with six hits and three scores of 9.9 or better, highlighted by career highs from Jennings and Ortega. UNC broke 49 on floor and managed to put together a strong rotation even with a few errors here and there. Both teams are on track to put up good meets if they can hit their last event.
Rotation 4: NCSU FX, UNC BB
Naranjo (UNC): Full turn is solid. Front aerial to BHS, slightly slow on the connection but otherwise good. Switch half, split leap, beat jump, no issues. BHS to 1.5 twist with a slight hop back and to the side. 9.825
Hall (NCSU): Double L turn, doesn’t quite hold the position all the way around, to wolf full. Double tuck, good. Solid leaps. Front rudi, a little foot adjustment on her lunge but otherwise good. Front 1.5, front lay, underrotated but keeps it on her feet. 9.725
King (UNC): Split half is good. BHS LOSO, solid. Switch half, short of split and offline, and she falls. Switch leap, beat jump is secure. Full turn good. RO 1.5 twist with a big hop forward. 8.9
Knight (NCSU): Front double twist, very bouncy lunge out of it. Gets a lot of height on her leaps. Front 1.5 to layout step out, soft knees. 9.8
Thompson (UNC): BHS BHS LOSO, and she falls. UNC now counting a fall. Switch leap, straddle quarter, good. Full turn is secure. RO 1.5 twist with a hop forward. 9.025
Zultevicz (NCSU): Stream cut out, but looked like a good landing after her first pass. Great personality in her choreography. Double tuck, good. Fun routine! 9.875
Fink (UNC): Serious pressure set for her. Switch leap, switch leap, good. BHS LOSO LOSO, offline but stays on. Full turn is good. BHS 1.5 twist with a hop forward. 9.8
Edwards (NCSU): Double pike, huge, and great control on the landing. Switch half, straddle half, doesn’t quite hit the splits. Front full, front lay, dances out. Double tuck, keeps the lunge under control. 9.85
Knower (UNC): BHS LOSO, small check. Switch leap, split leap, no problems. Full turn good. Front toss directly connected to beat jump. RO 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.85
Shepard (NCSU): Big double pike to open. Lovely toe point on her leaps. Front lay, front full, good. Double tuck, a little too much juice but keeps it in bounds and under control. 9.9
Schulze (UNC): A little tentative and shy of splits on leaps but stays on the beam. BHS LOSO rock solid.Switch leap, wolf jump, very confident. Good full turn. Side aerial to 1.5 twist with a hop back. 9.7
Negrete (NCSU): Double pike with a small slide back. Very confident presentation and strong leaps. Front full, front lay, dances out. Double tuck, bounces out. 9.85
FINAL: NCSU 196.725, UNC 194.925
UNC was on track for a great meet but beam troubles got the better of it. NCSU looked fantastic, putting up a big score that they’ll certainly be happy to have in their pocket for regionals. Shepard dominated, taking three event titles and the all-around.
VT: Knight, Shepard (9.850)
UB: Shepard (9.875)
BB: Ortega (9.925)
FX: Shepard (9.900)
AA: Shepard (39.425)
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Live blog by Naomi Stephenson
