The Wolfpack is coming off of an outstanding performance to secure the first ACC regular season title over visiting Clemson. Aside from establishing itself as the frontrunner for the upcoming conference championship, N.C. State posted the second highest score in program history–a cool 197.575 that would hold its own against most any of the nation’s best teams.
Meanwhile, Pitt seems to be catching fire at just the right time: The Panthers snagged a 196.125 on the road in Chapel Hill last weekend (their third consecutive score right at or above the 196 mark). Expect them to shoot up the rankings and into the regionals bubble once NQS kicks in and they can drop those early-season scores in the 193s. This is N.C. State’s meet to lose, but Pitt can shore up its postseason prospects by securing another high road score.
Oh, this is a fun surprise—Bart and Kathy are on the call! Albeit from home, but still. Glad to see ACCN pulling out all the stops.
Rotation 1: Pitt VT, NC State UB
Duke (Pitt): Strong, straight block onto the table. Clean Y full in the air with a small bounce back. Solid start. 9.775
Adomaites (NCSU): Kch, toe hand, Maloney to Pak with no leg sep. Fell out of the half pirouette, but a gorgeous stalder into a tidy double tuck. 9.775
Simons (Pitt): Very high up on the table, but another clean Y full with good distance and a small bounce back. 9.800
Childs (NCSU): Kch, hop change to a straddled Jaeger, slightly low. Bail, fine. Very sharp blind full to double tuck with a little hop. 9.700
Still waiting on vault scores…
Madso (Pitt): Yikes, very low block and twisted super close to the table. Y full with leg and hip form throughout, but a definitive stick. 9.800 is way too high, even with the stick.
Reid (NCSU): Toe hand to Maloney with foot form throughout, including a veteran foot flex to avoid hitting the mat. Strong FTDT with minimal adjustment on the landing. 9.850 is a little high for me with the form issues.
Anand (Pitt): Lovely fhs pike half with a small hop back. Well done from the NC State alumna! 9.825
Harper (NCSU): Kch to clear hip. Fabulous Gienger. Lost form a touch on her bail to handstand, but nbd. Excellent DLO with a slight, slight foot adjustment. 9.850
Ward (Pitt): HUGE Y full, tons of distance, but a significant knee bend on the block. Overall, excellent vault. 9.700
Ortega (NCSU): Kch to a well done Hindorff (an actual Hindorff, too!), just a hair close on the regrasp. Kch, bail to handstand, good. Hecht shoot, great. Clean DLO with a teeny scoot back. Best she’s done this season. 9.875
Bedminster (Pitt): WOO! Gorgeous, floaty Y full. Tight form, plenty of height and distance, but a moderate bounce back. 9.700 seems low even with the bouncy landing.
Shepard (NCSU): Kch. Blind change to an exemplary straddled Jaeger. Floated the Pak. Well-controlled half pirouette. FTDT, slightest ankle sep but stuck. Team is chanting 10, and honestly? I wouldn’t be mad. That was fantastic. 9.950
After 1: NC State 49.300, Pitt 48.950
Solid rotation for both teams. Vault landings are obviously a point of emphasis for the Panthers, but the blocks and form over all look great. Dial in on the landings, and they’ll easily crack the 49.000.
No surprise, the Wolfpack didn’t quite match last week’s 49.450, but this was a well-deserved 49.300. Shephard’s set was the highlight.
Also, glad to hear Bart emphasize the parity across teams and conferences right now.
Rotation 2: OPNC State VT
Hall (NCSU): Very strong Y full to start off. Huge amplitude, minimal pike-down, and a moderate bounce back. 9.750
Lerro (Pitt): Kch, toe on, Maloney to bail, didn’t quite get the position. Very precise handstands throughout. Blind change to front double tuck with a step but gorgeous in the air. 9.800
Ortega (NCSU): Really couldn’t see… Head on angle with some coach standing in the way. OK, on replay, very similar to Hall’s: Big Y full with a decent bounce back. 9.775
Simons (Pitt): Kch stepout, toe on. Big Ray, good. Bail, like Lerro’s, wasn’t quite horizontal. Very nice blind full to stuck double tuck for the former Illini. 9.850
Zultevicz (NCSU): Another strong Y full, a bit of pike thorughout but the first stick for NCSU. 9.825
Garvey (Pitt): Kch, slightly shy on the first handstand, but an excellent blind change to straddled Jaeger. Bail to handstand a little rushed. Shy last handstand to a very cool toe-on front pike half with a small step back. Very cool. 9.775
Knight (NCSU): I hate this head-on vault angle. On replay, very nice fhs pike half with a tiny little hop back. Tons of amplitude and great form. 9.875
Ewing (Pitt): Blind change to a piked Jaeger, good distance but a touch of leg form. Clear hip, cool. Bail to handstand was a little short, as is the final handstand. Blind full to double tuck was exemplary, however.
Shephard (NCSU): Very clean, crisp Y full. Slight pike down and hop back. 9.850
Todd (Pitt): Kch, hop change to another piked Jaeger. Excellent bail to handstand. Short on her other handstands throughout, though. Lovely blind full to double tuck, has to take a big step due to the mat sliding. 9.700
Negrete (NCSU): Pretty Y full in the air, but chest forward and has to swim for the landing. Feet stayed still, though! 9.825
Bedminster (Pitt): Kch, toe hand to Maloney with some leg sep. Handstand stepout to bail to handstand with a little twist in the trunk. Very pretty DLO with a step. 9.750
After 2: NC State 98.450, Pitt 97.975
Another pair of solid rotations for both teams. Like Pitt, NC State gave away some tenths on the landings, but showed off really great fundamentals.
I really love the difficulty and variety throughout Pitt’s bars lineup. There are some minor details to clean up for the postseason, but they’re certainly heading in the right direction. Bedminster
Rotation 3: Pitt BB, NC State FX
My stream has been a little glitchy, so I’m a few minutes behind the broadcast.
Madso (Pitt): Front walkover (?) mount, very fun. Bhs loso with soft knees and fights throughout a leg up check. Ditto on the front tuck. Switch leap to Korbut, gets a bit off balance, but such a cool series. Beat jump to ring jump, good. Overrotates her full turn a bit. Side gainer full with a step forward. Good fight throughout. 9.600
Hall (NCSU): Double L turn to wolf full, great position maintained though both. Big opening double tuck. Switch half to wolf half, no problem. Fhs Rudi, slightly underrotated and hops to the side. RO back 1.5 to front lay, doesn’t get a good punch and has to tuck it down. 9.650
Duke (Pitt): I love it when gymnasts talk to themselves on beam, lol. Bhs loso with the slightest shoulder adjustment. Full turn, good. Side aerial with a large hip bend. Does her backup connection, a switch leap to split jump, beautifully. Switch half to beat, well done! Pretty RO back 1.5, stuck. 9.700
Knight (NCSU): Fantastic punch front double full, very crisp. Tour jete half series looked shy to me, but the angle wasn’t the best. Side aerial. Oh hello, my cat Gus is helping me blog by making biscuits on my arm… Punch Rudi to the highest loso imaginable. I’m going to assume they did dock her for the leaps, because the tumbling was impeccable.
Simons (Pitt): Lovely full turn. Clean bhs loso, ugh and comes of. Gorgeous switch leap, switch leap, to straddle half. Tons of height and perfect positions. Side aerial and immediately hops off. Punch front full with a big step forward. I appreciate her staying aggressive even after the fall. 8.425
Zultevicz (NCSU): RO back 2.5 to punch front tuck, well done. Switch full to wolf full with foot form, but got them all the way around. RO bhs double tuck, no problem. 9.825
Foy (Pitt): Very nice turnout on her cat leap, but comes off on the side aerial. Straddle jump to straddle half, visibly nervy. Excellent bhs loso. Aggressive cartwheel side aerial, just slightly piked down. Tons of potential from Foy, just needs the confidence and competition reps. 8.950
Edwards (NCSU): Big double pike, a fairly large lunge but well-controlled. Tour jete to wolf half, good. Fhs front full to front lay, clean form and very easy-looking. RO bhs double tuck, perfect height and control on the landing. 9.850
Garvey (Pitt): Covers some nerves on the full turn. Same on the bhs loso. Front tuck to beat jump is outstanding. Split jump to double stag with a small shoulder dip. Gainer pike, stuck. Great job putting Pitt back on track. 9.800
Shepard (NCSU): Gorgeous double pike. Switch full series, loses her back leg on the second. Didn’t get a great punch on her front lay to front full and has to hop back. Exceptional double tuck to finish. 9.875 is high considering the middle pass and leaps.
Copperwheat (Pitt): Switch leap to split jump, nice extension. Side somi with a back wave. Bhs loso, rock solid. Full turn with another barely there shoulder adjustment. Side aerial, lovely. RO back 1.5 with a minor hop. Clutch finish from the Brit.
Oh no! Copperwheat’s hair got hooked in Macpherson’s earring during the hug. Can we delay the start of Negrete’s routine? I need to know how this ends!
Negrete (NCSU): Massive double pike, super pretty in the air, but a moderate slide back. Fhs front full to front lay to Arabesque, awesome. Tour jete half to tour jete was good, I think? Couldn’t actually see everything in frame. And another big double tuck to finish.
Thank god, Copperwheat and Macpherson have been successfully separated. Appreciate the camera crew for capturing that footage and providing a slo-mo replay.
After 3: NC State 147.675, Pitt 145.900
Beam continues to be a bugaboo for the Panthers. The components are all there, it’s just a matter of putting them all together at the same time.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack had things to take here and there, but cruised easily through rotation three with no major errors.
Rotation 4: Pitt FX, NC State BB
Adler (NCSU): Bhs loso with soft knees and a slight waver. Great full turn. Switch leap to switch side with a swim. Side aerial, good. Cat leap to switch side, KJC gives it her seal of approval. Side gainer full, stuck. Excellent start for the Pack. 9.775
Ward (Pitt): I love how dramatic Ward’s opening choreo is. I’ve said it for years, Alina Cartwright is the most underrated choreographer in NCAA gymnastics! FLOATY front full to front lay. Cartwheel side aerial. SSwitch leap to tour jete to wolf full, good amplitude but lost a little position on the latter. Fhs Rudi with a slide back, but clean in the air. Very nicely done. 9.825
Jennings (NCSU): Full turn, fine. Bhs bhs loso, nope. Lost her line on the second bhs, too bad. Switch leap to tuck 3/4, a little slow on the connection, but steady. Side aerial, nice. Side gainer full, good. 9.000
Duke (Pitt): Tidy RO bhs double tuck with a front foot lift to open. Switch ring to split full, didn’t quite get the split full all the way around. RO bhs back 1.5 to front lay, fantastic! 9.825
Harper (NCSU): Don’t know whether or not Harper chose Bye Bye Bye for her beam song, but I approve. beat jump to split 3/4 with chest forward, but steady. Bhs loso, no problems. Cat leap to switch side, good height. Full turn with a minor shoulder dip. Front toss, perfect. Aggressive tucked front full with a hop forward. Awesome reset routine from the freshman. 9.850
Larson (Pitt): Underrotated her double tuck and had to step forward. Too bad, it was a beauty in the air! Switch side to Popa, great position and height. Super secure on her front lay to front full. I’m always a sucker for a Simone butt bounce. 9.775
Ortega (NCSU): Standing split. Full turn in L, excellent. Bhs Onodi with a substantial hip check. Switch leap to split jump to beat, good. Front walkover with another little break. Switch leap to piked gainer, stuck. To quote KJC, “That is a refreshing routine composition.” 9.800 is high for me given the breaks, but I’m fine giving her a bonus tenth for creativity.
Copperwheat (Pitt): Fabulous front tuck through to double pike, no issues there. Switch full to wolf full to wolf full, very precise. Side somi, check. RO bhs double tuck with a little scoot back. Awesome routine!
Shepard (NCSU): Straddle mount. Loses it a bit on her L turn, but works through it. Switch leap to switch side, gorgeous positions on both. Bhs loso with a slight waver, but so extended throughout. Side aerial to a shoulder shimmy, good. Beat jump to switch half with a hip check, again works through it. Side aerial to back 1.5 with a tiny, tiny hop forward. 9.825 is also a little high.
Bedminster (Pitt): RO bhs HUGE double tuck, stuck. Switch side to a Shushunova, love it! RO back 1.5 to front lay, great form but didn’t get a ton of rise on the lay. Popa series, well done. Maybe the best floor routine of the day so far. 9.900.
Negrete (NCSU): Slow, steady full turn. Front aerial to bhs, so smooth. Cat leap to switch half to beat jump, slight hesitation and foot correction before the beat. Split jump down to her low beam choreo. Chin check, nice. RO back double full, stuck with a little trunk correction. The Wolfpack will drop the fall and have a very strong road score in the bank. 9.900
Ewing (Pitt): RO back 1.5 to front lay, love the rise on both skills. Tour jete half to wolf full, lost some precision on the second but nothing major. Fantastic RO bhs double tuck to finish. 9.875
FINAL: NC State 196.850, Pitt 195.200
VT: Ashley Knight (NCSU) 9.875
UB: Emily Shepard (NCSU) 9.950
BB: Chloe Negrete (NCSU) 9.900
FX: Jah’Liyah Bedminster (Pitt) 9.900
AA: Emily Shepard (NCSU) 39.500
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Live blog by Claire Billman
