North Carolina hosts N.C. State in an exciting in-state rivalry, with less than one-tenth separating the Wolf Pack and the Tar Heels in the rankings. Both teams have similar averages, and N.C. State holds a slight advantage with a higher season score. Each team is aiming to break into the 196 range tonight, and bars will be a pivotal event for both.
North Carolina will look to all-arounder Julia Knower and standout Lali Dekanoidze on bars and beam to lead the charge. For N.C. State, Chloe Negrete and Ashley Knight will anchor a strong floor lineup. This meet promises to be a tight, back-and-forth battle right down to the final routine!
Rotation 1: North Carolina VT, N.C. State UB
N. King (VT): Yurchenko full, nice distance. Slight pike down and a hop back. 9.725
Adomaites (UB): Handstand, Maloney, Pak, nice leg position. Stalder, double tuck, stuck. Horrible angle to see handstand positions, good start. 9.875!
E. King (VT): Yuchenko full, hop back, small pike down. 9.750
Childs (UB): Good handstand, straddled Jaeger, overshoot. Double tuck with a hop. 9.800
Knower (VT): Yurchenko full, great block, hop back. 9.775
Myers (UB): Good handstand, Maloney, Bail, small leg break. Good handstand, late giant full, double tuck small hop 9.800
Valahovic (VT): Stuck Yurchenko 1.5, tiny lean back, nice form. Huge vault for North Carolina! 9.875
Volk (UB): Good handstand, almost arches over a toe on. Ray to overshoot, small form break. Stuck double layout.
Forbes (VT): Nice Yurchenko full, huge amplitude. Hop back. 9.750
Hadrick (UB): Straddled Jaeger, overshoot. Archy handstand on highbar, hop on the dismount. 9.775
Dekanoidze (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back 9.825
Harper (UB): Good handstand, Geinger, leg separation and arm bend. Bail is fine. Another great handstand, double layout leg separation and a hop.
After 1: N.C. State 49.000 North Carolina 48.975
Nice first rotation with both team having season highs! N.C. State has a quarter tenth lead, so this matchup is living up to expectation so far. North Carolina will be happy with the dynamics on those vaults, but would have wanted another stick besides Valahovic’s. N.C. State started strong on bars, but lost a tenth or two to dismount hops. On to rotation 2!
Rotation 2: N.C. State VT, North Carolina UB
Adler (VT): Nice Yurchenko full, hop back.
Knower (UB): Good handstand, Geinger , leg separation . Bail with a huge arch. Full in with a hop.
Wright (VT): Yurchenko full, stuck, slight chest position.
N. King (UB): Maloney, Pak, big leg separation. Stalder double tuck with a step.
Negrete (VT): Yurcheko full, good distance with a hop.
Forbes (UB): Maloney, Bail, handstands are fine. Full in with a big step.
Hall (VT): Yurchenko full, piked down with a big hop.
Fink (UB): Good handstand, straddled Jaeger. Nice handstand, Bail. Final handstand is fine, double layout with a big leg separation and a small hop.
Thomas (VT): Yurchenko full, hop back
Schaefer (UB): Good handstand, Jaeger is clean, nice catch with straight arms. Bail is solid. Stuck full in, nice set.
Knight (VT): Front hand pike half, great amplitude and chest position, hop back and a step.
Dekanoidze (UB): Great handstand, Maloney, Bail is pristine. Stuck double layout. Amazing. 9.975!!
After 2: North Carolina 98.275, N.C. State 98.100
A huge bars rotation for North Carolina capped off by Dekanoidze’s near perfect set gives the Tar Hells almost a two tenth leads. The Wolf Pack was solid on vault, but could have benefited from another stick. On to to beam and floor.
Rotation 3: North Carolina BB, N.C. State FX
Naranjo (BB): Full turn, tiny check. Front aerial, loso, leg up check. Switch half, wolf jump, beat jump, nice positions. Bhs, 1.5 dismount, stuck. Great after the wobble. 9.750
Adler (FX): Rudi, straddle jump, nice twisting form. Switch 3/4 (?), straddle jump, a bit confused on where the first leap was supposed to land. Bhs, loso. Front full, front lay, bit of an arch, but solid overall. 9.800
Valahovic (BB): Bhs, loso, big wobble, drops her chest. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, nice. Another wobble on choreo, 1.5 with a hop. 9.650, North Carolina needs a few big routines now.
Hadrick (FX): Front layout, rudi, nicely done. Leaps are okay. Last pass was back 1.5 to punch front, probably a start value issue.
Schulze (BB): Bhs, loso, nice extension. Switch leap, split jump quarter, nice. Side aerial is sharp. Small check on full turn. Bhs, gainer full with a hop. Good one, 9.750
Zultevicz (FX):
Fink (BB):
Thomas (FX):
Knower (BB):
Knight (FX):
McBride (BB):
Negrete (FX):
After 3:
Rotation 4: N.C. State BB, North Carolina FX
Adler (BB):
Naranjo (FX):
Hall (BB):
Valahovic (FX):
Thomas (BB):
Fink (FX):
Childs (BB):
Forbes (FX):
Harper (BB):
Knower (FX):
Negrete (BB):
Miller (FX):
FINAL:
VT: Jojo Valahovic 9.875
UB: Lali Dekanoidze 9.975
BB:
FX:
AA:
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 3
Live blog by Rebecca Williams
