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. 9.675,
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
Longgg delay on floor, head judge has a comically large binder and is yelling “there’s no UTL” to someone, unclear who.
Zultevicz (FX): Back 2.5, punch front, step forward is a little crooked but twisting form looked nice. Tour jete half, wolf full, fine. Full twisting split jump, wolf full, landing positions not as precise. Double tuck, very cowboyed but decent chest position. 9.825
Fink (BB): Switch leap, switch leap, bad angle to see splits, but seemed okay. Bhs, loso, loso, a little tentative with the arm position, finessed it well. Full turn. Bhs, gainer full, tiniest foot movement. 9.850, nice
Thomas (FX): Clean double pike, great height and feet together. Switch side, Popa. Front lay, Rudi, great. Back 1.5, front lay secure. Excellent set. 9.875
Knower (BB): Bhs, loso solid. Switch leap, split half (?), looked like a split quarter that she wobbled around, interested to see what they take because it should be at least a tenth. Front toss, beat jump a little slow in the connection but kept it moving. Back 1.5 with a hop, 9.700
Knight (FX): Front double full, some leg separation. Tour jete half, tour jete half, stag jump, very pretty. Huge straddle jump. Side aerial, love this sequence of choreography on the floor. Rudi, loso nice control. 9.550, 9.700 start value, not exactly sure why
McBride (BB): Big wobble on a full turn. Side aerial, back handspring. Cat leap, switch side, great in the air, another check. Nice front toss. Side aerial back 1.5, off center with a hop. 9.575
Another long floor delay for Knight because the start value issue
Negrete (FX): Huge double pike, excellent control. Gorgeous tour jete. Front full, front lay, not the highest second salto. Love her movement quality. Double tuck, huge and controlled, clutch after Knight’s low score. 9.925!
After 3: N.C. State 147.200 North Carolina 146.975
N.C. State was able to capitalize on North Carolina’s wobbles on beam to take the lead after three. Negrete came up huge in the anchor spot after Knight had a start value issue. This meet is going to come down to the last routine and N.C. State carries just over a two tenth lead to balance beam while North Carolina goes to floor.
Rotation 4: N.C. State BB, North Carolina FX
Adler (BB): Bhs loso and a fall… pressure is on. And my wifi is out and my fire alarm is going off so missed the rest
Naranjo (FX): missed this also but a hit 9.850
Hall (BB): Bhs loso, secure. Cat leap, switch half, missing some split. Front aerial. Gainer full, significant pike in the hips with a hop 9.725
Valahovic (FX): Double pike is good. Front tuck through to double back, step OOB. Tour jete half, tour jete half, nice. 9.750
Thomas (BB): Front aerial, bhs, excellent. Nice presence in this routine. Switch leap, straddle quarter, back leg low on the switch. Split half from side position. Cat leap, side aerial, leap jump, arm waver between the aerial and jump. Gainer full stuck, much needed routine 9.800
Fink (FX): Double pike is clean. Back 2.5 with some leg form and a bit of a lunge. Back 1.5 front lay, has to really work it around with a form break
Childs (BB): Bhs, loso, nice. Switch leap, straddle quarter. Front toss, beat jump. Gainer full, tiny hop. Another solid one 9.725
Forbes (FX): Excellent full in, control is perfect. Front full, front lay. Tour jete half, Popa. Double tuck, controlled step, huge routine. 9.850
Harper (BB): Bhs loso with some bent knees. Leaps are fine. Front toss is secure. Front tuck full, tiniest hop. 9.775
Knower (FX): Huge tucked full in and OOB. Combo pass is fine. Tour jete half, spliut jump full is good. 9.750
Negrete (BB): Front aerial bhs, so smooth. Cat leap, switch half, beat jump. Split jump solo is gorgeous. Stuck double full is amazing, 9.900 that should do it for N.C. State!
Miller (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck is great. Switch ring position is gorgeous. Finishes with a short double pike. Switch ring half is good.
Oh! also just got word on the broad that Knight was bumped on floor from 9.550 to 9.850, huge.
FINAL: N.C. State 196.300, North Carolina 195.925
This ACC matchup lived up to expectations as N.C. State came back from a fall in the lineup spot on beam to defeat North Carolina. Overall a great day for both teams, with Chloe Negrete and Lali Dekanoidze shining in particular.
VT: Jojo Valahovic 9.875
UB: Lali Dekanoidze 9.975
BB: Chloe Negrete 9.900
FX: Chloe Negrete 9.925
AA: Julia Knower 38.900
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams
