The NC State gymnastics team heads into the EAGL Championships at its best national rank since 2012. The event will take place Saturday in Towson, Maryland, at 2 p.m.
The No. 22 team in the country will enter the championship with a team regional qualifying score of 196.300 which was aided by the team’s previous two meets. The Tri-Meet back on March 11 earned the Pack its highest team score this season of 196.800.
It was a meet to remember as the team made history and scored career highs. Notably senior Chelsea Knight set a career high for all-around with a score of 39.550 and a score of 9.925 on the vaults.
The past meet, Towson Meet, saw the Pack’s third-highest score of 196.550, only being topped by the Alumni Meet where the team earned a score of 196.575 back in February.
Last year, the Pack earned a score of 194.875 which earned third place in the EAGL Championships. It’s been five years since the Wolfpack won first place at the EAGL Championships, when it garnered a team score of 195.175.
With an overall record of 18-8 and a conference record of 6-1, the Pack is in good shape for the upcoming competition. Not only does NC State have a strong record, but more importantly, it has scored high scores both as a team and individually.
The Wolfpack outlook is promising this year with gymnasts Knight, sophomore Drew Grantham and junior Caitlyn Fillard who consistently perform well during meets, their individual scores heavily contributing to the team score.
The three gymnasts have been ranked nationally individually as Knight ranked 25 with an individual RQS of 39.400; Grantham’s personal RQS of 39.175 has earned her a ranking of 55, and Fillard is not too far behind with a rank of 64 and an RQS of 39.080. Fillard is the only one who is tied for her spot with freshman Jacey Baldovino from Yale but Fillard has a higher average score.
NC State has also received the honor of hosting the NCAA Regional Championship this year at Reynolds Coliseum. It’s a testament to the great season the team has had and the reason for the high hopes for its upcoming competitions.
With only the top 36 teams making it to the postseason, the Pack is securely in its prospects for qualifying and has a considerable chance of continuing on to the NCAA Championships.
