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Junior gymnast Jess Panza jumps to the high bar during the Wolfpack's exhibition against Oklahoma. Panza scored a 9.775 on the bars. N.C. State fell to the Sooners, 196.175-195.150.
The No.10-ranked N.C State gymnastics team will head into tonight’s meet against West Virginia brimming with confidence following a school-record performance against Oklahoma last week where the team fell, 196.175-195.150. Despite the performance ending in defeat for the Pack, coach Mark Stevenson was pleased with his team’s performance.
“It was the highest score we’ve ever had in an opening meet,” Stevenson said. “We had a no-fall meet, and anytime you have that you’re going to score well.”
The Pack’s score on Friday represented the second-highest at a home-opener, trailing only the 2008 performance versus Auburn where the team finished with a score of 195.375. The performance against Oklahoma also earned the team a spot in the top-10 of the national rankings, as well as third in the Southeast region, trailing only Florida and Georgia.
However, No.18 West Virginia, the second-highest ranked team in the EAGL conference following the Pack, will provide a stern test for Stevenson’s team. The Mountaineers (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season at Georgia on Monday, but will be looking to bounce back against State at Reynolds Coliseum.
Sophomore Rachel Fincham, All-EAGL first team in 2010, will be looking for the team to remain focused and not get carried away with the impressive start to the 2011 season.
“It was a no-fall but that doesn’t mean it was perfect. There were wobbles and poor landings, but these are things we can easily fix,” Fincham said. “One thing we have been talking about is not to let how well we did last week let us get complacent. Individual confidence and form issues can definitely be improved upon.”
Fincham was also quick to squash any suggestions that the young Pack team will be overwhelmed by its No.10-ranking.
“I don’t think it brings extra pressure because consistently, last year we were ranked first in the EAGL conference,” Fincham said. “It’s just more of an extra motivation to keep doing what we have been doing, and improve.”
The meet against the Mountaineers will be the first opportunity to survey EAGL opposition before the conference championships at George Washington on March 19th. Leading that charge toward the championships will be freshman Stephanie Ouellette, who was impressive in her collegiate debut in the narrow loss to the Sooners with scores of 9.85 on the floor and 9.775 on the bars. Last Friday also marked the debut of Diahanna Ham, who led the team with a vault of 9.800, good for second-place at the meet.
“Stephanie and Diahanna both did exactly what we expected them to do,” Stevenson said. “They performed just how we expected them to from practice, but they put on a little more of a show. I thought they made the biggest impact as freshmen that we’ve had in a while. I’m extremely proud of the kids because of the way they worked.”
Ouellette is ranked No.3 all-round in the EAGL conference, but the Pack will also rely on experienced performers in senior Brittany Vontz and juniors Brooke Barr and Jess Panza to make a difference against the Mountaineers. Such a blend of rookie and veteran talent has worked well for Stevenson’s team so far in 2011. The continuation of such form will also put the Pack in a strong position in its aim to earn a spot in the 2011 NCAA National Championships held April 14-16 in Cleveland, Ohio.