After falling to Clemson in a quad meet earlier in the season, No. 19 NC State gymnastics got revenge with a narrow 196.050-195.950 victory over the Tigers Friday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Wolfpack won three of the four events but never had a margin of victory over .15 points, resulting in a tightly contested meet.
NC State started on the vault and for the third week in a row, sophomore Ashley Knight took home first place in the event. Knight scored a 9.850 after being named the ACC Specialist of the Week for the second time this season for her 9.900 performance on the vault last week against Pittsburgh. Knight is the main reason why the Wolfpack is ranked top 25 on the vault in the country.
Junior Meg Adler led off on the vault and tied her season-high score of 9.800 to place fourth. In her fourth appearance of the season, sophomore Lauren Wright matched Adler’s 9.800, tying her career high.
On the bars, the Wolfpack just edged by the Tigers 49.075-49.000 thanks to sophomore Katie Harper matching her season best and freshman Ava Myers tying her career high. Harper took first with a score of 9.900 while Myers finished right behind Harper with a 9.850.
It was on the floor where the Pack had its highest score of the night. The floor is the Wolfpack’s best event as it ranks 17th in the country and it validated that ranking against the Tigers with three gymnasts finishing in the top four. Graduate Chloe Negrete tied her season high with a score of 9.925 to tie for first with Clemson’s Brie Clark. Knight placed third with a 9.875 while Adler tied her season best of 9.850 to place fourth.
In the only event the Wolfpack lost on the night, the Tigers bested the Pack on the beam by a score of 48.975-48.800. Clemson took first and second in the event but Negrete placed third with a 9.850 for her second podium of the night. NC State ranks higher on the beam than Clemson but the Tigers had two gymnasts set a season best and career high.
After a shaky start to the season where the Wolfpack placed last in a quad meet and took losses to Stanford and California, NC State seems to have found a rhythm with consecutive wins over Pittsburgh and Clemson.
Up next, the Wolfpack will host the No. 22 ranked Tar Heels. NC State has already defeated UNC-Chapel Hill this season as it will go for the season sweep next Friday in its annual Red Out meet. The meet is set to start at 7 p.m.
