No. 22 NC State gymnastics (1-4, 0-1 ACC) lost 197.025-195.925 to undefeated No. 15 Stanford (4-0, 1-0 ACC) in its first ACC matchup of the young season on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Maples Pavilion in California. Despite the loss, sophomores Elle Hadrick and Ashley Knight and freshman Syniya Thomas turned in standout performances on the vault, floor and bars, respectively. The Wolfpack’s team score of 195.925 was its highest of the season.
The Cardinal bested the Wolfpack in every category, but NC State put up its best fight in the vault, where Stanford outscored the visitors by just a tenth of a point. Knight’s career-high score of 9.925 was the highest vault score of the night, and she was the only NC State athlete to secure first place in an event.
Two Stanford gymnasts joined Knight on the podium while NC State’s sophomore Maddie Hall and two more Stanford athletes came in a three-way tie for fourth place with a score of 9.800. The Pack posted a team score of 49.000 in the vault, just short of the Cardinal’s 49.100.
NC State’s highest team score of the night was a mark of 49.225 on the floor. Thomas and graduate student Chloe Negrete led the red-and-white in this event, tying for third place with a score of 9.900. Negrete was recently honored as the ACC Specialist of the Week for her performance at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in Oklahoma last week, where she scored a 9.800 or better in every event.
Hadrick and sophomore Katie Harper led the way for the Wolfpack on the uneven bars, landing in a three-way tie for second place with a score of 9.850, a career-best for Hadrick. The Pack totalled 48.900 in the event while the Cardinal posted a mark of 49.175.
NC State’s lowest score came on the balance beam where it scored 48.800 compared to Stanford’s 49.375. The Cardinal took all three podium spots while Negrete finished fourth with a 9.850 and Harper tied for fifth with a score of 9.825.
With the loss, the No. 21 Pack continues to struggle away from Reynolds Coliseum, moving to 0-4 in away contests this season. The red-and-white will have another chance to prove itself in an away ACC matchup against No. 23 UNC-Chapel Hill on Friday. The storied rivals will kick off competition at 7 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.
