Sally Tung
Junior gymnast Chelsea Knight flips into the air, showing her flexibility and great balance at a the balance beam event at Reynolds Coliseum on March 18, 2017. Knight receives 9.775 in the vault event, 9.750 in the bars event, 9.775 in the beam event, and 9.875 in the floor event which she won 2nd place in. She also won 3rd place with her all around results of 39.175. The Wolfpack won 3rd place with the score of 194.875 in the meet with George Washington University, University of New Hampshire, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, and Towson University.
Grade: C-
The drop off from the 2016 season to the 2017 season was substantial for the NC State gymnastics team. At the conclusion of the 2016 season, the Pack finished an impressive 15-2 overall while going undefeated in conference play. The success did not translate over to this year as the Wolfpack finished 9-12 with a 2-3 conference record.
Injuries played a huge role in the final record for the Wolfpack this season. For the most part, the Wolfpack didn’t have any devastating losses besides a 5.4-point loss to Southern Utah, which finished the regular season ranked No. 18 in the country. That loss came at a point in the season when the Wolfpack was derailed by injuries to several key gymnasts.
Despite the record, the team had several standouts who performed on high levels individually. Junior Chelsea Knight, sophomore Paris Phillips, senior Amanda Fillard and freshman Melissa Brooker all made the All-EAGL first team in at least one event, with Knight leading the way with three event qualifications.
All four gymnasts for the Wolfpack were also individual qualifiers for the NCAA Regional Championship. Knight qualified as an all-around competitor to represent NC State. Phillips qualified for the vault while Fillard and Brooker qualified for the uneven bars. Additionally, Knight was the EAGL Gymnast of the Week for the weeks of Jan. 11 and March 14.
Despite an injury-filled and somewhat disappointing season as a team, the Wolfpack returns every player except for three graduating seniors, including Fillard, who played a key role in the success of the program.
The Wolfpack returns three of four of its NCAA regional qualifiers and they will be looked upon next season to lead again. Knight will be one of those seniors as she wraps up her Wolfpack career, as she was clearly the best gymnast this season for State. The young NC State team will also add three key recruits to its roster with Kasey Nelson highlighting the 2017 recruiting class. With added depth, health and most of the team coming back, the Wolfpack could have a dominant season next year and regain its prominence from the season before.