The NC State gymnastics team heads to Athens, Georgia for the NCAA Regional Championship on Thursday at 3 p.m.
The No. 31 Wolfpack’s first opponent will be No. 34 New Hampshire in order to move forward in the tournament to the second round, which currently consists of No. 1 Oklahoma and California and Maryland, who are tied at No. 16.
Earlier this season, the Wolfpack competed against the New Hampshire Wildcats during a quad-meet that also included Rutgers and Brown. The Pack came in second with a score of 195.850 to the Wildcats’ first-place score of 196.000.
Although the Wildcats placed first, the Wolfpack outperformed them on the vault (48.900-48.875) and bars (49.100-48.775).
The Wolfpack faced a similar fate during the EAGL Championship. With a finishing score of 195.275, the Pack placed third. Once again on their home turf, the Wildcats placed first with a final score of 195.950.
Last season, the Wolfpack placed third in the NCAA Regional Championship, scoring 196.050, which was the highest score the Pack has achieved at regionals in program history. Junior Drew Grantham placed tenth all-around (39.200) and helped to lead the Pack to this achievement. Grantham scored 9.850 on the vault to finish eighth and 9.775 on the beam.
Seniors Paris and Alexa Phillips scored 9.825 and 9.800, respectively, on the vault. Teammates senior Maggie Tamburro and sophomore Lauren Kent tied on the bars with a score of 9.800.
The Wolfpack has a tough challenge ahead in order to make it to the second round. This year, the Wildcats have consistently proven to be a high-performing team, but they may not fare as well in regionals without their home advantage.
