NC State gymnastics made history last season. Not only did the team place first in the EAGL Championships for the first time since 2013, but it also went on to the NCAA Regionals to place third with its highest score in program history of 196.050.
Starting this season, the Wolfpack started off a little slow against Michigan State with a low score of 193.750. Since then, the Pack has picked itself up, having most recently scored a high of 196.400 against Pittsburgh. The Pack has begun to look like the successful team it was last season.
“I think it’s just sticking to the plan,” head coach Kim Landrus said. “Yes, we were conference champions last year, and we placed third at regionals … but I think what really got us to be successful is just creating a plan, sticking to the system and having [them] buy in. This year is just a continuation of all the girls that are returning and the new ones coming in, buying in and following the plan. And I think that when you follow the recipe for success then the results will follow. You just have to stick to the plan even if it has hills and valleys.”
Freshman Meredith Robinson has high hopes for the Wolfpack this season as well.
“It’s very exciting,” Robinson said. “I hope that we have a similar season and keep building off of that and not settling for last year’s success and keep pushing forward.”
Sophomore Nicole Webb echoed Robinson’s statement.
“I really think that we’re taking big strides already throughout the season,” Webb said. “We’re fine tuning the small details and hope to win our EAGL championship, make it to regionals and strive for that national title.”
Robinson has had a successful start to her college career. Claiming EAGL Rookie of the Week in the first week of the season along with a first-place podium finish, Robinson has earned herself a spot amongst the Pack. Robinson finished second on the bars against UNC-Chapel Hill with a career high of 9.800 and recently tied that score at home against Pitt. Robinson believes that attention to detail is the key to scoring high.
“Definitely the details, the landings, and the little things,” Robinson said. “They really make a difference.”
Senior Alexa Phillips agreed that the little details are key. Phillips has yet to reach her career highs this season, holding a score of 9.900 on both vault and floor previously.
Phillips did reach season highs, however, while facing off against Pitt. She placed second on floor and vault with a score of 9.875 and 9.850, respectively.
“We definitely push ourselves forward by focusing in on the details, because that’s definitely what judges look for,” Phillips said. “We try to do everything we can to focus on the little details and the big picture is even better.”
Alexa Phillips currently has 25 podium finishes in her career, five of which are from the current season.
“I think that every meet is a new meet,” Landrus said. “And we’re in an interesting sport where score is everything. It’s always about the details. I think that always focusing on the details, knowing that every day we can get one day better, and if we attack every practice and every competition … and work together as a team, then the success will come.”
Not every meet has turned out in the Wolfpack’s favor. But whether it be the Pack’s losses against Ohio State and LSU or whether it’s scoring low in a particular event, the down moments are used to improve as well.
“We try to improve off of it,” Webb said. “Try and take it with a grain of salt and keep moving. Don’t dwell on it too much, because it’s a great feeling, but you still have to get better and better. There are so many things that you can always fix. You might hit a great routine, your personal best, but you still have a lot more to improve on.”
Phillips echoed Webb’s statement.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Phillips said. “But if you just you know you have to focus on each event one at a time. You can’t carry over if you had a bad day or an amazing day. You just have to do each event one at a time and focus on it.”
Webb has two podium finishes. One of them was a first-place finish on the beams against UNC-Chapel Hill with her career high of 9.875. She recently reached a career high on the floor against LSU with a score 9.750.
“At the beginning of the year we had a retreat and our goals remained the same,” Landrus said. “We want to be conference champions, and we want a first round bye in regionals. So as we look into almost the middle of the season, we’re just going to continue to grow off each meet. And I think growth is such a great word, because this team has so much growth. Every day in the gym we see that fire, and it’s a building process, and I think that as we continue on season you’ll see this team continue to build so that we’re at our peak in March and April.”
Phillips is in her final season with the Wolfpack, and the growth of the program is something in which she has played a part. Her expectations for the future of the program are high.
“For this program I hope it just continues to get better and better each year,” Phillips said. “We’re definitely growing each year and each tournament we take. I think building up more and more we could be a top-15 team easily.”
