2021 was a year of many firsts for NC State gymnastics. Not only did the Wolfpack advance to a regional final for the first time in school history, but the program sent a gymnast to compete for an individual title for the first time since 2015: sophomore Emily Shepard. 

Rotating with the Utah Utes, who qualified for the NCAA Finals after finishing in second place in Semifinal II, Shepard competed in the floor exercise after scoring a 9.925 in the second round. In the semifinal, Shepard posted a 9.8875, putting her in a four-way tie for 19th in the meet, which finished just shy of a 17th 9.9 score that would have placed her in third place for most career 9.9 scores in Wolfpack history. The floor exercise finished in a three-way tie between Oklahoma’s Anastasia Webb, Alabama’s Lexi Graber and Utah’s Maile O’Keefe, who all scored a 9.9625.

The NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Final in Fort Worth, Texas will be contested between Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, and Florida, the last of whom advanced along with NC State past its second round group.