No. 19 NC State gymnastics won its eighth conference championship on Saturday night, posting its highest road score in program history as it claimed the first ACC Championship since 1984.
The Pack fired the second-highest score of the
Kim Landrus era and its third highest in program history during the monumental meet, tabbing a 197.550 in what is also the program's highest score ever in a postseason meet.
Clemson ended the evening in second place at 196.425, while Pitt and North Carolina ended the evening in a tie for third place at 196.300.
NC State won a whopping four individual ACC titles on top of the team crown, as
Chloe Negrete posted meet-high scores on (9.950) beam and floor (9.975) to become the league's ACC Individual Champion on each event, while
Ashley Knight rung up a 9.900 to claim vault champion honors.
Emily Shepard claimed the all-around crown at 39.500, topping fellow four-event competitors Rebecca Wells of Clemson plus the duo of Gwen Fink and Julia Knower of North Carolina to claim the second all-around title in a conference championship meet of her tenure.
Shepard was also named the ACC Gymnast of the Year, becoming the first gymnast in NC State history to win three Gymnast of the Year awards in her career. Shepard was joined in the league's season-long awards by Negrete, who was awarded the selection of ACC Specialist of the Year.
Vault (49.150)Entering the evening as the top seed, NC State opened its night with a 49.150 on the vault led by Knight's 9.900. Vault was the first of four rotations where the Wolfpack only counted scores of 9.800 or higher, with its first three scores coming as a trio of 9.800 marks from
Krista Zultevicz,
Alexis Ortega and
Meg Adler. A 9.850 in the anchor position from Negrete rounded out the first rotation for the Pack, resulting in both Knight and Negrete earning All-Championship honors on vault.
Bars (49.400)NC State moved into first place after a stellar performance on bars, beginning the trend improving on each event it competed in. The Wolfpack registered three scores of 9.9+, highlighted by Shepard's 9.925 that landed the fifth-year senior in a tie for second place and All-Championship honors. Ortega and freshman
Katie Harper each earned All-Championship honors of their own at 9.900, while a 9.875 from
Madeline Reid in the first postseason routine of her career on top of a leadoff 9.800 from bars specialist
Kailee Adomaites kept the momentum moving for the Wolfpack.
Beam (49.450)The Pack continued to separate itself from the field during its third rotation on the balance beam, headlined by Negrete's 9.950 to claim the conference crown and tab All-Championship honors. Negrete was joined on the All-Conference beam team by Shepard and beam specialist
Macy Jennings, with the duo each marking a 9.900. Adler and Ortega tabbed a pair 9.850 tallies, sending the Wolfpack to floor in first place.
Floor (49.550)NC State's championship performance came to a close on floor, with four Wolfpack gymnasts reaching All-Championship accolades. Negrete led the way with a meet-high 9.975 that matched her personal best, while Shepard tied her career high as well at 9.950. Knight recorded her second 9.900 of the night in her hometown, with that score met by
Katya Edwards from the leadoff position. Negrete, Shepard, Knight and Edwards each received an All-Championship selection on floor as a result of the Wolfpack posted its season-high floor total, with the team's 49.550 completed by a 9.825 from
Maddie Hall.
Up Next19th-ranked NC State will learn its NCAA Championship fate at noon on Monday, Mar. 25, as the NCAA Selection Show will air on NCAA.com. The Pack will be sent to either Arkansas, Cal, Florida or Michigan for a four-team quad meet in the first round of the Championships.
https://gopack.com/news/2024/3/23/womens-gymnastics-no-19-nc-state-wins-2024-acc-gymnastics-championship