ACC Gymnastics Week 2 Preview: Clemson has entered the chat

Heading into week two of ACC gymnastics action, Pitt, North Carolina, and NC State all look to build off of the highs and lows of their week one performances. Each team only surpassed the 49 mark on one event during opening week.

And there’s the premiere… All eyes will be on Littlejohn Coliseum to see how the competition stacks up as Clemson makes its program debut on Friday. 

Clemson

The wait is over. Clemson will have it’s inaugural meet in front of a home crowd on Friday at 7 p.m. ET against William & Mary. Watch it on ACC Network Extra (live stats here).

Don’t expect first-year jitters from head coach Amy Smith, who has set the bar high for the Tigers.

“My ultimate goal has always been to bring a national championship to a program where it has never been done before,” Smith said in a trailer for Clemson’s six-part docuseries called “Building Legends.” You can watch the first episode here ($).

North Carolina

North Carolina will battle it out on Friday against Arizona, No. 16 Nebraska, and Boise State at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah. The meet starts at 9 p.m. and will be on ACC Network (live stats here).

Last week, the Tar Heels scored over 49 on vault but struggled on beam and with depth on floor. Head coach Danna Durante says her squad is ready for week two: “We’re really excited to be competing in the Maverick Center and for our team to be stronger, better, cleaner, and more consistent as we go into Friday.”

Durante is also looking forward to the added exposure from the meet: “We’re excited to see teams we haven’t faced before and to compete on podium. It’s a tremendous opportunity for exposure and experience for us as we look to ACC Championships.” 

One to watch:

• Lali Dekanoidze was named the first-ever ACC Gymnast of the Week this week after sharing the vault title (9.925) in UNC’s opener against Ball State, Rutgers, and Utah State.

History: 

• Last matchup against Arizona was in Round 1 of the 2023 NCAA tournament, when the Tar Heels fell short, 196.050-194.600.

Pitt 

Pitt opens its home slate on Saturday against Kent State at 4 p.m. ET in the Fitzgerald Field House. You can watch it on ACC Network Extra (live stats here).

Last week, Pitt surpassed the 49 mark on bars after multiple falls on beam early in the meet. Head coach Casey Jo MacPherson is encouraged by the team’s depth and new routines that are close to being competition ready.

“Our lineups will continue to change and evolve over the course of the season, including getting Reyna Garvey and Hallie Copperwheat back in the coming weeks,” MacPherson said. “And looking ahead, specifically on beam, we’ll be focusing on consistency of execution and applying those things into lineup settings for this weekend’s meet.”

One to watch:

• Emily Todd wasa named the first-ever ACC Newcomer of the Week after contributing on three events in her first collegiate meet, including a 9.8 on bars.

History:

• In their last matchup against Kent State, the Golden Flashes won, 194.600-191.600.

NC State

NC State will also be traveling to West Valley City, Utah, to compete in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, where they’ll face No. 6 Cal, No. 14 Michigan State, and No. 19 BYU. The Wolfpack are set to compete on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET, and you can watch the meet on ACC Network (live stats here).

Last week, the Wolfpack was able to get over a 49 on vault but struggled on beam with multiple falls. Head coach Kim Landrus is optimistic that the team will “hit reset” heading into week two: “I definitely saw some nerves and mistakes in last week’s away meet in Athens that I don’t see in practice. I think it’s a good lesson to learn early in the season that we just have to transfer whatever we do in Raleigh to wherever we’re competing.” 

Ones to watch:

• Chloe Negrete won the vault (9.875) and beam (9.9) titles against Georgia.
• Emily Shepard won the floor title (9.85).

History: 

• NC State faced Michigan State last January in a close matchup, but MSU edged the Wolfpack 196.400-196.375.
• NC State last faced BYU in 2013, with the meet ending in a tie of 195.500.