University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
William & Mary
UNC Clinches Last Home Win for Seniors
February 25, 2017 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C – The University of North Carolina gymnastics team closed out its home competition schedule with a victory over William & Mary, 195.625 – 191.250. After having the third-best performance of the season, the Tar Heels extended their streak of scoring at least 195.000 to four consecutive meets.
“One of their goals is to push that 196 range and we had some performances tonight that were some of the best performances of their careers,” said UNC head coach Derek Galvin. “As a team, we recognize if we add half of a tenth of a point here or there, we can be a 196 team. I'm just proud of the way they stayed composed. We made a few little mistakes, but they adapted right away. Nobody panicked.”
North Carolina started the competition on vault and finished the rotation with a score of 48.900. Kaitlynn Hedelund and Madison Nettles each tied their individual season-bests with vault scores of 9.850 and 9.825, respectively, earning first and second place on the apparatus. Mikayla Robinson finished in ninth place and also tied her career record with a season-best score of 9.700.
The Tar Heels looked strong in the second rotation on the uneven bars, with scores no less than 9.700 contributing to the 48.925 overall. All five gymnasts' scores earned spots in the top five on bars.
Shattering her career-best score, Madison Nettles stuck the landing to earn first place in the uneven bars competition with a top score of 9.875. Emma Marchese and Morgan Lane tied for second place with scores of 9.800, while Kaitlynn Hedelund's score of 9.750 earned her fourth-place. In another Tar Heel tie, Mekyllah Williams and Grace Donaghy scored 9.700 for their performances on bars.
On beam, North Carolina again took home the event's top five scores with an overall score of 48.950. Khazia Hislop (9.875), Emma Marchese (9.850), Morgan Lane (9.825), Kaitlynn Hedelund (9.800), and Grace Donaghy (9.650) swept the event's competition with their performances in the third rotation.
UNC ended the competition on floor, scoring a 48.800 in the meet's final rotation. Led by Morgan Lane who took home first place with a score of 9.900, the Tar Heels earned the top three scores. Khazia Hislop took second place for her score of 9.850, and Mikayla Robinson snagged third with 9.800 on floor exercise. Additionally, Madison Nettles tied for sixth place with William & Mary's Taylor White with a score of 9.650 and Emma Marchese placed eighth in the event with a 9.600.
Morgan Lane finished first in the all-around competition with a score of 39.300, making this her third straight week earning at least 39.300 in the all-around. Her performance tonight included a fourth-place finish on vault with 9.775, a second-place tie on bars with 9.800, a third-place title on beam with 9.825, and a solo first-place score of 9.900 on floor. Teammate Madison Nettles also finished out the all-around with a score of 38.800 to earn second place with scores of 9.825 (vault), 9.875 (bars), 9.450 (beam), and 9.650 (floor).
Even though the Heels secured another win, tonight's meet was bittersweet as the team recognized the efforts of two impactful seniors. Christina Pheil wrapped up her career in Carmichael Arena with performances on vault and floor. Just one week after setting new career best on vault, Pheil tied that same high score to earn fifth place with a score of 9.750.
When asked to describe the leadership from his only competitive senior gymnast, Galvin said, “Christina [Pheil] has such a big, caring heart. She is one of the most loving, positive people I have ever met. No matter what the situation is, she'll find the silver lining.” He continued, “She has consistently been an encourager for everybody on the team. She seeks people out and when she sees someone who looks like they're having a rough time, she will go over and talk to them. Some of the girls, before competing on beam, like to have her come over and just calm them. She really is the team mom. It will be interesting to see who steps into that roll next year.”
Ashley Landry also finished out her three years with Carolina gymnastics this evening. Though injury kept her from competition, Galvin explained how crucial she was to the team's operations. He remarked, “Ashley [Landry] has done so much for us behind the scenes. She takes care of things that I used to really fret about before meets since there are so many things that go into an event like planning and administrative stuff. Ashley has been a huge part of that. I'm really worried for next year because I won't have her.”
After all of the emotions and nostalgia brought up in tonight's meet, the North Carolina gymnastics team looks forward to the rest of competition season.
UP NEXT
After a taking a short break from competition, UNC will once again face William & Mary at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4. This time, however, the Tar Heels will travel to Williamsburg, Va., where they hope to break the long-coveted 196.000 mark.
Players Mentioned
