University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Heads West to Wrap Up Regular Season at UCLA
March 10, 2017 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina gymnastics team will end its regular season competition in the same way it started as the team faces off against national championship contender in the UCLA Bruins. Since falling short in the season opener against Florida, the Tar Heels have tacked on eleven wins and only two more losses, giving them an overall 11-3 record and an EAGL record of 5-1. North Carolina added the eleventh win last weekend by overcoming William & Mary for the second consecutive weekend, 194.074 – 192.875.
UNC head coach Derek Galvin said his team is looking forward to competing in such a historic facility against such a strong team for multiple reasons. “It's the spring break trip heading out to California. UCLA is regarded as one of the top programs in the nation perennially. They've won multiple national championships and the UCLA team right now is one of the teams that is in contention for the national championship,” he noted.
He continued, “Pauley Pavilion is a fantastic venue to compete in and there's a tremendous amount of history not only for basketball but also for gymnastics. It gives us a fantastic opportunity to step onto a more visible stage in college gymnastics and to show people what this team is capable of doing.”
On a more personal level, the North Carolina gymnastics team is excited to return to one of their coach's alma mater. “Amy Smith was co-captain of the UCLA team when they won their first national championship in 1997. This is the twenty-year anniversary of UCLA winning that first national championship,” Galvin explained. “That is one of the reasons why I wanted to get the team out there, so Amy could be back there during this very special year.”
Galvin hopes to see a sizable crowd of North Carolina alums and Tar Heel fans in the stands out in sunny California. A former UNC wrestler will be in attendance on Sunday, along with his wife, who will be bringing a team from the gymnastics training facility she owns to cheer on the Tar Heels.
With two highly competitive bookend meets to open and end the season, the Tar Heels hoped to showcase their skills and their development over the course of the season. Galvin explained, “Opening the home season with Florida here was big and this closes out our regular season. Those are two teams who are in the position to win a national championship. That was a very intentional scheduling.”
North Carolina has continued to see improvements throughout regular season, especially in the meet against New Hampshire. UNC hopes to use this weekend to possibly reveal some routine elements in the works and to build upon its chances for a strong showing at the EAGL Championships.
Galvin spoke excitedly when he explained what an important opportunity this meet presents. “We want to be competing with those teams to see how we match up and also to gain the visibility. When you compete against those top teams, the more people pay attention to what you're doing,” he said. “I think the more buzz we can create about this team – not just for this year but also for next year – the better.”
WEEK #9: TAR HEELS SWEEP THE TRIBE
North Carolina solidified the sweep against William & Mary, defeating the Tribe in their final of three match-ups this year, 194.075 – 192.875. The Tar Heels won the previous face-offs versus the Tribe with overall results of 195.675 – 193.025 and 195.625 – 191.250.
UNC started off the afternoon on the uneven bars, posting a rotation score of 48.450 to William & Mary's 47.825. Morgan Lane earned first place honors as she tied the Tribe's Olivia O'Connor with a score of 9.775. Grace Donaghy found herself in a tie for fourth place on bars after scoring a 9.700 for her routine. In a three-way tie, Madison Nettles and Christina Pheil received sixth place with scores of 9.675. Additionally, Emma Marchese tallied a 9.625 for UNC.
In the second rotation, North Carolina posted back-to-back career records on vault and also took home the top three places. Making significant contributions to the overall vault score of 48.725, Kaitlynn Hedelund finished off the rotation with a personal best of 9.900 and Madison Nettles earned second place for her career-high score of 9.875. Mikayla Robinson and Alexis Allen clinched third place for the Tar Heels with tying scores of 9.675, while Christina Pheil placed seventh with a score of 9.600.
The Tar Heels again received the top three scores on floor exercise and tallied an overall score of 48.525. Khazia Hislop led the competition with a score of 9.875, making this her seventh straight competition scoring at least 9.850 on floor. In a tie for second, Carolina's Morgan Lane and Lauren Weisel both scored a 9.775. Emma Marchese and Lydia Davis also competed on floor and finished the event with scores of 9.600 and 9.500, respectively.
UNC wrapped up the meet on beam with an overall score of 48.375, earning four of the top five scores. Khazia Hislop extended her streak of scoring at least 9.800 to six consecutive meets and tied William & Mary's Briana Gironda for another first place title with a score of 9.850. Hislop's first-place performances earned her EAGL Rookie of the Week honors on Tuesday.The Tar Heels also took home the next best three scores on beam: Morgan Lane earned a 9.825 for third place, Alexis Allen scored 9.800 for fourth place, and Kaitlynn Hedelund placed fifth with a score of 9.675.
Morgan Lane finished third in the all-around competition behind Briana Gironda and Olivia O'Connor with a score of 38.425. This score brings Lane's streak of 39.000 or better scores to an end at 16 consecutive meets, which is the longest such streak in UNC program history.
Though the team ended its four week streak of scoring at least 195.000, UNC's head Coach Derek Galvin looks forward to the competition at UCLA. He remarked, “Training has gone well this week I think because the team is excited to compete at UCLA. The ingredients are there, but things are looking pretty good right now. I think it's going to be a good meet.”
THE OPPONENT
Ranked third among all of the country's Division I collegiate gymnastics programs, UCLA has proved itself to be a serious competitor for the coveted title of national champion. UCLA has earned overall scores no less than 195.700 and posted a season-best score of 198.125 against Stanford.
The program has won a significant number of recognitions over the course of its history, including eighteen conference champion titles, twenty-one NCAA Regional Championships, and six NCAA National Championships. Though the Bruins' last NCAA Championship title was in 2010, their season-high score of 198.125 ranks third amongst NCAA programs and trails the second-best score (LSU) by a mere .025 and the highest overall score (Oklahoma) this season by 0.225. UNC head coach Derek Galvin and the Carolina gymnastics team look forward to wrapping up the regular season with such a tough competitor.
Players Mentioned
