Carolina Gymnastics Signs Three for 2021

CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina gymnastics program has officially announced the signing of three National Letters of Intent from Lali Dekanoidze, Julia Knower, and Isabelle Schaefer.

"We are thrilled to bring in such a talented and motivated class," Interim Head Coach Marie Denick said. "With the addition of Lali, Julia, and Isabelle, we are going to be able to continue building our team culture and bring Carolina Gymnastics to the next level of competition."

Dekanoidze is a North Carolina native, currently residing in Matthews. She is homeschooled and trains at Southeastern Gymnastics where she is coached by her mother, Sofia Managadaze, along with Ludmilla Shobe, Galina Meliakina, and Vladimir Taran. She is a four-time Nastia Liukin Cup Qualifier (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020), and placed among the top-5 in the all-around in each appearance. She also made three consecutive appearances at the Junior Olympic National Championships, including a first place finish in the all-around in 2018.

"Lali brings a high level of difficulty on all 4 events," Denick said. "She has grown up in North Carolina and has been a UNC fan for a long time, so we are excited to bring that distinctive passion for being a Tar Heel to our team. Lali was also club teammates with Hallie Thompson for many years, so she understands the culture and tradition of Carolina Gymnastics and is excited about becoming a Tar Heel."

Knower is joining the Tar Heels from Mandeville, LA where she attends Archbishop Hannan High School. She currently trains at North Shore Gymnastics under James Guidry, Nataliya Goldberg, and Lori Ballard. Knower is a 3-time Junior Olympic National Championship Qualifier (2017, 2018, 2019), as well as the 2019 Level 10 Regional Beam Champion and 2018 Louisiana State Vault Champion.

"Not only will Julia contribute to the team with her powerful and confident gymnastics, but she will also bring a big personality and strong leadership qualities," Denick said. "She holds herself to high academic standards and has an interest in journalism, so we are excited to see her excel both academically and on the competition floor."

Isabelle Schaefer completes the 2021 class as the third Tar Heel signee. Residing in Charlotte, N.C., she attends high school at Cannon School and trains at Everest Gymnastics under Qi Han, Yiwen Chen, BiYu Sun, and Nikolai Cherchen. Schaefer will be reuniting with two former Everest teammates, Shaylin St. Brice and Julianna Weil when she arrives on campus. Isabelle qualified to the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2020 and made appearances at the Junior Olympic National Championships in 2017 and 2018. She also holds titles as the 2017 Regional Beam Champion and the 2018 Regional Bar Champion.

"Isabelle also comes from North Carolina and grew up coming to watch gymnastics meets in Carmichael Arena. We have a long-standing history with Everest Gymnastics, so we are excited about continuing to build this relationship. Isabelle's talent and clean gymnastics will be a great addition to our program," Denick said.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Hallie Thompson

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