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Friday, January 7
Chapel Hill
7:00 p.m.
North Carolina
195.70
vs
196.250
Auburn
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Carolina Gymnastics Posts Program Best Season-Opening Score
January 7, 2022 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAPEL HILL – The Carolina gymnastics team opened 2022 with its highest season-opening score in program history, scoring a 195.70 in front of a program-record 4,125 fans in Carmichael Arena. The Auburn Tigers earned the meet victory with a 196.250, while Bowling Green took third with a 192.600.
Freshman Lali Dekanoidze took home her first career all-around title with a 39.325, the second-best season-opening all-around total in program history.
Carolina's lineup included three new faces, Dekanoidze, Julia Knower and Isabelle Schaefer. All three earned event tiles, with Schaefer and Dekanoidze each taking a share on bars, each with a 9.875, while Knower scored the top Tar Heel mark of the night with a 9.925 to take the beam title.
The Tar Heels opened the meet on vault, posting four scores over 9.8. Senior Emery Summey set a new career-best with a 9.825, while sophomore Cory Shinohara scored a 9.8 in her first career vault.
On bars, UNC totaled a meet-best 49.000, highlighted by three scores of 9.825 or better from Elizabeth Culton (9.825), Shaefer (9.875) and Dekanoidze (9.875).
Knower's 9.925 and Dekanoidze's 9.85 highlighted UNC's beam rotation, while on floor, Carolina debuted their new routines for the season, choreographed by assistant coach Amelia Hundley. Culton had a team-best mark of 9.850, helping UNC to a 48.8 total in the rotation.
Hear from head coach Danna Durante:
"I'm really proud of this team. What an incredible way to open up the season. They competed the way they train for the most part and made adjustments. It was a fantastic starting point."
On Hallie Thompson, who suffered an injury during the bar rotation...
"I'm heartbroken for Hallie, as are her teammates. She's a fighter and came back out to be with her team and support them. The team fought hard for her and eachother throughout the meet."
On competing in front of the program-record crowd...
"I loved all of the fans and community support we had tonight. They brought incredible energy all night. Their energy made this night all the more special for this staff and our team. We're looking forward to building on that for our next home meet on January 22."
On how well the freshmen competed tonight...
"It was a phenomenal start for all three freshmen that competed tonight. With Isabelle and Lali winning bars, Julia winning beam and Lali winning the all-around, these freshmen have a bright future. We also have some terrific upperclassman helping them to lead the way."
Up next, UNC travels to Rutgers for a quad-meet with New Hampshire and NC State on Jan. 15 at 1 p.m.
Freshman Lali Dekanoidze took home her first career all-around title with a 39.325, the second-best season-opening all-around total in program history.
Carolina's lineup included three new faces, Dekanoidze, Julia Knower and Isabelle Schaefer. All three earned event tiles, with Schaefer and Dekanoidze each taking a share on bars, each with a 9.875, while Knower scored the top Tar Heel mark of the night with a 9.925 to take the beam title.
The Tar Heels opened the meet on vault, posting four scores over 9.8. Senior Emery Summey set a new career-best with a 9.825, while sophomore Cory Shinohara scored a 9.8 in her first career vault.
On bars, UNC totaled a meet-best 49.000, highlighted by three scores of 9.825 or better from Elizabeth Culton (9.825), Shaefer (9.875) and Dekanoidze (9.875).
Knower's 9.925 and Dekanoidze's 9.85 highlighted UNC's beam rotation, while on floor, Carolina debuted their new routines for the season, choreographed by assistant coach Amelia Hundley. Culton had a team-best mark of 9.850, helping UNC to a 48.8 total in the rotation.
Hear from head coach Danna Durante:
"I'm really proud of this team. What an incredible way to open up the season. They competed the way they train for the most part and made adjustments. It was a fantastic starting point."
On Hallie Thompson, who suffered an injury during the bar rotation...
"I'm heartbroken for Hallie, as are her teammates. She's a fighter and came back out to be with her team and support them. The team fought hard for her and eachother throughout the meet."
On competing in front of the program-record crowd...
"I loved all of the fans and community support we had tonight. They brought incredible energy all night. Their energy made this night all the more special for this staff and our team. We're looking forward to building on that for our next home meet on January 22."
On how well the freshmen competed tonight...
"It was a phenomenal start for all three freshmen that competed tonight. With Isabelle and Lali winning bars, Julia winning beam and Lali winning the all-around, these freshmen have a bright future. We also have some terrific upperclassman helping them to lead the way."
Up next, UNC travels to Rutgers for a quad-meet with New Hampshire and NC State on Jan. 15 at 1 p.m.
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