Gymnastics Tumbles Into 2024 Season, Hosts Quad Meet Friday

Friday, January 5

Chapel Hill, NC

7:30 p.m. ET

North Carolina

Ball State

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Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

January 4, 2024 | Women's Gymnastics

Tickets Watch Live Scores UNC Meet Notes Meet Day Guide

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The start of a historic 2024 season will begin Friday night inside Carmichael Arena as the North Carolina gymnastics team embarks on its inaugural campaign in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Tar Heels will host Ball State, Rutgers and Utah State for a quad meet to kick off the new year. Introductions start at 7:15 p.m. ET with action set to commence at 7:30 p.m. The meet will air on ACCNX with Matt Krause and Sydney Snead on call.

Tickets are available for purchase here. Fans are encouraged to read more information here about the meet day experience.

Meet Info
Who: UNC vs. Ball State, Rutgers, Utah State
What: 2024 home and season opener
Where: Carmichael Arena – Chapel Hill, NC
When: Friday, Jan. 5 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Promotions: UNC drawstring bag giveaway, Girl Scouts Day, Club Gymnastics Day
Links: Live Stream | Live Scores

Ten Things to Know

2024 marks UNC's first season in the ACC. The league previously sponsored a conference championship in gymnastics in 1984.
North Carolina and NC State tied for first in the inaugural ACC Preseason Coaches Poll after receiving a pair of first-place votes.
Lali Dekanoidze and Julia Knower were named to the first-ever ACC Preseason Watch List. Freshman Camryn Rueda was tabbed to the inaugural ACC Newcomer Watch List.
UNC was also ranked 32nd in the WCGA Preseason Poll, the second year in a row the team has received a preseason nod.
Two key returners are Dekanoidze and Knower, who combined for 25 individual event wins last year as sophomores. Both gymnasts qualified as individuals for NCAA Regionals in 2022 and 2023.
Dekanoidze was named WCGA First Team All-America on bars, becoming just the second Tar Heel since 2006 to earn first team honors and the fifth all-time.
Dekanoidze scored 9.975 on bars three times in 2023 for the school record. Her NQS of 9.955 ranked third in the Southeast Region and tied for eighth nationally.
Knower's NQS of 9.925 on floor tied for 25th nationally and tied for fourth in the Southeast Region. Her NQS of 39.300 in all-around was ninth in the region in 2023.
North Carolina ranked 22nd nationally on bars for its team NQS of 49.275 in 2023.
In addition to Rueda, the Tar Heels have welcomed four other freshmen to Chapel Hill this season: Elly King, Neve King, Jessica Naranjo and Molly Neinstein.