Dekanoidze Wins Bars At Clemson, Gymnastics Posts Season-Best Road Score

Friday, February 23

Clemson, SC

7:30 p.m. ET

North Carolina

195.500

197.350

Clemson

Photo by: Travis Bell

Dekanoidze Wins Bars At Clemson, Gymnastics Posts Season-Best Road Score

February 23, 2024 | Women's Gymnastics

Complete Results

CLEMSON, S.C. – Lali Dekanoidze highlighted a Friday night gymnastics meet between North Carolina and Clemson by winning the uneven bars in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season finale at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina.

The Tigers pulled away for a 197.350-195.550 win. It was the second highest team score of the year for the Tar Heels and the best on the road.

All-Around
Two Tar Heels in Gwen Fink and Julia Knower were on all-around duty, posting respective scores of 39.275 and 38.7. Fink's 39.275 – which garnered a runner-up finish – matched her career-high which was first done at home on Jan. 19.

Rotation One – Bars (49.150)
Dekanoidze – UNC's program record holder on bars – shined on her signature event, winning with a mark of 9.925. That score was a new season-high, besting the 9.9 she had done twice prior. It was her 15th routine of 9.9+ on bars and her 14th individual bars title on the event in her career.

Fink tied for third overall with a 9.85. Knower had her best score of the season with a 9.825 to erase her 9.75 from last week. Isabelle Schaefer (9.825) and Jamie Shearer (9.725) also scored for the Tar Heels.

Carolina's 49.150 was its second-highest bars score of the season. Clemson was just ahead with a 49.250.

Rotation Two – Vault (49.150)
Kaya Forbes had a career performance on vault, scoring a 9.9 for a new personal best to place second overall. Coming into the meet, her top score on the event was a 9.875 done three times, last in the season opener. It was the third 9.9+ routine of her career.

Earning another podium finish was Dekanoidze, as her 9.875 secured a two-way tie for third place. Fink tied her career-high 9.825 while Cory Shinohara (9.8) and Paige Prejean (9.75) also had scores that counted.

The Tar Heels matched their best team score of the year on vault with a 49.150. Clemson was again narrowly ahead with a 49.200.

Rotation Three – Floor (48.450)
Carolina faltered a bit on floor in its third rotation but still fought to keep the energy high. Fink's routine earned her a team-best 9.825. Knower (9.775), Forbes (9.625), Amy Wozniak (9.625) and Bella Miller (9.6) also contributed to the total team tally.

The home team totaled 49.600 on floor, ahead of UNC's 48.450.

Rotation Four – Beam (48.750)
The Tar Heels regrouped to put together a solid beam performance in their final rotation. Hallie Thompson, UNC's recent AAI Award nominee, tallied a 9.85 for her highest score of the year to lead the team.

Jessica Naranjo, a freshman, recorded a 9.825 to match her season high for the second time in her young career. Performances from Fink (9.775), Taylor Schulze (9.65) and Elly King (9.65) counted as well.

UNC finished with a 48.975 on beam while Clemson had a 49.300.

Up Next
The Tar Heels remain on the road, trekking west to Lincoln, Nebraska, for a quad meet on Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT). Hosted by Nebraska at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the meet will also feature Illinois State and Southeast Missouri State. The meet will be streamed on Big Ten+.