CLEMSON, S.C. – In front of its second-consecutive sold out home crowd, the No. 20 Clemson Tigers fell to the No. 32 NC State Wolfpack, 196.300-195.600, on Friday evening inside Littlejohn Coliseum. In only its third home meet, the gymnastics program welcomed back 8,631 fans to help celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day in collaboration with 10 other Clemson Athletic women’s programs.
The highlight of Friday’s meet consisted of the Tigers posting a program-best 49.525 on the floor, which is the 15th-highest score on the event by any program in the NCAA this season. The high score was spurred by both Molly Arnold and Lauren Rutherford scoring back-to-back 9.950s, the first 9.950s on any event by a Tiger.
Vault
With the Tigers back at home, they followed the Olympic style rotation to kickoff the meet on vault, while the Wolfpack opened the meet on bars. Both Arnold and Maggie Holman led Clemson with 9.850s Arnold’s 9.850 tied a career high on the event, while Holman appeared on the apparatus for the first time this season to anchor the event. Further helping Clemson finish with its second-highest score on vault this season, Rutherford followed closely behind Arnold and Holman with a 9.825. Trinity Brown and Madison Minner rounded out the scores for the Tigers with a 9.775 and 9.750, respectively. Through the first rotation, both teams stood at a stalemate with a team score of 49.050.
Bars
Continuing to the second rotation, the Tigers had Eve Jackson and Kaitlin DeGuzman score 9.850s to lead Clemson on bars after both athletes stuck their dismounts. Competing in her first rotation of the season, Trinity Webb opened her season with a 9.825, and Lilly Lippeatt joined her with a 9.825 of her own after she stuck her dismount. Rutherford rounded out Clemson with a 9.800 to help the team post a 49.150 to tie the second-highest score on the apparatus this season.
With every Tiger posting a 9.800 or higher, Clemson finished the second rotation slightly ahead of NC State with a score of 98.200-98.100.
Beam
Lippeatt led off the third rotation with a 9.775, while Jackson put up a 9.700. Redshirt senior Rebecca Wells stayed composed on the event to post a team-high 9.850 to boost the Tigers. Making her Clemson debut was freshman Sierra Church, who scored a 9.650. Kielyn McCright had to catch her balance on two of her passes to finish with a 8.900.
Clemson finished with a 47.875 and moved to the last rotation trailing NC State, 147.450-146.075.
Floor
Clemson rebounded in the final rotation by posting the team’s highest score on the event this season with a 49.525 that was spurred by three Tigers finishing with 9.900 or higher to anchor the meet. Arnold powered the way by scoring the first-ever 9.950 for a Clemson gymnast this season. The momentum didn’t end there as Rutherford followed with a 9.950 of her own in the fifth spot. Holman notched a career-high of her own with a 9.900 to open the rotation, while Minner (9.875) and Jackson (9.850) rounded out the Tigers with season-highs of their own.
Despite battling back in the final rotation, Clemson dropped its first meet of the season with a final score of 196.300-195.600.
The Tigers return to action on Feb. 9 with their second road meet of their inaugural season. Clemson will travel to Pittsburgh to face Pitt at 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
– Via Clemson Athletic Communications