Dekanoidze, Knower Shine As Gymnastics Defeats NC State In Home Opener

Monday, January 9

Chapel Hill, NC

6 p.m.

North Carolina

196.225

195.525

NC State

Photo by: AINSLEY FAUTH

Dekanoidze, Knower Shine As Gymnastics Defeats NC State In Home Opener

January 9, 2023 | Women's Gymnastics

COMPLETE RESULTS Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A new program record from Lali Dekanoidze and a career night from Julia Knower highlighted the University of North Carolina gymnastics team's 196.225-195.525 victory over in-state rival NC State on Monday evening, marking the start of East Atlantic Gymnastics League action.

The Tar Heels' team score was the highest in program history during a home opener, besting the previous mark of 195.975 from Feb. 17, 2002.

Dekanoidze, competing in her first meet at Carmichael Arena since suffering a season-ending injury on Feb. 24, 2022, stole the show on bars. Her score of 9.975 becomes the outright leader on Carolina's all-time leaderboard. The sophomore previously shared the top spot with a score of 9.950.

Knower earned the all-around title, her first of the season and fifth as a Tar Heel. Her cumulative score of 39.450 set a new career best, moving to No. 8 all-time in Carolina history behind two of the meet's top scores on beam (9.875) and floor (9.925).

Rotation One – Vault
The Tar Heels started off strong on vault with all five scorers posting marks better than in their season opener on Jan. 6. Dekanoidze led the way by matching her career high at 9.900 and was followed by Kaya Forbes (9.875), Knower (9.800), Cory Shinohara (9.800) and Gwen Fink (9.675). UNC's team score was 49.050 to NC State's 48.850.

Rotation Two – Bars
Dekanoidze's huge performance of 9.975 on bars highlighted Carolina's second rotation while Julia Knower produced a career-best 9.850. Also scoring for the home team were Isabelle Schaefer (9.825) and Elizabeth Culton (9.800) with Gwen Fink and Jamie Shearer both recording scores of 9.750. Carolina totaled 49.200 on the rotation, just edging out NC State (49.100).

Rotation Three – Beam
Knower continued her stellar performance on beam with a meet-high 9.875, followed closely by All-American Culton at 9.850. Hannah Nam (9.800), Fink (9.650) and Taylor Schulze (9.600) also had a hand in UNC's team total of 48.775, which once again topped NC State (48.650).

Rotation Four – Floor
Carolina finished the meet on a high note of 49.200 on floor to outlast NC State (48.925) on the final rotation. Knower capped off her career night with another personal best of 9.925, significantly better than her season-opening 9.575 just three days prior. The Tar Heels did not have to count a score below 9.800 after big performances from Bri Greenlow (9.850), Shinohara (9.825), Nam (9.800) and Forbes (9.800).

Up Next
The Tar Heels have two weeks off from competition before returning to Carmichael Arena to host UW-Stout and Yale for a nonconference tri-meet on Monday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. ET. Admission is free and open to the public.