Gymnastics Concludes ESPN Events Invitational, Fink Named Team MVP

Friday, January 12

West Valley City, UT

9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT)

North Carolina

195.150

196.475

Arizona

Photo by: Matthew Norton

Gymnastics Concludes ESPN Events Invitational, Fink Named Team MVP

January 12, 2024 | Women's Gymnastics

Complete Results

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Sophomore Gwen Fink was named the team's MVP at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, on Friday night in the inaugural event hosted by ESPN Events.

Arizona won the quad meet with a final mark of 196.475 followed by Boise State's 196.250 and Nebraska's 195.875. North Carolina's total of 195.150 was well above its season-opening mark of 193.725 from Jan. 5.

All-Around
Both on all-around duty in Utah, Fink and Julia Knower both recorded marks of 39.0. It was Finks' first all-around score of the season as Knower topped her season-opening performance of 38.9 from a week prior.

Fink's 39.0 came from a 9.725 on vault, 9.775 on bars, 9.8 on beam and 9.7 on floor. Knower's was after scoring a 9.825 on vault, 9.7 on bars, 9.675 on beam and 9.8 on floor.

Rotation One – Floor (48.850)
In just the second floor routine of her college career, Bella Miller paved the way for the Tar Heels on their first rotation with a 9.825. That was a big improvement from Miller's 9.05 that had to count during last week's season opener and is now a new career best.

Kaya Forbes and Knower posted a pair of matching 9.8s, the latter whose mark set a new season high. Amy Wozniak registered a 9.725 while Fink put up a 9.7 in her first floor routine of the year.

The Tar Heels opened up the meet with a 48.850, showing significant improvement from their final tally on floor a week ago. Their score trailed the Broncos' 49.425, Wildcats' 49.400 and Huskers' 49.350.

Rotation Two – Vault (48.750)
Knower and Lali Dekanoidze finished atop the vault rotation for Carolina with scores of 9.825. Knower and Paige Prejean both set season high marks on the event, as Prejean's routine earned a 9.75.

Also contributing to the Tar Heels' total score was Fink with a 9.725 and Isabelle Schaefer with a 9.625.

Carolina's final mark of 48.750 ranked third in the quad, ahead of Boise State's 48.725 but trailing Nebraska and Arizona's 49.000s.

Rotation Three — Bars (48.950)
Schaefer stole the show on bars, scoring a 9.925 to finish second overall in the quad. That performance, which is tied for third all-time in program history, matched her career high for the third time, as she also posted that mark on March 6, 2022, and Feb. 12, 2023.

Dekanoidze, UNC's program record holder on this event, received a season-high 9.9 to tie for third and give the Tar Heels two scores of 9.9+ on bars. Knower also had a season-best 9.7, while Fink's 9.775 and Jessica Naranjo's 9.65 also counted. It was Naranjo's first collegiate routine.

UNC once again improved upon its season-opening score, finishing the bar rotation with a 48.950. It trailed Boise State's 49.225, Arizona's 49.050 and Nebraska's 49.025.

Rotation Four – Beam (48.600)
Fink had the highest performance on UNC's beam squad in the fourth and final rotation, scoring a 9.8. Taylor Schulze bested her season-opening 9.7 with a 9.75 in the anchor spot. Also celebrating her birthday, Naranjo recorded a 9.725 in her collegiate beam debut.

Hallie Thompson's 9.65 was a season high and Knower notched a 9.675 to also count towards the Tar Heels' total tally.

The Wildcats had the meet's highest score on beam at 49.025, followed by the Broncos' 48.775. The Tar Heels totaled a 48.600 for third on the event as the Huskers rounded out the meet with a 48.500.

Up Next
The Tar Heels now return to Chapel Hill for a two-meet home stretch. First up, the team hosts rival NC State on Friday, Jan. 19, for the inaugural ACC gymnastics meet inside Carmichael Arena to kick off conference action.

Competition will commence at 7:30 p.m. ET with introductions starting at 7:15 p.m. and doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase here.

Stay up to date with Carolina Gymnastics by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.