Gymnastics Earns Best Road Score In Regular Season Finale At LSU

Friday, March 15

Baton Rouge, LA

8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT)

North Carolina

196.075

198.250

LSU

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

Gymnastics Earns Best Road Score In Regular Season Finale At LSU

March 15, 2024 | Women's Gymnastics

Complete Results

BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of North Carolina gymnastics team finished the regular season in style, posting a season-high road score of 196.075 on Friday night at second-ranked LSU. The Tigers won the meet in 198.250.

Competing at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, the Tar Heels also had season-high scores of 49.225 on beam and 49.300 on floor. Lali Dekanoidze earned a podium finish with her second-place showing on bars after recording a 9.9.

All-Around
Two Tar Heels in Julia Knower and Gwen Fink competed in the all-around, earning respective scores of 39.375 and 39.325. It was a career high for Fink, besting the 39.275 done twice prior.

Knower's 39.375 came after a 9.775 on vault, 9.825 on bars, 9.875 on beam and 9.9 on floor. Fink's tallied a 9.8 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.85 on beam and 9.8 on floor for her career performance.

Rotation One – Bars (48.425)
The Tar Heels began the meet on bars with Fink posting a team-high 9.875 for her second-highest score of the season. Lali Dekanoidze earned a 9.85 and Knower tied her season-best mark with a 9.825. Scores from Jamie Shearer (9.75) and Isabelle Schaefer (9.125) also counted.

Unfortunately having to count a fall, UNC totaled 48.425 on its opening rotation. LSU scored 49.625 on bars.

Rotation Two – Vault (49.125)
Dekanoidze scored a 9.9 on vault in Carolina's second rotation, good enough to place second overall. It was the junior's 28th career 9.9+ routine and nine on vault.

Competing in her home state, Kaya Forbes tallied a 9.85 while Fink and Paige Prejean both notched their second-highest scores of the season with 9.8s. Knower rounded out UNC scorers with a 9.775.

The Tar Heels ended their vault rotation at 49.125, just off their season-high 49.150. The Tigers accumulated a point total of 49.400.

Rotation Three – Floor (49.300)
North Carolina put together a phenomenal performance on floor highlighted by a pair of 9.9s from the two hometown girls, Forbes and Knower. Forbes earned the score for the second straight meet to match her career high. It was the 15th floor routine of 9.9+ in Knower's career.

Also contributing for the Tar Heels were Camryn Rueda (9.85), Bella Miller (9.825), Amy Wozniak (9.825) and Fink (9.8). Wozniak tied her career high and Rueda's was the second-highest mark of the season.

UNC concluded its third rotation with a 49.300, its best of the year to surpass the 49.225 done on Feb. 16. LSU registered a 49.600 on floor.

Rotation Four – Beam (49.225)
The Tar Heels ended the meet on a high note with beam. Hallie Thompson and Knower both led the team with 9.875. Thompson's was her best beam routine of the year and Knower tied her season high.

Fink's score of 9.85 tied her career high for the third time this year and fifth time overall. Jessica Naranjo got a 9.825 for her second-best this year and Shearer earned a 9.8 in the anchor spot.

The visitors tallied a 49.225 on beam for a new season high, crushing their previous mark of 49.025 from Feb. 16. The home team totaled 49.625 on this rotation.

Up Next
Postseason is up next for the Tar Heels, who will compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships on Saturday, March 23, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The meet will be held in Greensboro Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m. ET and will air nationally on ACC Network.

Tickets are available for purchase here. UNC fan sections are 109, 110 and 111.

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