Gymnastics Picks Up First ACC Win Over Clemson, Breaks 196

Sunday, February 9

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3:45 p.m. ET

North Carolina

196.575

195.800

Clemson

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

February 9, 2025 | Women's Gymnastics

Results Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – With four routines of 9.9+ and a season best floor score, North Carolina gymnastics cracked 196 for the first time this year to secure its first Atlantic Coast Conference win over Clemson on Sunday afternoon in Carmichael Arena.

The Tar Heels won with a final tally of 196.575 to the Tigers' 195.800. Previously, UNC's season-best mark was 195.925 from Jan. 24 at home. It's also Carolina's first win over Clemson in program history.

Gwen Fink was the outright winner on beam with a 9.9 to match her career high for the second time this season. Julia Knower was the all-around champion and tied for first on bars with respective season-high marks of 39.275 and 9.875.

All-Around
Knower won the all-around with a score of 39.275, her best of the season. She had marks of 9.75 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.75 on beam and 9.9 on floor. The senior tied for first on vault and third on floor. Her bars and beam routines were also season's bests.

Rotation One – Vault (48.85)
Neve King had the first vault of the night to earn a 9.7 followed by Knower's 9.75, Isabelle Schaefer's 9.775, Lali Dekanoidze's 9.8 and JoJo Valahovic's 9.7. Kaya Forbes anchored the opening rotation in 9.825 to match her season high for the fourth time this year and in three consecutive meets. Forbes placed second and Dekanoidze was third overall.

1. Neve King – 9.7
2. Julia Knower – 9.75
3. Isabelle Schaefer – 9.775
4. Lali Dekanoidze – 9.8
5. JoJo Valahovic – 9.7
6. Kaya Forbes – 9.825

The Tar Heels earned a 48.85 during its vault rotation to edge out the Tigers' 48.75.

Rotation Two – Bars (49.2)
Knower began the second rotation with a bang, earning a 9.875 to crush her season best of 9.75 from a week prior. The senior tied for first. Neve King followed that with a career-high 9.825 to surpass her 9.8 from the last two meets. Fink's 9.825, Schaefer's 9.85 and Dekanoidze's 9.825 also counted for the home team. Schaefer tied for third.

1. Julia Knower – 9.875
2. Neve King – 9.825
3. Kaya Forbes – 9.8
4. Gwen Fink – 9.825
5. Isabelle Schaefer – 9.85
6. Lali Dekanoidze – 9.825

Carolina had a cumulative score of 49.2, its second best bars performance of the season. Clemson finished with a 49.25.

Rotation Three – Beam (49.1)
Leading off Carolina's beam rotation was Jessica Naranjo who impressed with a 9.875. Valahovic went second and earned a 9.85 to match her personal record for the third time in the last five meets. Making her collegiate beam routine was King who went third and received a 9.725. Fink impressed from the fourth spot with a 9.9 to tie her career best from the home opener and Knower recorded a 9.75 from the fifth position. UNC swept the top three spots: Fink (first), Naranjo (second) and Valahovic (third).

1. Jessica Naranjo – 9.875
2. JoJo Valahovic – 9.85
3. Neve King – 9.725
4. Gwen Fink – 9.9
5. Julia Knower – 9.75
6. Regan McBride – 9.125

The home team had its second best beam rotation of the season with a 49.1, which was well above the visitors' total tally of 48.725.

Rotation Four – Floor (49.425)
UNC saved its best for last. Naranjo began floor with a 9.85 to tie her career high first done on Jan. 24. Valahovic, going third in the lineup, earned the first 9.9 of her career to better the 9.875 she posted last weekend to earn her ACC Newcomer of the Week honors. Forbes secured a 9.925 to set a career high of her own in the fourth spot, surpassing the 9.9 she had done four times before. Knower went fifth and set a new season-high 9.9 while Bella Miller rounded out the rotation with a season-high-tying 9.85. Forbes took second as Valahovic and Knower tied for third.

1. Jessica Naranjo – 9.85
2. Gwen Fink – 9.8
3. JoJo Valahovic – 9.9
4. Kaya Forbes – 9.925
5. Julia Knower – 9.9
6. Bella Miller – 9.850

The Tar Heels had their best floor score of the season with a huge 49.425, crushing their 49.15 from the home opener. Again, that was well above the Tigers' 49.075.

Up Next
The 23rd-ranked Tar Heels are on the road for their next three meets, beginning at Pitt on Friday, Feb. 14. Action will begin at 7 p.m. ET inside Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh and will air on ACCNX.

Carolina returns home for its penultimate home meet on Friday, Feb. 28, for the UNC Quad Meet against Penn, Temple and Yale at 6:45 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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