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Gymnastics Punches Ticket To Tuscaloosa Regional
March 24, 2025 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - For the second time in three years, North Carolina gymnastics has earned a team bid to the postseason. Gymnastics will head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on April 2 through 6.
The other teams in their region are: (3) Florida (14) Oregon State, NC State Clemson, Rutgers, (6) California, (11) Alabama, Iowa.
The championship features a field of 36 teams determined based on their national qualifying score. The NCAA Women's Gymnastics Committee seeds teams 1-16, and the remaining teams are placed geographically at one of the four regional sites.
Four regionals, consisting of nine teams, approximately three all-around competitors (not on a qualifying team), and four individual specialists per event (not on a qualifying team), will be conducted at predetermined campus sites. The first round will consist of two teams, the second round will consist of eight teams and the regional final will consist of four teams.
Gymnastics is heading to the postseason coming off one of the greatest meets in history. The Tar Heels finished third with a score of 197.225. That is the third best team score – and the fifth 197.0+ – in school history, plus the highest in the Danna Durante era.
Lali Dekanoidze, who stole the show with her perfect 10.0 on bars, defended her title and was co-champion on her signature event. She broke her own school record and became the fourth gymnast in program history to reach perfection.
Last year, Carolina qualified two as individuals, Lali Dekanoidze and Isabella Schaefer competed in Session I inside Exatech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on UF's campus..
Dekanoidze competed on vault and uneven bars. The Matthews, North Carolina native earned a 9.825 on vault with her Yurchenko full. Her bars routine received a 9.9, her sixth score of 9.9+ on the event last year
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Schaefer made her NCAA Regional debut on the uneven bars. She tallied a score of 9.85 for her performance.
The last time that Carolina qualified as a team was in 2023 when they fell short in the first round of NCAA Regionals in Denver, Colorado, falling to Arizona, 196.050-194.600, at Magness Arena.
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