After coming in first place at the EAGL Championships for the first time since 2013 with a score of 196.625, NC State’s gymnastics team will be hosting the NCAA Regional Championship at Reynolds Coliseum this Saturday at 4 p.m.
NC State is one of six schools to host a regional championship this year. On top of that, only the top 36 teams are able to advance to the NCAA Championships, allowing the No. 20 Wolfpack to easily continue into the postseason.
It’s been two years since the team as a whole has made it to the regional championships. Also two years ago, two of the Pack’s gymnasts made it to the semi-finals of the NCAA Championships. Since then, the team has greatly improved, as the last time the team was ranked so well was in 2012 when the Pack was ranked 17th.
Last year, even though the team didn’t qualify, certain members of the Pack did. Current senior Chelsea Knight, junior Paris Phillips and sophomore Melissa Brooker with sophomore Drew Grantham as an alternate. Also among the Pack was former senior Amanda Fillard. Knight performed as an all-arounder, Phillips on vaults and Fillard and Brooker both earned the spots for the bars.
With returning gymnasts Knight, Phillips, Brooker and Grantham, the Pack has a good chance to perform well this Saturday with the recent experience. Along with them, Amanda Fillard’s sister, junior Caitlyn Fillard, will be amongst the gymnasts. Fillard has had a strong performance this season.
Knight and Grantham in particular have had exceptionally strong performances throughout the season, consistently placing in their events as well as all-around. The duo’s performance remained strong during the EAGL Championships, greatly contributing to the team’s overall score.
At the EAGL Championships, Phillips scored a 9.850 on the vaults. Fillard, who completed three of the four events, did well on the vault, bars and floor scoring 9.800, 9.775 and 9.825 respectively.
Grantham and Knight also participated as all-arounders and both placed with an overall score of 39.200 and 39.425 respectively. Knight was able to take first place and Grantham tied for fourth.
Knight and Grantham will most likely be all-around contestants again for the first round of regionals.
If the Pack is able to perform at its best, the team has a good chance of reaching the NCAA Championships. With strong expectations after the EAGL Championships, where the Pack scored a team high on the vaults, 49.225, the Pack has its sights set high.
