NC State gymnastics soared to new heights in its monumental 2026 run, from rewriting the history books to personal and career bests, its feats throughout the season were ones to remember.
The Pack started off with a bang, opening the season with a score of 196.075 on Jan. 9 against Auburn, which was the highest season-opening score in program history. More ceilings were shattered in that matchup as sophomore Syniya Thomas set or matched career-best scores on the vault, bars and floors.
Thomas topped off the day with a 9.925 score on floor, her second career 9.900 or higher score. Junior Ashley Knight then capped the rotation by matching her career high of 9.925. On vault, Thomas and junior Lauren Wright each earned 9.850s – Wright’s score set a new career high, while Thomas matched her personal best. Thomas then posted a career-best of 9.925 on floor, rounding off the night with three career-highs and pushed four gymnasts to tie for first on the podium.
Later in the season, the Wolfpack defeated rivals UNC-Chapel Hill with a 197.125 score, tying the sixth-highest team score in program history. In that same meet, State tied its highest bars score in program history and matched its second-highest floor score in program history with Thomas’s career-best score of 9.975. ACC Digital Network commentators said that watching Thomas’s performance was like “watching a movie.”
That night saw further additions to the history books when sophomore Jenna Rusk, senior Madeline Reid and sophomore Carolina Volk helped put together a 49.450 on bars to tie the highest mark in program history. Sophomores Ava Meyers and Rusk also showed out with career-bests on the bars. This adversarial matchup bred new season highs on bars, beam and floor while securing the 49.000 mark on all four events.
State kept its history-setting season rolling against Stanford with a 49.275 on vault, the third-highest score in program history. They set a new bar later against West Virginia with a program-high performance on bars. Junior Elle Hadrick led the charge, setting a career-high 9.975 score that tied the highest individual bars score in program history. Hadrick won the floor title with a career-best 9.925. Junior Maddie Hall was also podium bound, claiming the vault title for her second win of the season.
While the team stats and program milestones are fan-favorite spectacles, the achievements of the individual gymnasts are just as important.
NC State gymnastics saw Thomas and Hadrick earn All-ACC honors, with Hadrick also recognized as ACC Specialist of the Week. Hadrick earned the prestigious title on bars, while Thomas on beam and floor. The Wolfpack placed fourth at the 2026 ACC Championships, headlined by Ava Myers’ career-high 9.875 score on vault.
NC State gymnastics closed out its 2026 regular season with a top-three ACC finish, No. 20 ranking in the Road to Nationals poll and the program’s 35th all-time appearance at the NCAA Championships, where the Pack scored fourth overall in the Lexington Regional semifinals.
The Pack posted a 17-11 overall record, including a 4-2 mark in ACC dual meets and a 6-1 record at Reynolds Coliseum. The team was also ranked as high as No. 18 during the season, finished with a No. 18 ranking on bars and No.16 on floor, and posted 27 total scores of 9.9 or higher.
From the highest opening score in program history, to honors across the board, the NC State gymnastics team and head coach Kim Landrus, have continued their iconic legacy and cemented their names in the history books for future generations to come.
“Confidence breeds confidence,” said Landrus. “You build off of those who have come before you.”
