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RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina gymnastics had three event winners and registered a trio of season-high road scores on Friday night against NC State in an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown inside Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C.
The Wolfpack won the meet, 197.025-195.500. Kaya Forbes (vault), Lali Dekanoidze (bars) and Julia Knower (all-around) picked up individual wins while JoJo Valahovic (vault, beam, floor) earned a trio of runner-up finishes.
All-Around Knower was crowned the all-around champion for the 13th time in her career with a season-high 39.3. That 39.3 came after marks of 9.8 on vault, 9.85 on bars, 9.825 on beam and 9.825 on floor. The senior's vault and beam scores matched her best performances of the 2025 campaign.
Rotation One – Bars (49.25) Knower kicked things off with a 9.85 on bars for Carolina's first routine of the night. Claire Stippich also posted a 9.85 in the third spot for a career high, bettering her 9.8 from last season while at Kentucky. Scores from Gwen Fink (9.8), Isabelle Schaefer (9.825) and Dekanoidze (9.925) also counted. Dekanoidze's performance marked her 20th career bars routine of 9.9+ and her 20th win on her signature event.
1. Julia Knower – 9.85 2. Neve King – 9.75 3. Claire Stippich – 9.85 4. Gwen Fink – 9.8 5. Isabelle Schaefer – 9.825 6. Lali Dekanoidze – 9.925 Exh. Bella Miller – 9.75
The Tar Heels and Wolfpack both scored 49.25s on their bars rotation. UNC's 49.25 was its second highest this year and best during an away meet.
Rotation Two – Vault (49.175) Going second in the lineup, Fink's 9.775 was the first vault score that counted for the Tar Heels. Knower followed and matched her season-high 9.8 for the second meet in a row. Dekanoidze went third and tied her season's best of 9.825 for the second time this year. Valahovic, the three-time defending ACC Newcomer of the Week, received a 9.875 in the fifth slot. Forbes anchored with a 9.9 to match her career high first done on Feb. 23, 2024. Forbes was the outright winner and Valahovic tied for second.
1. Neve King – 9.75 2. Gwen Fink – 9.775 3. Julia Knower – 9.8 4. Lali Dekanoidze – 9.825 5. JoJo Valahovic – 9.875 6. Kaya Forbes – 9.9 Exh. Paige Prejean – 9.8
Both teams produced the same score on their vault rotations once again with a 49.175. That marked UNC's second best vault score of the season and best on the road.
Rotation Three – Floor (49.05) Earning a 9.825 in the leadoff role on floor was Jessica Naranjo. Stippich picked up a 9.7 in the second spot while Valahovic recorded a team-high 9.875 in the third slot. Forbes and Knower added twin 9.825s in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, to also contribute to UNC's total. Valahovic's 9.875 earned her a second-place finish.
1. Jessica Naranjo – 9.825 2. Claire Stippich – 9.7 3. JoJo Valahovic – 9.875 4. Kaya Forbes – 9.825 5. Julia Knower – 9.825 6. Bella Miller – 9.6 Exh. Elly King – 9.4
The Tar Heels totaled 49.05 during their floor rotation, setting a season-high road mark for the third straight event of the night. The Wolfpack ended the meet with a 49.275.
Rotation Four – Beam (48.025) Naranjo again found herself in the leadoff spot and earned a score of 9.875 to kick start UNC's beam rotation. Valahovic followed that with a 9.95 to match her career high – which is tied for third all-time in school history – for the second meet in a row. Knower, going fourth, tied her season-high 9.825 which was first done on Jan. 10 in the season opener. Carolina had to count two falls in a 9.25 and 9.125. Valahovic finished second and Naranjo was part of a two-way tie for third.
1. Jessica Naranjo – 9.875 2. JoJo Valahovic – 9.95 3. Neve King – 9.25 4. Julia Knower – 9.825 5. Gwen Fink – 9.075 6. Regan McBride – 9.125 Exh. Claire Stippich – 9.775
Carolina unfortunately had to count two falls and ended its fourth rotation with a 48.025, its lowest of the 2025 campaign. NC State totaled 49.325 on beam.
Up Next The 24th-ranked Tar Heels have a quick turnaround for their next meet on Sunday, Feb. 23. The team is headed to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete against No. 1 Oklahoma in the Metroplex Challenge at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT). Action will take place inside the Fort Worth Convention Center and will stream on MSO with a paid subscription.
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