Pitt gymnastics falls to No. 24 NC State in competitive meet

The Pitt women’s gymnastics team (3-7-0, 1-5-0 ACC) hosted NC State (6-4-0, 6-0-0 ACC) on Sunday afternoon at the Fitzgerald Field House. But the Panthers ultimately fell to the newly named ACC regular season champs, as Pitt finished with a final score of 195.200, while NC State clinched the victory with an impressive 196.850. 

Vault 

Pitt began the meet on the vault but couldn’t match the Wolfpack’s dominance. The Panthers finished with a score of 48.950, while the Wolfpack secured a 49.150.

Fifth-year Shruthi Anand led the way for Pitt with a mark of 9.825. 

For the Wolfpack, first-year Ashley Knight led with a mark of 9.875. Knight tied her career high on vault with this mark. NC State graduate student Chloe Negrete and senior Krista Zultevicz also both posted solid scores of 9.825. 

Bars

NC State dominated on bars, scoring 49.300 compared to Pitt’s 49.150. 

For the Wolfpack, graduate student Emily Shepard anchored with a team best of 9.950. This routine marked her seventh consecutive routine with a score of over 9.9.

Fifth-year Arayah Simons and junior Jordyn Ewing showcased notable performances on bars for Pitt, which earned them both marks of 9.850. Ewing said that she came into the event focused on a few aspects.

“Today I was trying to hit all my handstands,” Ewing said. “So that’s my mindset. And I think what made the staple was the dismount.”

Floor

Pitt rebounded on floor routines, securing their highest score of the meet at 49.300, while NC State finished with 49.225. 

Junior Hallie Copperwheat led Pitt with an impressive floor routine, scoring 9.875. Copperwheat said that her impressive performance was inspired by Pitt gymnastics assistant head coach Alina Cartwright, who challenged her to perform a particular routine.

“I’ve had two rough weeks on the floor, so it was nice to be able to go out and hit everything,” Copperwheat said.

NC State’s top performances came from Shepard and Negrete on the floor. The two led the Wolfpack, earning marks of 9.875. 

NC State sophomore Katya Edwards also matched her career best with a 9.850 on the floor. Knight performed well too, as she had a score of 9.800, which was her fourth-straight score of over 9.8 on the floor. 

Beam

Pitt struggled on beam, with a final overall score of 47.925. A few slips off the beam set the Panthers back. 

But Pitt ended strongly as Copperwheat capped off the rotation and led the Panthers with a solid mark of 9.875. 

“I think I just rely on the numbers that we’ve done in the gym,” Copperwheat said. “We had a good week of practice. Just staying aggressive and working.”

NC State finished beam with an overall score of 49.175. Negrete led the Wolfpack in the beam event with a mark of 9.900. Additionally, first-year Katie Harper scored well on the beam at 9.875. 

The Panthers will host their final home meet and senior night on March 8 against Bowling Green. Copperwheat expressed her excitement about recognizing the seniors, describing them as a great group.

“I’m so excited to honor these seniors,” Copperwheat said. “They’re a great group, a lot of fifth-years, so it’ll be nice to have that special day with the team.”

Ewing also reflected on the rapid pace of the season and acknowledged the team’s growth.

“It went by really quickly,” Ewing said. “I think the team is really building — we’re getting our confidence, and we’re just a family.”