"Pound the Alarm" echoed throughout Carmichael Arena before North Carolina gymnastics took on its iconic final rotation on floor.
Fans of all ages got up on their feet and started dancing along with the beat. It was the right, and typical, atmosphere for the Tar Heels before they began their favorite rotation — energetic and fun.
“It’s fun when all of the little kids come because it kind of puts into perspective what it’s all about,” sophomore Lily Dean said.
That crowd helped UNC (6-3, 3-1 EAGL) defeat conference rival Towson (3-5, 0-2 EAGL) 195.075-193.000 on Saturday afternoon in its first-ever Mental Health Awareness meet, thanks to a standout score of 48.900 during floor and solid performances across the other three events.
While there were slip-ups and miscues that prevented UNC from breaking the 49-point barrier, you wouldn’t be able to tell when watching the audience.
Throughout graduate student Megan Ruzicka’s floor routine, which scored a 9.325 after an unbalanced landing out of bounds early in the performance, a young blonde girl dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid danced along with the gymnast. As junior Mikayla Robinson dominated her performance, multiple football players in the audience cheered her on.
The fans and gymnasts seemed to have fun, which has always been UNC’s goal. That energy helped translate into a Tar Heel win.
“That was the most fun I’ve had during floor,” Dean said. “It’s always fun to compete at home with everybody you know watching, just showing off what you can do.”
Floor has consistently been the Tar Heels’ top event, in which they’re currently ranked No. 21 nationally. While the gymnasts are strong and talented in the event, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that truly makes this event a special one for UNC.