UNC gymnastics defies expectations in first two meets of 2025 season

Nobody expected the North Carolina gymnastics program to make noise this season. 

UNC was voted to finish fifth in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll out of six participating teams, only receiving one first-place vote. But they set goals all the way back in September to defy expectations.

“We’ve set some score goals that we want to reach by the end of January, and we’re definitely on the way there,” senior Lali Dekanoidze said. 

In her fourth year at the helm of the gymnastics program, head coach Danna Durante has helped lead the Tar Heels back to gymnastics relevancy. She coached them to a 195.225 in their away opener against now-No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Despite the loss, UNC set the highest season-opening road score in program history.

After that unprecedented performance, the Tar Heels moved up 10 spots from the preseason poll, putting them at No. 26 in the rankings. On Friday, North Carolina defeated George Washington, 195.800-194.525, at their home opener at Carmichael Arena. 

But this is just the beginning for the UNC gymnastics program, which has multiple Tar Heels named to the ACC Preseason Watch List: Dekanoidze, senior Julia Knower and first-year JoJo Valahovic, who was named to the ACC Preseason Newcomer Watch List.

The 2025 schedule for North Carolina is filled with meets against top gymnastics programs. The Tar Heels will take on No. 1 Oklahoma in February at the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. UNC will face a big test on on March 9 when the team meets Alabama for the second time this year and takes on No. 6 Michigan State at Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama. These matchups will happen right before ACC Championships in Greensboro later in March. 

Each of these tests will prove an important role as the Tar Heels look to return to the NCAA Regionals. With the unexpected start, North Carolina wants an unexpected end. UNC hasn't made it to the NCAA Regionals in the round of 32 since 2022.

“[Our goal is] absolutely postseason," Durante said. "That should be a no-brainer, and it should be a consistent for Carolina from this year moving forward. Our goal is to not be a bubble team. Our goal is to be top-20 so that it’s not even a question whether or not we make regionals. It’s been a while since Carolina has been there, but this team absolutely has the ability to do that.”

The meet against George Washington took the team closer to where they want to be. 

UNC started off strong on vault through the efforts of Dekanoidze, who stuck her Yurchenko full, putting up a 9.825. With GW having to count a fall, North Carolina had the early 49-47.550 lead after just one event. In the second rotation, senior Isabelle Schaefer had a 9.875 on uneven bars, and Dekanoidze finished off the rotation with a massive 9.9. George Washington bounced back on vault, courtesy of two 9.850s, but UNC still maintained a solid lead. 

The Tar Heels started off with a hit routine on the balance beam, recording back-to-back 9.850s from sophomore Jessica Naranjo and Valahovic. North Carolina finished with a 9.750 from first-year anchor Regan McBride to maintain its lead over GW.

On the final rotation of the evening, junior Gwen Fink fell after two hit routines for UNC, but the team bounced back immediately after junior Kaya Forbes earned a 9.875 on floor. Senior Bella Miller sealed the first win of the season for the Tar Heels with a 9.875, ending the night with a team score of 195.800, nearly seven tenths higher than their season opener.

In just the second meet of 2025, the Tar Heels hit 23 of 24 of their routines. 

“Obviously, we still have room to grow, but I think with the seven tenths increase just in one week, that really shows how much potential that this team has,” Forbes said. “We still haven’t reached our roof yet or our ceiling yet, so I’m really excited for the potential this team has.”

Although a challenging schedule looms ahead, UNC is taking it in stride to meet the goals set three months ago. 

“There were years when Carolina would go into regionals and be nervous because we felt like those teams were better than us,” Durante said. “There is no better way than to get comfortable than to see them head-to-head, see where you stack up and do the training in the gym, reach our potential, get to our max potential."

@anna_laible

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