UNC led by less than a tenth of a point heading into the last rotation.
The scoreboard read 147.150-147.075 as the Tar Heels moved from beam to floor.
“That’s a little too close for our liking,” senior Julia Knower said.
Knower saw the fire in her teammates’ eyes in the huddle. The six competitors came together as a unit, building off each other’s energy to cement a crucial event win on their floor routines.
The No. 23 UNC gymnastics team ended the floor routine with a season-high score of 49.425, securing its first conference win against No. 24 Clemson, 196.575-195.80, on Sunday evening in Carmichael Arena. North Carolina delivered a season-high point total, surpassing 196 points for the first time this season. But the Tar Heels wouldn’t have reached this key milestone without focusing on the little things.
“From January up until now, we finished happy with our performance, but not necessarily satisfied, knowing that there are things that we can do better and we still hadn't broken into that 196 range until today,” Knower said. “Today was the first day, and we didn't just step into it. We ran straight through it.”
North Carolina had inched close to the 196 mark with 195.925 in a loss to No. 20 N.C. State on Jan. 24, and finally broke through thanks to six season bests on six floor routines. Each Tar Heel tallied a new season-high with scores above 9.8, with first-year JoJo Valahovic, junior Kaya Forbes and Knower all notching scores of 9.9 or above.
UNC’s floor training doesn’t change. Drills centered around basics like landings, timing and repetition allowed this floor squad to execute when it mattered most.
“[Assistant coach] Marie [Denick] says, ‘Don’t get tired of the mundane, don't get tired of doing the same thing over and over and over and over again’,” head coach Danna Durante said. “Because that consistency in training is exactly what will allow you to compete.”
