GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – NC State claimed the first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in four decades on Saturday night with a 197.550 score at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Clemson placed second with a 196.425 and was followed by North Carolina and Pitt tying for third with a 196.300.
NC State, which also won the 1984 ACC Gymnastics Championship, took home the individual titles in four of the five events - Ashley Knight on vault (9.900), Chloe Negrete on beam (9.950) and floor (9.975) and Emily Shepard in the all-around (39.500). North Carolina's Lali Dekanoidze won bars with a 9.950.
The Tigers' led on vault overall with a 49.200 on their last rotation, while NC State fired a 49.400 to lead all four teams on bars to end the night. The Wolfpack added a 49.450 on beam in their third rotation before totaling a season-high 49.550 on floor to close out the night and secure the title.
The Wolfpack's Emily Shepard was named Gymnast of the Year, while Chloe Negrete earned Specialist of the Year laurels. Clemson's Lilly Lippeatt was tabbed Newcomer of the Year and her coach, Amy Smith, was named Coach of the Year.
Shepard won seven-straight ACC Gymnast of the Week Awards over the season, while tabbing a team-high 35 podium finishes and 16 scores of 9.9+ to boost her program record to a career total of 54. The Olathe, Kansas, native ended the regular season as the only gymnast in the ACC to be all-conference in all four events and the all-around, leading the league on vault with a 9.900 National Qualifying Score (NQS) and is the conference’s top all-arounder with her NQS at 39.460.
Negrete earned a pair of ACC Gymnast of the Week Awards and ACC Specialist of the Week Awards. Her four weekly awards was the second most in the conference, short of only teammate Emily Shepard.
She finished the regular season ranked first in the conference on vault, in a tie for second on beam, and second in the league on floor. Ranking in the top two on all three events, Negrete earned all-conference honors on each of her events. She fired off 13 scores of 9.9+ in the regular season.
Lippeatt was named the ACC Newcomer of the Week three times while earning all-conference honors on bars. She not only scored the first 9.9 in Clemson gymnastics history, but she did it in all three events she competes in - bars, beam and floor.
Smith was named the first-ever head coach of Clemson women’s gymnastics on April 26, 2022, and led the Tigers to a season-opening score of 196.325 over William & Mary - the highest score posted by any program in its first meet of its inaugural season. In Clemson's opening season, the former national champion has put the Tigers on the map throughout collegiate gymnastics.
The All-ACC Gymnastics team was announced Saturday morning by the conference office and can be found HERE. The first-ever team consists of the top six ranked ACC performers on vault, bars, beam, and floor, along with the top two all-around scorers. All rankings are based on the NQS.
The top six scorers were honored following the meet and are listed below:
Vault
1. Ashley Knight, NC State, 9.900
2. Madison Minner, Clemson, 9.875
T3. Chloe Negrete, NC State, 9.850
T3. Rebecca Wells, Clemson, 9.850
T3. Molly Arnold, Clemson, 9.850
6. Maggie Holman, Clemson, 9.825
Bars
1. Lali Dekanoidze, North Carolina, 9.950
T2. Emily Shepard, NC State, 9.925
T2. Isabelle Schaefer, North Carolina, 9.925
T4. Katie Harper, NC State, 9.900
T4. Alexis Ortega, NC State, 9.900
T4. Lilly Lippeatt, Clemson, 9.900
T4. Jah'Liyah Bedminster, Pitt, 9.900
Beam
1. Chloe Negrete, NC State, 9.950
T2. Macy Jennings, NC State, 9.900
T2. Emily Shepard, NC State, 9.900
T2. Hallie Copperwheat, Pitt, 9.900
T5. Lilly Lippeatt, Clemson, 9.875
T5. Kielyn McCright, Clemson, 9.875
T5. Jessica Naranjo, North Carolina, 9.875
Floor
1. Chloe Negrete, NC State, 9.975
T2. Emily Shepard, NC State, 9.950
T2. Molly Arnold, Clemson, 9.950
T2. Jordyn Ewing, Pitt, 9.950
5. Lauren Rutherford, Clemson, 9.925
T6. Katya Edwards, NC State, 9.900
T6. Ashley Knight, NC State, 9.900
T6. Rebecca Wells, Clemson, 9.900
T6. Jah'Liyah Bedminster, Pitt, 9.900
T6. Julia Knower, North Carolina, 9.900
All-Around
1. Emily Shepard, NC State, 39.500
2. Rebecca Wells, Clemson, 39.325