Gymnastics fell to North Carolina by a .975 margin Saturday in their first dual-conference meet of 2023 at Chapel Hill.
Despite racking up a season-best 195.35 points, the Colonials (3-2, 0-1 EAGL) could not match the balance and precision of the Tarheels (2-2, 1-0 EAGL), who tallied 196.325 points and bested GW in three of four events. GW sits in fourth place in the eight-team East Atlantic Eagle League after five meets with 195.275 points per meet.
The Colonials scored 48.9 on the beam, 48.975 on the vault, 48.675 on the bars and 48.8 on the floor, while the Tar Heels tied GW on the beam, scored 49 on the vault, 49.075 on the bars and 49.350 on the floor. A panel of judges rates the difficulty and execution of the routine to calculate the score, starting from the perfect score of 10 and subtracting points for any errors.
UNC currently ranks third place in the EAGL with a 195.425 average score on the season.
The Colonials trailed UNC on the bars to start off the meet with 48.675 points compared to the Tarheels’ 49.075. Senior Libby Garfoot led the Colonials with a 9.85 score, the third-highest of the event, while sophomore Rachel Katz recorded a 9.75.
Sophomore Isabelle Schaefer led UNC in the category with a season-high of 9.9, the third first-place finish of her career. UNC sophomore Lali Dekanoidze, who holds the program record for the event, finished second with 9.875 points.
Sophomore gymnast Madie McMullen made her collegiate debut for GW since joining the squad last spring, adding a 9.725 score on the bars to her stat sheet. Senior Hannah Munnelly secured a 9.65 score, followed by junior gymnast Anneliese Silverman, who scored a 9.6.
UNC freshman Gwen Fink matched her career-best of 9.850 to tie GW’s McMullen, and UNC junior Jamie Shaerer and sophomore Julia Knower finished with a 9.725.
On the vault, the Colonials fell by a .025 margin to UNC, who was padded by a 9.8 from junior Kendall Whitman, a 9.75 by sophomore Sarah Zois, 9.725 from sophomore Marlee York and 9.575 from Munnelly.
GW’s graduate student Deja Chambliss finished in first, recording a 9.875 score. Chambliss had led GW in the vault through its past three meets, riding an average score of 9.85 into Saturday. Katz scored a season-best 9.825 to tie for the third-place score on the day.
Freshman Kaya Forbes paved the way for the vaulting Tar Heels with a team-high 9.85, scoring second overall in the event. Right behind Forbes, Dekanoidze and Knower tallied scores of 9.825.
Junior Kate Greene and Fink recorded a score of 9.75 to round out UNC’s lineup and push the Tar Heels to 49 points, topping GW.
The Colonials moved to the floor in their third rotation, where they collected 48.8 points, led by Chambliss who scored a 9.875. Freshman Deana Sheremeta matched her career-high of 9.85 points, placing in fourth. Silverman added 9.775 points, and York posted a 9.7. Zois scored a 9.6, and junior Payton Lynch finished off GW’s lineup with a 9.475.
UNC’s highlight of the meet came on the floor, where they scooped up the most points of any event at the meet. Knower made history for the Tar Heels, scoring a 9.95 for her performance to become No. 7 in UNC history for the event. Forbes followed behind with a 9.9 to finish in second place and earn the highest score in her freshman career.
Senior Elizabeth Culton matched her season-high 9.875 as the third-best performance of the meet. Senior Hannah Nam matched her season-best with a 9.8 that pushed UNC to a total score of 49.35 on the floor, while Freene set a new personal best of 9.825.
The Colonials ended the meet on the beam, where they assembled 48.9 points to tie UNC in the event. Silverman posted a season-high of 9.825 and finished in second place to lead the Colonials.
Katz, Sheremeta and Zois recorded 9.775 points apiece, followed by York’s 9.75 and Chambliss’ 9.275.
UNC’s Knower notched her highest score of the meet with 9.85 points. Nam recorded a personal-best 9.825, tying with Culton for second place.
The Colonials will head to Towson Wednesday for a dual meet at 6 p.m. before visiting Denver Sunday for a quad meet against Pitt and Air Force.