The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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124 ■ THE WOLFPACKER the National Association of Collegiate Gym- nastics Coaches/Women. "She had really good training when she was younger," Stevenson noted. "She dances extremely well, but more than anything she goes out there and really performs. "You have to be a performer. If you are not a performer, then it's very difficult to sell the routine to the judges. The judges are the ones that have to like it. If they don't like it, chances are your score is not going to be where you want it to be. "We equate it to a Broadway musical; when those people are on stage they have to have the performances of their life so that they draw the people into the musical itself. Whether we are doing floor exercise or on beam, we have to be so dynamic and have a good performance that we pull those people in." Woodford was the 2013 EAGL Rookie of the Year before laboring through a soph- omore season that was plagued by various injuries. Healthy, she bounced back last year and joined Watkins as a NCAA Cham- pionship qualifier in the all-around. She was also first-team All-EAGL on the beam and all-around, and second-team all-league on the floor. "Consistency for her is everything right now, and she's one of those kids who is not afraid to work," Stevenson said. "She works until she can't do it anymore. It's a real positive for her." Sophomore Chelsea Knight returns after earning first-team all-conference honors last year on the vault, and Stevenson also complimented her work on the uneven bars. Senior Aubrey Hine is back after competing in every meet last season, and Stevenson believes she will be a help for the Pack on the floor and vault. Junior Amanda Fillard was second-team All-EAGL in the vault and uneven bars, and won the vault at a tri-meet with George Washington and William & Mary last sea- son. Sophomore Nicole Wild competed in every meet in 2015 and had five podium finishes, including a first-place showing on the balance beam at Texas Woman's. Stevenson also is expecting freshmen Caitlyn Fillard and Maggie Tamburro to make quick contributions. "We watched both of them for a long time, four or five years," Stevenson said. "Both of them are very competitive." ■ Three Gymnasts To Watch Senior Brittni Watkins Watkins has been NC State's most consistent performer the past two seasons, leading the Pack in podium perfor- mances in both campaigns. She had 27 top-three finishes in 2015, including a team-best 12 first-place triumphs. Watkins reached new heights last year, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the all-around and earning her second All- America honor, getting second-team recognition on the balance beam. Her score of 39.525 in the all-around at Texas Woman's last year was 0.025 off from matching a school record. Senior Michaela Woodford Woodford was the East Atlantic Gymnastics League's Rookie of the Year in 2013, and she returned to that form this past year after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign. Woodford joined Watkins at the NCAA Championships in the all-around. Last year, Woodford was the only Wolfpack gymnast to compete in all four events at all 13 meets during the season. Sophomore Chelsea Knight Knight enjoyed a solid freshman season, competing in every meet and registering seven podium finishes, including three wins. She twice scored 9.900 on the vault, helping her to be named first-team All-EAGL in the event last year. ■ By The Numbers 13 Consecutive years in which NC State has been selected to a postseason NCAA regional as a team. 6 Conference titles won in NCSU gymnastics history, five of them in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League and one in the ACC (1984). The ACC no longer fields a competitive gymnastics conference. 6 Members of last year's gymnastics team that were named to the EAGL All-Academic Team. Noting The Pack • Due to the ongoing renovations at historic Reynolds Coliseum, NC State will host just one meet in Raleigh this season when Ball State comes to town March 12. That will take place at Broughton High School. The Wolfpack will compete in a pair of events in Chapel Hill, a quad meet featuring UNC, Pittsburgh and Bowling Green Feb. 6 and a tri meet with the Heels and William & Mary Feb. 12. Otherwise, the other eight meets for the Pack will all be out of the state, the closest coming in Washington, D.C., against George Washington March 4. The constant traveling will be a challenge, gymnastics coach Mark Stevenson acknowledged. "It's going to be really hard on the kids," Steven - son said. "Getting on an airplane Friday and coming back on Sunday every week wears you out." • Freshman Caitlyn Fillard from Centereach, N.Y., likely had a quick adjustment to Raleigh — her older sister Amanda Fillard is a junior and veteran contributor on the Pack squad. ■ Key Meets • Vs. LSU, Jan. 14 — The Pack will get a stiff early test when they travel to Las Vegas and face the Tigers. LSU finished last season ranked fourth nationally and made it to the NCAA Championship semifinals. • Vs. Nebraska, Iowa State and Wisconsin-Osh- kosh, Feb. 21 — The quad meet will be held in Ames, Iowa, and Nebraska is the headliner. The Huskers finished last year rated No. 9 nationally and made a strong show- ing at the NCAA Championships, finishing fourth out of six teams in their semifinal. The top three teams in each semifinal advanced to the Super Six. • Vs. Ball State, March 12 —The teams will have a meet at Broughton High School, the lone time NCSU will compete in Raleigh. Last season, sophomore Chelsea Knight recorded seven podium finishes, including three wins, and was named first-team All-EAGL in the vault. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP