ATHENS, Georgia -- Competing at an NCAA Regional for the first time since 1981, the Western Michigan gymnastics team saw a historic season come to a close with a first round loss to NC State on Thursday afternoon at the University of Georgia. The Wolfpack captured the meet with a team score of 196.425, topping WMU's score of 195.075, to advance to face Central Michigan in the second round.
Payton Murphy, the 2021 MAC Gymnast of the Year, placed first on the balance beam and third on floor with WMU's top score in both events.
Sarah Moravansky, the 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year and 2021 MAC All-Around Champion, paced the Broncos on vault with a fourth-place finish, while also finishing second in all-around. Senior captain
Stacie Harrison was the top WMU scorer on the uneven bars, placing third.f
Murphy qualified for the NCAA Championship as an individual and will compete again on Friday in Athens for the opportunity to advance to national finals.
The Broncos opened competition on the bars, scoring 48.400. Harrison paced the group with a 9.875 in her final meet as a Bronco. NC State scored 48.775 on vault to take the lead. The teams flipped and NC State posted a 49.325 on bars to WMU's 48.650 on vault, resulting in the Wolfpack holding a 98.100-97.050 advantage at the halfway point. Murphy registered a 9.80 on vault to lead WMU.
Western Michigan put together a strong floor routine, scoring 49.175 as a team led by a 9.900 from Murphy and 9.85 from
Carissa Ludwig. The third rotation saw NC State record a 49.025 on balance beam to hold a lead entering the final rotation, 147.125-146.225.
Murphy again paced the Broncos on beam in the final rotation, scoring her second 9.900 of the day.
Josephine Thomas contributed a 9.85, but WMU's beam score of 48.850 wasn't quite enough as the Wolfpack scored 49.300 on floor to win by a final margin of 196.425-195.075.
| Penny's Thoughts
Head coach
Penny Jernigan shared her thoughts after leading her team to an NCAA Regional for the first time in nearly four decades.
On reaching an NCAA Regional...
"I'm super proud of this group. We had a few falls early on bars, but everyone rebounded and backed each other up. Our team score over 195 with a fall proves that we belong on this stage. Back in the fall, when we weren't certain we'd have a chance to compete this year, we tried to focus on what we could accomplish if we had the opportunity and we talked about making regionals. It provides such a life lesson that even though there was no clear path, we just kept taking the next step and here we are."
On individual performances...
"I'm really proud of our seniors,
Stacie Harrison and
Alexis Olivier. To see them keep fighting and pick-up their teammates was awesome.
Sarah Moravansky was phenomenal as a freshman on this stage and
Payton Murphy put together her best floor routine of the year. We're going to stay as a team and cheer on Payton tomorrow as she competes as an individual and really celebrate this outstanding season."
| Leaderboard
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| Vault |
| 1. |
Emily Shepard (NCSU) |
9.850 |
| 2. |
Chloe Negrete (NCSU) |
9.825 |
| 3. |
Madison Benson (NCSU) |
9.800 |
| Bars |
| 1. |
Katelyn Cox (NCSU) |
9.900 |
|
Emily Shepard (NCSU) |
9.900 |
| 3. |
Lauren Kent (NCSU) |
9.875 |
|
Stacie Harrison (WMU) |
9.875 |
| Beam |
| 1. |
Payton Murphy (WMU) |
9.875 |
| 2. |
Emily Shepard (NCSU) |
9.850 |
|
Chloe Negrete (NCSU) |
9.850 |
|
Nicole Webb (NCSU) |
9.850 |
| Floor |
| 1. |
Chloe Negrete (NCSU) |
9.925 |
| 2. |
Emily Shepard (NCSU) |
9.900 |
|
Payton Murphy (WMU) |
9.900 |
| All-Around |
| 1. |
Emily Shepard (NCSU) |
39.500 |
| 2. |
Sarah Moravansky (WMU) |
39.100 |
| 3. |
Dani Petrousek (WMU) |
38.975 |
| Up Next
Murphy's season will continue on Friday, April 2, when she competes as an individual all-around competitor. She will compete during session two, which begins at 7 p.m. ET.
Competition can be seen live on ESPN3.
