Clemson Rallies on Floor to Defeat Pitt, Finishes Fifth at ACC Championships

Kielyn McCright on beam during the ACC Championship. (Photo Courtesy of Clemson Gymnastics - Clemson Athletics)

Clemson gymnastics competed in the ACC Championships on Saturday afternoon, facing Pittsburgh in Greensboro, N.C. As the No. 5 seed, the Tigers entered the postseason with momentum after a strong performance in their final home meet, where they posted a 196.45 against Penn State. Clemson recorded a season-high score on beam and honored its eight seniors. The Tigers looked to carry that energy into the conference championship, led by All-ACC honoree Brie Clark, who ranked No. 2 in the ACC on floor. Competing in Olympic order as the higher seed, Clemson began its rotation on vault as it took on the No. 6-seed Panthers in the opening session. Clemson would come out on top after a late rally on floor defeating Pitt 196.175 to 195.800. Let’s jump into how the meet unfolded inside of First Horizon Coliseum. 

Vault

As the higher seed, Clemson started the competition on vault. Quinn Kuhl led off with a 9.775 on her Yurchenko full, followed by a 9.750 from Maggie Holman on her front handspring pike half. Madison Minner stuck her tucked Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.875, while Tara Walsh delivered another stuck landing on her Yurchenko 1.5 to earn a career-high 9.900. Eve Jackson rounded out the rotation with a 9.700, giving Clemson a 49.000 on the event. After the first rotation, Pitt held a slight edge over Clemson, 49.175-49.000.

Bars

The Tigers moved to bars for the second rotation, where Takoda Berry set the tone with a stuck dismount and a 9.700. Eve Jackson followed with a solid 9.800, while Lauren Rutherford and freshman Hannah Clark each posted a 9.825. Quinn Kuhl anchored the lineup with a team-high 9.850, helping Clemson notch its second consecutive 49.000 event total. At the halfway point, Pitt remained in the lead, 98.150-98.000.

Beam

Clemson continued its steady performance on beam, beginning with a 9.750 from Brie Clark. Tara Walsh and Sierra Church followed with matching 9.775s, while Quinn Kuhl added a 9.700. Kielyn McCright capped off the rotation with a season-high 9.875, sticking her dismount under pressure. Despite the strong effort, Pitt maintained a narrow lead heading into the final rotation, 147.075-146.875.

Floor

Needing a big performance to overtake the Panthers, Clemson delivered its best rotation of the day on floor. Madison Minner led off with a career-high-tying 9.900, followed by a 9.825 from Molly Arnold. Maggie Holman matched her season-best with a 9.850, while Eve Jackson added another 9.825. Brie Clark, one of the ACC’s top floor performers, tied Minner’s event-high score with a 9.900. Tara Walsh closed out the meet with a 9.825, giving the Tigers a 49.300 on floor which was their highest event total of the day and securing the win over Pitt.

With a final score of 196.175, Clemson edged out the Panthers (195.800) to win the session and finish fifth overall in the ACC Championships. Stanford claimed the conference title with a 197.775, followed by Cal (197.650), North Carolina (197.225), NC State (196.500), Clemson (196.175), and Pitt (195.800).

All-ACC Championship Team

The Clemson Gymnastics team had four Tigers who made the All-ACC Championship team:

Vault: Tara Walsh

Beam: Kielyn McCright

Floor: Brie Clark

Floor: Madison Minner

Congratulations to those four on their accomplishments.

Up Next

The Tigers now turn their attention to the NCAA Regionals, with their destination and matchups set to be announced during the NCAA Gymnastics Selection Show on Monday, March 24. The show will air live on ESPNU at noon.