Florida & Oregon State Advance to Regional Final, Clemson Gymnastics’ Season Comes to an End

Another strong season for Clemson Gymnastics comes to a close. Thank you for the fun ride, Team Two. (Photo By Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

Strong Start, Tough Finish for Tigers in NCAA Regional Quad Meet

Clemson gymnastics fought hard in their NCAA Regional quad meet in Tuscaloosa but ultimately fell short of advancing, finishing fourth behind Florida, Oregon State, and NC State. With only the top two teams moving on to the regional final, the Tigers’ season came to an end after a 195.875 performance. Competing without Molly Arnold and others, Clemson started strong on beam and floor but struggled on vault and bars, preventing them from keeping pace with the advancing teams.

Beam: A Historic Performance to Open the Meet

Clemson began on beam and delivered one of their best performances in program history. Sierra Church led the way with a 9.900, while both Brie Clark and Kielyn McCright posted impressive 9.875 scores. Tara Walsh wasn’t far behind with a 9.850, and Hannah Clark and Quinn Kuhl each added 9.825s. The Tigers’ 49.325 was the second-highest beam score in program history and their highest mark of the season. After the first rotation, Clemson found themselves in second place behind Florida, with Oregon State and NC State trailing.

Floor: Clemson Keeps Rolling

Momentum carried over to floor, where the Tigers continued their strong showing. Brie Clark paced the lineup with a 9.900, while Eve Jackson added a 9.850. Madison Minner (9.825) and Maggie Holman (9.800) delivered solid routines, and Tara Walsh contributed a 9.700. In a special moment, Takoda Berry made her collegiate debut on floor, scoring a respectable 9.765. Despite another solid team effort, Clemson lost some ground to Florida but remained in second place with a team total of 98.400.

Vault: Struggles Shake Up the Standings

Clemson ran into trouble on vault, posting their lowest event score of the night. Quinn Kuhl (9.750) and Kate Bryant (9.725) were the highest-scoring Tigers, but lower scores from Madison Minner (9.675), Tara Walsh (9.700), and Maggie Holman (9.725) kept the team from gaining ground. Eve Jackson had a rough landing, scoring just 9.075, which would be dropped to Clemson’s total. After vault, the Tigers slipped from second to fourth place, trailing Florida, Oregon State, and NC State.

Bars: A Solid Finish, But Not Enough

In their final rotation of the season, Clemson put together a strong effort on bars. Hannah Clark delivered the highlight with a 9.900, while Lauren Rutherford (9.850) and Takoda Berry (9.825) also put up impressive scores. Eve Jackson contributed a 9.750, but mistakes from Quinn Kuhl (9.225) and Kate Bryant (9.575) prevented the Tigers from making a late surge. Despite their best efforts, Clemson remained in fourth place as Florida and Oregon State secured the top two spots to advance to the regional final.

Final Results and Season Reflection

At the end of the night, Florida (198.225) and Oregon State (197.050) advanced to the regional final, while NC State (196.275) and Clemson (195.875) saw their seasons come to a close. Just like that, season two of Clemson gymnastics is over.

While the Tigers fell short of advancing, the meet showcased the program’s rapid growth and resilience. The team recorded its highest beam score of the season and showed flashes of brilliance on floor and bars. With a strong core of gymnasts returning next year, Clemson will look to build on this experience and take the next step in year three of the program.

Analyst Take

Clemson showed flashes of excellence, particularly on beam and floor, but their struggles on vault and bars proved costly. The absence of Molly Arnold was felt, as depth became a factor late in the meet. The Tigers’ performance on beam was a major bright spot after yesterday’s struggles, proving they can compete with some of the top teams in the country in that event. However, their vault rotation lacked the big scores needed to stay competitive, and small mistakes on bars added up. On the bright side, Clemson gymnastics would end their season a step ahead than they did a season ago.

Looking ahead, the program continues to trend in the right direction. With another year of experience and more talent coming in under Amy Smith, Clemson gymnastics will aim to improve their consistency across all four events. If they can clean up their vault and bars while maintaining their performances on beam and floor, they’ll be in a much better position to contend in future postseason competitions in years to come.