The No. 29 Clemson gymnastics team delivered a strong performance in their meet against No. 16 Stanford on Sunday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum. Despite hitting season highs on vault and floor, Clemson fell short in the final scores, with Stanford securing the win by a margin of 196.925-196.575. The Tigers posted a season-best 196.525, marking the second time this season they have surpassed the 196-point threshold.
The Tigers began the competition on vault, where Quinn Kuhl scored a 9.725 to start. Kate Bryant followed with a 9.700, and Maggie Holman and Tara Walsh both contributed impressive 9.850 scores, with Holman tying her career best and Walsh setting a career high. Madison Minner and Eve Jackson rounded out the rotation with scores of 9.825 and 9.800, respectively. Clemson finished the rotation with a season-high 49.050.
At the end of the first rotation, Stanford held a slight lead over Clemson, 49.350-49.050.
The Tigers delivered a strong showing on bars in the second rotation. Takoda Berry led the way with a career-high 9.875, followed by Rebecca Wells and Hannah Clark, who also posted 9.875s to match their career bests. Lauren Rutherford added a 9.825, while Lilly Lippeatt contributed a 9.800 and Eve Jackson scored 9.775. The Tigers finished with a 49.150 on bars, which was a solid total for the event.
At the halfway point, Stanford led by a slim margin, 98.350-98.300.
The third rotation featured a standout performance by Kuhl, who scored a career-high 9.875 on beam. Brie Clark followed with a 9.825, while Lippeatt scored 9.800. Tara Walsh posted a 9.750 with a stuck dismount, and Sierra Church and Danika Nielsen added scores of 9.725 and 8.925, respectively. Clemson’s team score on beam was 48.975.
After three rotations, Clemson trailed Stanford by a score of 147.750-147.275.
The Tigers closed the meet on a high note with a season-best performance on floor. Jackson delivered a career-high 9.950, marking the sixth time in the program’s history that a Tiger has scored that high on the event. Clark followed with a 9.925, and Molly Arnold earned a season-best 9.900. Minner tied her season-high with a 9.850, while Lippeatt (9.675) and Holman (9.625) rounded out the rotation. Clemson scored 49.300 on floor, their highest team score of the season on the event.
Despite their strong finish, Clemson ended the meet with a total score of 196.575, just shy of Stanford’s 196.925.
Next, Clemson will continue their home stretch with a tri-meet on February 29, when they host UNH and TWU for their Military Appreciation Meet. The meet will begin at 5 p.m. on ACCNX.
