In front of a sellout crowd in Littlejohn Coliseum, Brie Clark closed the meet with a 9.925 to bring home the win for the Tigers. Clark would go on to win two events, beam and floor, scoring a 9.900 and 9.925, respectively. Her performance would help Clemson defeat Pittsburgh 195.350-195.275 on Friday night.
“For me, I didn’t know what I had to get to for us to win,” Clark said in response to her meet-winning floor routine. “I usually don’t pay attention to the score.”
Sophomore Maggie Holman was also the event winner on vault, scoring a 9.850, followed closely by Trinity Brown, who scored a 9.825. A stutter step by Quinn Kuhl led to a 9.725 by the sophomore, and Madison Minner scored a 9.775 for the Tigers.
After rotation one, the Tigers led 48.875-48.725.
Clemson saw much success early on bars, led by redshirt sophomore Lilly Lippeatt, who stuck to her routine and scored a 9.850. Sophomore Takoda Berry scored 9.775, and the momentum continued as redshirt senior Eve Jackson scored 9.775.
Freshman Hannah Clark was fourth in the rotation and suffered a fall during her routine, resulting in a 9.275. Graduate Rebecca Wells brought the momentum back to Clemson with a 9.800, but Kuhl also sustained a fall in her routine, resulting in a score of 8.975.
This second rotation would put Clemson down 97.575-97.350 at the halfway point of the meet.
Lippeatt, who leads three of the four rotations for the Tigers, began the third rotation on beam scoring a 9.825.
“Lilly is our leadoff for three events because she is just reliable,” head coach Amy Smith said. “She just trains so well and gives such a calm to the rest of the lineup, knowing that Lilly is going to go out and do her thing.”
Last week on floor, Clark put up the highest score from a Clemson gymnast this season with a 9.900, and she put up that same score this week on beam. Freshman Danika Nielsen scored a 9.800, and sophomore Sierra Church followed close behind with a 9.775.
Clemson was still behind after the third rotation 146.325-146.125 as they headed to the floor for its final rotation.
The Tigers came ready to party in Littlejohn, with Lippeatt leading off with a 9.800 and Holman followed with a 9.850. Minner and Jackson scored a 9.825, and Clark closed the meet with her 9.925, securing the win over Pittsburgh 195.350-195.275.
Clemson will travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, next to face the Tar Heels on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m.
