In its 2025 season home opener, Clemson gymnastics was able to come out on top against the Pittsburgh Panthers with a winning score of 195.350-195.275. After what was an electric meet at Littlejohn Coliseum, here are some highs and lows from the night.
Paws up: Littlejohn loud
Clemson students never seem to fail when it comes to showing up and being loud — especially when that place is Littlejohn Coliseum. This was more than evident during Friday night’s meet, where the Tigers finally returned home after a three week road trip to open the season.
Redshirt Senior Eve Jackson said that the home advantage played a factor in the team’s confidence.
“Hearing people yell 10, 10, 10 getting into it as much as we’re into it, we definitely feed off of that, and it gives us more motivation to do better,” Jackson said after the meet.
With a packed student section seated right in front of the floor exercise, the charged atmosphere was unlike any other. In total, over 8,500 fans filled the arena to cheer on their Tigers, making it an unforgettable home opener.
Paws down: Bar inconsistency
Despite the overall success of the team, Clemson struggled on the bars on Friday night. Freshman Hannah Clark appeared on the uneven bars and was able to stick her landing but brought in a score of 9.275 after a fall mid-routine. Sophomore Quinn Kuhl also suffered a mistake amidst her routine, scoring an 8.975. Lilly Lippeatt, Takoda Berry, Jackson and Rebecca Wells all scored above 9.775 individually for the Tigers.
Clemson’s top five scorers left it with a total event score of 48.400, which left the team trailing in the competition after the second rotation, 97.575-97.275.
However, as it was only the second event of the night, there was still time to regain the lost points.
Paws up: Down-to-the-wire floor finish
When the Tigers took to the floor, the crowd was nothing short of ecstatic for their gymnasts. Lippeatt pounced immediately, tallying a score of 9.800. Maggie Holman was able to deliver a season-high 9.850 for the young sophomore, followed by Madison Minner and Jackson with two scores of 9.825. Redshirt junior Molly Arnold put forth a strong performance on the floor, but her score of 9.600 ultimately did not contribute to the event total.
To round out the event, Brie Clark stepped onto the mats. At this point in the night, the Tigers were still trailing the Panthers; Clark needed a score of at least 9.850 to bring home the win in their home gym.
As the music began, the Alabama native brought an unmatched energy to the floor and kept the crowd roaring. As she wrapped up her routine, Brie Clark landed a front layout to front full to front tuck, leaving the Tigers with a fighting chance to outscore Pitt.
The judges settled on a score of 9.925 for the gymnast, and the Tigers snuck away with a home win by a margin of .075.
