NC State Gymnastics Delivers Statement Win Over Rival UNC, Powered by Career Night from Syniya Thomas
When NC State and North Carolina face off, it’s never just another meet - and on this night, the Wolfpack didn’t just show up, they showed out.
Behind a career-best performance from sophomore Syniya Thomas and a series of record-tying team efforts, No. 22 NC State (3-2, 3-1 ACC) pulled off a 197.125-196.525 upset over No.
12 UNC-Chapel Hill (3-4, 1-3 ACC), notching their fifth straight win over their Tobacco Road rivals. And they did it in style.
Thomas capped off the night with a near-perfect 9.975 on the floor - the highest score of her career and the second-highest in program history. As she stuck her final pose, her teammates knew what it meant. They lifted her in celebration, the moment emblematic of a meet where the Wolfpack didn’t just compete - they made history.
“What I did on the floor translates to what I do in the gym,” Thomas said. “I just put it all out there on the floor. I did my best.”
That effort wasn’t just personal - it was program-defining. NC State tied its highest-ever score on the uneven bars, matched the fifth-best floor score in school history, and posted the sixth-highest team score ever.
And if that wasn’t enough, they also notched season-highs on bars, beam, and floor. This was the kind of performance that resonates beyond the win column - it’s a statement to the rest of the ACC and beyond.
Thomas wasn’t the only standout on the floor. Freshman Autumn Rardin delivered a breakout moment of her own, earning a career-high 9.900 to tie for third alongside UNC’s Jessica Naranjo. NC State’s floor squad finished with a 49.450 - matching the program’s fifth-best score in that event.
The momentum carried over to the balance beam, where Thomas again led the way with a 9.875, tying for first with UNC’s Sydney Seabrooks. The Pack showed off its depth here too, with junior Katie Harper, sophomore Caroline Volk, and UNC’s Camryn Rudea all tying for third at 9.850.
NC State’s beam total? A rock-solid 49.200.
Volk wasn’t done. On the uneven bars, she matched her career high with a 9.925 to take second place, while Harper and senior Madeline Reid followed with matching 9.900s to tie for third. That 49.450 team score on bars tied the best in program history - a mark that speaks to both consistency and execution under pressure.
Vault was no letdown either. Sophomore Ava Myers matched her career best with a 9.850, good for third place, while Thomas followed with a 9.825. Junior Elle Hadrick and freshman Elle Hadrick each added 9.800s, helping the Wolfpack post a 49.025 - their best vault score since the season opener against Clemson.
All told, this meet was more than just a rivalry win - it was NC State’s highest team score of the season and a showcase of what this squad is capable of when firing on all cylinders.
And the best part? This isn’t the end of the story.
The Wolfpack and Tar Heels will meet again on Friday, Feb. 13 in Chapel Hill, and then once more on Sunday, Feb. 15 in Fort Worth, Texas. If this first clash was any indication, we’re in for two more must-watch matchups.
For now, though, NC State gets to savor this one - a rivalry win steeped in history, emotion, and elite-level gymnastics.