Wolfpack Opens Season Against Northern Illinois & Illinois-Chicago Sunday

Wolfpack Opens Season Against Northern Illinois & Illinois-Chicago Sunday

1/6/2018 9:10:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The Kim Landrus era officially begins for the NC State gymnastics team when it opens its season in a tri-meet with Northern Illinois & Illinois-Chicago on Sun., Jan. 7 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) in DeKalb, Illinois, inside the Convocation Center.

"One of the messages that I really think is important is that we go into Northern and are confident, calm and we are together as a team," said head coach Kim Landrus. "We are stronger together as a Pack and I think that if we stay like that it will really help build our momentum throughout the competition.

Tabbed third in the EAGL preseason poll, NC State returns 12 from 2017 along with adding six newcomers. The Pack is led by 2017 Regional Qualifiers Chelsea Knight (all-around), Paris Phillips (floor) and Melissa Brooker (bars) as well as Drew Grantham who was chosen as an alternate on floor. All four were All-EAGL selections in their events and Paris Phillips was the 12th EAGL Floor Champion in program history. Alexa Phillips, who was Second-Team All-EAGL on floor and vault.

Nicole Wild, who missed much of 2017, will look to get back to the form that saw her qualify for the 2016 Athens (Ga.) Regional on beam along with being named All-EAGL First Team (beam) and All-EAGL Second Team (bars). Mackenzie Itcush also returns for the Pack after missing time last season; in 2016 she competed on floor in eight meets and earned a season-best score of 9.800 in the Pack's quad meet at Towson with George Washington and William and Mary.

Alexis Beucler, Caitlyn Fillard and Maggie Tamburro also saw action in 2017 while newcomers Lauren Kent, Katie Cox, Sara Watson, Olivia Hunter, Kasey Nelson and Victoria Prati join the Pack for their freshmen seasons .

Scouting Northern Illinois
The Huskies ended the 2017 season ranked 39^th nationally with an RQS of 195.43 and an average of 194.605. They were selected third in the 2018 Mid-America Conference (MAC) preseason poll and return two gymnasts, Ashley Potts and Katherine Prentince, who qualified as all-around competitors for the 2017 NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Andie Van Voorhis was also chosen as an alternate on vault.

Scouting Illinois-Chicago
The Flames ended the 2017 season with a national ranking of 57 along with a 193.775 RQS score and a 193.119 average. UIC return junior Mikailla Northern, who represented the Flames at the 2017 Fayettville Regional, competing in all-around competition, finishing the meet with a score of 38.150. UIC also returns Abby Hasanov, their top floor exercise performer with a career high of 9.850, and Serena Baker, a Second Team Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) All-Conference performer on bars.

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