Tonight’s debut has been literally years in the making, and most appropriate that it’s happening on a Solid Orange Friday.
Clemson is the first Power Five program to add women’s gymnastics since Arkansas in 2003. Whereas the Razorbacks jumped into the fray with an all-freshmen team, the Tigers’ inaugural roster boasts a mix of seasoned veterans—including transfers Lauren Rutherford and Kaitlin DeGuzman, as well as several members from Utah State’s 2022 MRGC championship-winning team—and high profile newcomers, most notably former elite Lilly Lippeatt. This team has made it clear that their goals and expectations for this season are sky high, so don’t expect them to hold anything back tonight.
This is also the first of two historic meets this weekend featuring the Tribe (and blogged in person by yours truly). We’ll both be heading up to Nashville next for the inaugural MLK Invitational hosted by Fisk and featuring the only six NCAA gym teams led by Black women.
For obvious reasons, Clemson will be receiving the lion’s share (Tiger’s share?) of the spotlight at this meet, but don’t sleep on William & Mary! This is a really fun and talented crew coming off a strong showing at the 2023 GEC championship, punctuated by the team’s highest score…
