Saturday, February 8
Raleigh, NC
4 PM
Pitt
at
#20 NC State
Pitt to Take on No. 20 NC State Saturday Afternoon
2/7/2025 12:00:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
PITTSBURGH – The Pitt Gymnastics team continues its away stretch as it is set to compete against No. 20 NC State at Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. The meet can be viewed on ACCNX.
Live stats for the meet are available HERE. Fans can also follow the action on X and Instagram via the Pitt Gymnastics handles @pitt_gym.
Pitt Lineups
Balance Beam – Kennedy Duke, Emily Todd, Meika Lee, Julie Røttum Madsø, Darbi Simcox, Jaime Pratt, Lila Pileggi
Floor Exercise – Meika Lee, Emily Todd, Elizabeth Cesarone, Jaime Pratt, Jordyn Ewing, Jah'Liyah Bedminster, Olivia Giunta
Vault – Jaime Pratt, Olivia Giunta, Lila Pileggi, Kennedy Duke, Jah'Liyah Bedminster, Elizabeth Cesarone, Meika Lee
Uneven Bars – Kennedy Duke, Jordyn Ewing, Jah'Liyah Bedminster, Julie Røttum Madsø, Jaime Pratt, Emily Todd, Faith Lerro
The Freshie Shines
- Darbi Simcox exploded onto the scene in Clemson last weekend, setting a personal and team best 9.875 on beam.
- This was only the freshman's second career meet she has competed in.
Terrific Todd
- Sophomore Emily Todd earned her first individual event title of the season in bars (9.850) at Clemson last weekend.
- This marked a season high, surpassing her previous season best of 9.825 set at the Next Level Podium Challenge on opening weekend.
Winner, Winner!
- Three Panthers won individual events against No. 15 Stanford.
- Elizabeth Cesarone had a season-high 9.875 on vault to take first while Jordyn Ewing and Jah'Liyah Bedminster tied with a 9.875 for a share of first place.
2025 Roster Highlights
- The Panthers return a pair of 2024 NCAA Regional Championship participants in Jah'Liyah Bedminster and Jordyn Ewing along with two-time NCAA Regional Championship qualifier and 2024 ACC Championship overall runner-up Hallie Copperwheat.
- Bedminster and Copperwheat were named to the 2025 ACC Preseason Watch List.
- Bedminster and Ewing were All-ACC (floor) last season.
- Emily Todd returns after becoming the first Panther to earn ACC Newcomer of the Week (1/9) last season following a 9.900 routine on bars at the Keystone Classic.
- Bedminster earned Pitt's first ACC Gymnast of the Week honor (1/15) for her performance against Kent State last season … named ACC Specialist of the Week (2/2) after posting a career- high 9.950 – securing a perfect score on the vault against North Carolina.
- Pitt's seven new additions to the roster include transfers Elizabeth Cesarone (Central Michigan) and Jaime Pratt (Arkansas) along with freshmen Camryn Chiu, Olivia Giunta, Meika Lee, Lila Pileggi, and Darbi Simcox.
- Lee was named to 2025 ACC Preseason Newcomer Watch List.
Head Coach Casey Jo MacPherson
- Second season at Pitt ... coaching stops at Arkansas, Western Michigan, and Missouri.
- Led the Panthers to tie for third at the 2024 ACC Championship.
- 8x All-American and two-time First Team All-SEC honoree at Arkansas.
Copperwheat Shines in ACC Opener
- Hallie Copperwheat took home the individual titles in beam (9.875) and floor (9.800) against Clemson.
- She also recorded a 9.750 score in uneven bars.
Success in the Season Opener
- Pitt Gymnastics (3-3, 0-3 ACC) opened the season with wins over Illinois State, George Washington, and Western Michigan as Jah'Liyah Bedminster (bars), Elizabeth Cesarone (vault), and Jordyn Ewing (floor) claimed event titles at the Next Level Podium Challenge.
- The Panthers had 10 podium finishes and posted a team score of 195.575 to outpace Illinois State (195.100), George Washington (194.375), and host Western Michigan (192.850) Saturday evening at Kellogg Arena.
- The Panthers powered their way to the victory with a 49.025 on the uneven bars in the final rotation of the night. Bedminster claimed the top spot with a 9.850, while Emily Todd and Jaime Pratt finished tied for second with matching 9.825s. Hallie Copperwheat posted a 9.800 to reach the podium with a tie for third finish.
- Pitt took two of the top three spots on floor as Ewing (9.900) and Bedminster (9.850) delivered strong performances on the floor to pace Pitt to a 49.000. Ewing posted the top score in the event for her 11th career individual title and the fifth first place finish in floor exercise of her career.
- Cesarone, making her Pitt debut, posted an impressive 9.850, while Kennedy Duke added a 9.800 on the vault as the Panthers scored a 48.875. Cesarone tied for first to claim her fifth career first place finish in the vault, while Duke was tied for third overall.
- The Panthers recorded a 48.675 on the beam with Todd posting a team-best 9.775 to tie for third overall.
- Meika Lee finished second in the all-around with a total of 38.400 to reach the podium in her first collegiate meet. She posted a 9.750 on the balance beam for her top scoring event of the night.
Celebrating 50 Years of Pitt Gymnastics
- Pitt will celebrate the program's 50-year anniversary of varsity status, dating back to the first season of competition in 1975 under Pitt Athletics Hall of Famer Donna Sanft, throughout the 2025 campaign.
2025 Schedule
- Pitt rounds out conference action with a home meet against North Carolina (Feb. 14) and a road trip to Cal (Feb. 23).
- Non-conference action resumes with a Feb. 28 meet at Kent State followed by a home Backyard Brawl meet with West Virginia March 9.
- The Panthers also compete at a quad meet in Columbus on Sunday, March 16 before traveling to Greensboro, N.C. for the ACC Championship Saturday, March 22.
Pitt in the Rankings
- Pitt Gymnastics is currently 33rd in the Road to Nationals rankings after the first three ACC meets.
- Previously the Panthers were 31st following their meet against Stanford in the Fitzgerald Field House.
- Elizabeth Cesarone is currently 40th in the nation in vault.
Up Next
The Panthers are back at home in the Fitzgerald Field House on Feb. 14 for another ACC meet against North Carolina. Competition will begin at 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
Players Mentioned
VT, UB, FX
/ Women's Gymnastics
VT, BB, FX
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
UB, BB, FX
/ Women's Gymnastics
VT, BB, FX
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
UB, BB
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's GymnasticsEmily Todd Uneven Bars vs. Kent State
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Pitt Gymnastics | Casey Jo MacPherson | Introductory Press Conference
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Gymnastics | Senior Day Letter | Katrina Coca
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Gymnastics | Senior Day Letter | Haley Brechwald
Wednesday, March 31