.png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Athletics
2003 Gymnastics Season Preview
January 8, 2003 | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 8, 2003
It is impossible to give a preview of the 2003 North Carolina gymnastics team without a quick recap of the abundant success enjoyed by the 2002 squad.
Last season, Carolina achieved the ultimate goal within the East Atlantic Gymnastics League when they captured the league's team title, setting a new league scoring record in the process. The team also returned to NCAA postseason competition and finished among the nation's Top 20 programs. During the course of the season, Carolina established team records in the all-around, floor exercise and vault.
Academically the team once again performed at an exceptional level. The team was well represented on both the Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll and the EAGL All-Academic Team. Four team members were recognized as NACGC/W Scholastic All-America members. UNC gymnasts also played integral roles in community service projects that benefited both the campus and the local community.
The leadership provided by last year's seniors, Lisa Companioni and Monica Middleton, created a momentum that impacted the entire squad. That momentum has carried over to the 2003 campaign.
Carolina's leadership this year comes from a senior foursome with considerable experience, including Fritzie Cathcart, Anne Chaffee, Natalie Halbach and Chrissy Klonne.
"Our seniors have each contributed to the success of the Carolina gymnastics program over the past three years," says head coach Derek Galvin. "They are all performing at a higher level this year than at any time during their Carolina careers. They know what it takes to compete among the top teams in the EAGL, and they have experienced the thrill of participating in NCAA postseason competition. Their work ethic as a group, and commitment to their teammates, has set the tone for another outstanding year to come."
Cathcart will again be among Carolina's top performers on vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise.
"Her skill level on all three events has increased since last year, while her level of execution has grown even stronger," Galvin says. "Her commitment to offseason training has not only enhanced her overall strength and fitness level, but it also has allowed her to add more difficulty to her routines. Cathcart's new floor exercise routine displays choreography and tumbling that is dynamic and entertaining. Uneven bars and vault are two events where Cathcart has the potential to be a dominant force in the league this year."
Chaffee has a style and presentation on floor exercise, along with new music and choreography, that will make her routine a fan favorite. In addition, Chaffee's balance beam performance should draw the applause of the spectators, as well as her teammates.
"Anne has worked very hard during the offseason to prepare for her senior year," says Galvin. "That work has already paid great dividends, as her skill level and fitness level are at the highest point thus far in her collegiate career."
Once again, Halbach will be among the best collegiate balance beam performers in the country. Halbach possesses a grace and beauty on balance beam that is awe-inspiring to watch. A 2002 first-team All-EAGL selection on balance beam, Halbach has enhanced her routine with the addition of a new dismount. Her twisting ability on vaulting also gains her a maximum start value on that event.
"Competing as an individual event qualifier on balance beam at the NCAA Regionals in 2001, and again as a team qualifier in 2002, Natalie gained valuable experience that will help this year as leads the team back to the national stage," says Galvin."
Klonne has distinguished herself with her performances on floor exercise. New music, choreography, and an entirely new style may lead to her most captivating floor exercise performances yet.
"Her new routine involves more intricate movement and powerful music, resulting in a wonderful expression of her talent," Galvin says. "Judging by her efforts and focus during the preseason, this could prove to be Klonne's strongest year yet."
The junior class of Maddy Curley, Skylar Inman, Amanda Smith and Anna Wilson enter the 2003 season poised and ready to contribute to the team's goals. Curley and Wilson both had standout seasons in 2002. They each peaked at the perfect time at last year's EAGL Championships, with Wilson placing first and Curley second on floor exercise. New choreography and a higher skill level will be evident in their floor routines this year, as both Curley and Wilson are prepared to contribute as strong all-around competitors. Curley and Wilson have both qualified as individual all-arounders, and as team qualifiers, to past NCAA competitions.
"Maddy and Anna are determined competitors, and they shine brightest when competing among the strongest opponents," says Galvin.
After enjoying a successful season in 2001, both Inman and Smith were limited last year by injuries.
"Their preseason training has gone very well this year," says Galvin, "and they appear ready once again to challenge for positions in the line-up. Inman's skill execution in her uneven bar routine is among the strongest on the team. In addition, her skill level on balance beam has continued to improve during the preseason. Amanda also has shown continued progress during the preseason on uneven bars as well as on balance beam. They have both shown their strength to be on uneven bars, and they will provide depth in the balance beam line-up."
Four seasoned sophomores, including Elisabeth Alsop, Morgan Stanley, Olivia Trusty and Amy Williams, made a huge impact on the depth and scoring potential of the team as freshmen last year. All four train as all-arounders, and they have each shown the potential during the preseason to compete in the line-up on two or more events. As a group, they are most impressive on vaulting and uneven bars.
Trusty had a sensational freshman year as one of the top competitors in the EAGL on vaulting, uneven bars, and floor exercise.
"Olivia's proficiency on balance beam during the preseason this year shows that she is now ready to compete as one of the top all-arounders in the league," says Galvin.
Arguably the most impressive freshman at last year's EAGL Championships, Trusty has honed her execution in preparation for the 2003 campaign.
Alsop displayed the most rapid improvement of any Carolina gymnast during the course of the 2002 season. She capped off the year with her strongest performances on uneven bars and balance beam at the EAGL Championships and the NCAA competition. Her continued improvement on each event during the preseason has her in position this year to compete as an all-arounder.
"Elisabeth's work ethic in training and her commitment to gymnastics is evident on a daily basis, and the joy she appears to draw from the sport makes even hard work look like fun," Galvin says."
Stanley continues to work hard in her comeback from an injury suffered midseason last year. She has improved on uneven bars and vaulting during the preseason training and has gained a level of consistency that could earn her a place in the line-up on one or both of those events. Stanley's progress on balance beam and floor exercise also places her in position to provide depth on those events.
Williams returns this year looking to improve on an impressive freshman season. Last year, she established a school record on the vault in her first collegiate competition.
"Amy gained valuable collegiate experience on other events last year, however, she has shown a higher level of consistency during the pre-season this year," says Galvin. "She now appears in position to compete as a strong all-arounder."
Three talented freshmen join this group of experienced upperclassmen. Courtney Bumpers, Mikel Hester and Cecilia Liu are strong students as well as strong gymnasts. Liu's focus during preseason has been on strengthening her knee following surgery to repair an injury sustained while in high school. As her recovery progresses, Liu's attention will shift more toward her training on the uneven bars, and eventually the other events. Bumpers and Hester have been busy during preseason training preparing as all-arounders.
"They both have shown that they are capable of contributing immediately on all four events," says Galvin. "This dynamic duo has been particularly impressive on vaulting, but they could also have a significant impact on the uneven bars line-up as they gain consistency on that event. On both balance beam and floor exercise, Courtney has displayed tumbling ability that could very well place her among the top performers in the league, if not the country, while Mikel has also shown a proficiency on beam and floor that could lead to strong performances during the season."
VAULT
Team depth on this event will be a strength for the Tar Heels again in 2003. Seniors Cathcart and Halbach, juniors Curley and Wilson, sophomores Alsop, Stanley, Trusty and school record-holder Williams all return with experience in the vault line-up. Seniors Chaffee and Klonne have also been training on the event. The addition of two exceptional vaulters in freshmen Bumpers and Hester to the strong group of returning team members makes this one of the strongest vaulting squads ever at Carolina.
Cathcart will utilize a front handspring, front flip vault in pike position, which she has also been training with a half twist. Halbach will continue to use the 10.0 start value vault of half twist on, double twist off. Chaffee has been working on a handspring with a double twist, while Klonne has been training a front handspring, front flip vault in tucked position. Curley has been showing steady progress on the round-off entry Yurchenko vault in a layout position. Wilson has been training a front handspring front flip vault in pike position, a Cuervo (handspring, twist back flip) in a tucked position, and a Cuervo with a half twist. Alsop and Stanley are both training front handspring - front flip vaults in tucked and pike position. All-EAGL vaulters Trusty and Williams both perform Phelps vaults in layout position (half twist on, half twist off to a layout front flip). Bumpers also uses the Phelps vault in layout position, and a front handspring, front flip vault in pike position with a twist. Hester will also utilize a front handspring, front flip vault in pike position, with a half twist.
BARS
Cathcart, Curley, Wilson, Alsop and Trusty return as the most experienced uneven bars performers from last year's line-up. Inman, Smith and Williams also have valuable uneven bars experience. Cathcart and Trusty have shown the most consistency on the uneven bars during the preseason, and they will provide strong leadership on the event this year. The addition of new pirouetting elements in Curley's and Alsop's routines increases their level of difficulty. Wilson, Stanley, Bumpers and Hester have also been progressing well during the preseason.
Carolina's team depth on the uneven bars looks to be the best in many years. According to Galvin, the Tar Heels will be significantly stronger as a squad on this event, thus creating more exciting practice sessions as the team members vie for a position in the line-up.
BALANCE BEAM
alance Beam has traditionally been a strong event for the Tar Heels. Led by several experienced competitors, including Halbach, Curley, Wilson, and Alsop, Carolina looks to continue that tradition in 2003. Halbach's signature style will continue to set her apart from most competitors. A 2002 All-EAGL balance beam performer last year, Halbach's routine appears even stronger this year with the addition of a new dismount. Curley also had another outstanding year on balance beam in 2002, and she appears poised to do the same again this year. Wilson and Alsop were new to the beam line-up in 2002, and they both did an exceptional job through the course of the season. They appear even more confident this year, and each has enhanced the level of execution in their routines.
Chaffee, Klonne, Smith, Inman, Stanley, Trusty, Williams, and newcomers Bumpers and Hester, have all shown promise on balance beam during the preseason. In particular, Bumpers, Trusty and Williams appear the closest to positions among the top six.
FLOOR EXERCISE
The Carolina floor exercise squad was ranked among the Top 15 in the country during the course of the 2002 season. The graduation of last year's team captains Companioni and Middleton, two of the most talented floor exercise performers in the history of the Tar Heel program, creates a void in the floor line-up. However, the returning team members, and newcomers Bumpers and Hester, have been working hard to fill their spots.
Returning from last year's top eight on floor exercise, Cathcart, Curley, EAGL Champion Wilson, Trusty, Alsop and Williams, all had considerable competitive experience last year. Seniors Chaffee and Klonne have also gained considerable experience on floor exercise during their tenures as Tar Heel Gymnasts.
Cathcart, Chaffee and Klonne are eager to showcase their routines as they have each added new choreography and new tumbling elements for their final year of gymnastics competition. Curley and Wilson will once again be a strong duo within the league as they display new routines with even stronger tumbling. The sophomore class of Alsop, Trusty, Stanley and Williams have also significantly upgraded their tumbling while further enhancing their dance and execution. Bumpers and Hester both possess impressive tumbling skills and entertaining choreography that will blend perfectly with the captivating routines performed by their teammates.
Players Mentioned
