University of North Carolina Athletics
Undefeated Gymnasts Prepare For Sunday Invitational
February 13, 2003 | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 13, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--North Carolina will travel to Towson, Md., Sun., Feb. 16, to compete in the Towson University Invitational at 1 p.m. The undefeated Tar Heels (12-0) will take on Towson as well as James Madison, Pennsylvania, Temple and Yale.
"I think it's going to be a good meet," said Assistant Coach Penny Jernigan. "The six-team format prepares us for higher meets later in the season. I think it will be a really good experience for us."
The Carolina gymnasts have made a very strong showing so far this season, winning all four of their first meets. In its last meet on Sat., Feb. 8, the team set school records in vault, floor exercise and team total score. The average final score of 194.075 qualifies the Tar Heels for a 28th national ranking and a second place conference ranking.
Of the five competitors who will challenge the Tar Heels at the Towson Invitational, Carolina has competed against three this year - Towson, James Madison and Temple. Junior Anna Wilson will be matched up against former teammates from Pennsylvania, where she attended her freshman year before transferring to North Carolina.
Wilson has placed second in the all-around in the past three meets, finishing last week's Governor's Cup with a personal best of 39.400. Her score of 10.0 on the floor exercise in Carolina's only home meet so far was a first in the event for any Tar Heel gymnast.
Wilson's perfect score in floor exercise was repeated by freshman teammate Courtney Bumpers at the Governor's Cup the following week. Bumpers has made an impressive start to her first year as a college gymnast, winning the all-around title in all four meets and setting a school all-around record at the Governor's Cup, a 39.600. Bumpers has been named East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Gymnast of the Week for the past two weeks.
Sophomore Olivia Trusty has also proved vital to Carolina's success this season, earning high scores in every meet. Trusty was honored as the school's first EAGL Specialist of the Week, an award that recognizes a gymnast who has competed in fewer than three events in a meet, for the week ending Feb 2.
Carolina holds winning records against every team competing in Sunday's meet except Towson. The team has remained undefeated against Towson, however, over the past two seasons. Yale is the only team that will appear at the Towson Invitational who has never beaten the Tar Heels.
Jernigan said she would like for the team "just to continue to improve on our execution and to continue doing the things we've been doing."
Players Mentioned
