University of North Carolina Athletics
Two Gymnasts Honored in EAGL
February 5, 2003 | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 5, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--Freshman Courtney Bumpers has been named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Gymnast of the Week for the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 2. In addition, sophomore teammate Olivia Trusty has been named EAGL Specialist of the Week, an award started this season to honor a gymnast who competes in no more than two events in any given meet.
umpers has won the all-around competition in all three meets this season. She boasts the highest all-around finish in the EAGL thus far with her latest score of 39.450, earned at North Carolina's first home meet on Jan. 31.
Last Friday, the Tar Heels defeated James Madison and William & Mary with a season-best score of 195.275 in their first of three scheduled appearances at home. Bumpers finished the meet with personal bests in every event and took first on balance beam (9.875) and second on vault (9.875), uneven bars (9.775) and floor exercise (9.925).
"I didn't expect it at all," said the freshman gymnast about receiving the Gymnast of the Week Award. "When Coach told me I was so surprised to hear it."
umpers' 39.450 in the all-around is the second-highest score in UNC history and is just .05 shy of Brooke Wilson's 39.500, set in March of 2001. Bumpers' floor exercise score of 9.925 helped Carolina tie the team record in the event, 49.550.
"Courtney's floor routine is probably the hardest of any college gymnast," said Head Coach Derek Galvin.
After Friday's meet, Bumpers felt pleased about the team's performance and optimistic about the rest of the season.
"The team did amazing," Bumpers said. "We had won all of our competitions so far, but your ranking is based on the score you get, not who you beat. I felt like all the hard work we had done finally came out.
The last Tar Heel gymnast to receive an EAGL Gymnast of the Week honor was Brooke Wilson, who graduated in 2001. When Wilson was awarded the honor in March 2001, she held four Carolina records in uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around. She still maintains records in uneven bars, balance beam and all-around.
Olivia Trusty became the first Tar Heel to earn the new EAGL Specialist of the Week award as a result of her outstanding performance in the vault and floor exercise in Carolina's victory Friday.
Trusty was the vault champion with a personal best of 9.900, finishing just ahead of teammate Bumpers who took second with a 9.875. Her vault score is the second best in the EAGL so far this season. Trusty's 9.925 on the floor exercise tied her with Bumpers for second place. The two finished behind Junior Anna Wilson, who earned a perfect 10.0 in the event.
umpers, Trusty and Wilson are all currently ranked among the EAGL's top four individuals on floor exercise this season.
North Carolina remains the sole undefeated team of the EAGL with a record of 9-0. This is the first time in Carolina gymnastics history that a team has ever begun a season 9-0.
Players Mentioned
