University of North Carolina Athletics
Q&A: National Champion Courtney Bumpers And Gymnastics Head Coach Derek Galvin
April 22, 2004 | Women's Gymnastics
April 22, 2004
by Kim Conrad
UNC Athletic Communications
TarHeelBlue: How did this year's experience at nationals compare with last year's?
Courtney Bumpers: This year was very different because I had already gone to nationals before, so when I went in, I didn't go in all that surprised. I kind of knew what to expect, and that helped a lot.
THB: Was the atmosphere different from the way it was last year?
CB: I think the audience seemed more into it. They seemed to cheer for everybody, not just the home crowd. They seemed like they were really there to see some good gymnastics, and they were going to cheer for anybody who was doing good, so I think that was very different from last year - not that the fans at Nebraska weren't nice last year, but it was just a very different group of people.
THB: Did having other people cheer for you help you while you were competing?
CB: It did, it helped a lot because my team wasn't there so there wasn't anybody cheering for me from my team, and so having the audience cheer helped a lot.
THB: Did you do anything the night before finals?
CB: I was a little bit nervous, but they actually had the team finals, so I went to that, and that kind of got me all pumped and ready to compete the next day because I wanted to be out there competing like those girls were. That helped.
THB: Were you surprised at all by the outcome?
CB: I was actually really surprised. I knew going into the competition that I had a chance to end up first or even in the top three because I was ranked really high all this year, so I knew I had a really, really good shot. But to end up actually having that happen, it's like, 'Wow, how did that happen?' You're just in shock, you're in awe because you knew you had the chance, but to realize you made all your routines and you didn't make a mistake, you just can't believe it. I'm still amazed that I was able to hit everything at that meet.
THB: What was your immediate reaction to finding out you were a national champion, and has that changed at all since?
CB: When you first find out, it's definitely surprising and amazing and exciting, so that's kind of gone down a little bit, but I'm still amazed. I can't believe that I won. It's like a dream. I feel like I'm dreaming, and I'm going to wake up any minute and they're going to be like, "Nope, sorry, you didn't win. You just thought you did." So I'm still kind of in amazement that that happened.
THB: How did you deal with competing without your team?
CB: It was really difficult because I am very close to my teammates, and the whole team is real close in general, so that was really difficult. But I got to compete with the Arizona State girls on Thursday night and they were really, really nice girls, and they helped me feel like I was a part of their team. And on Saturday night, it was all individuals, so I wasn't the only one without my team there. And even then the girls from Alabama were very nice and there was a girl from Iowa State. Everybody was just so nice. The girls from UCLA were really sweet, and that helped too.
THB: How do you think that your experience at nationals can help your team next year?
CB: Well, both my coaches and I have seen different things that we can all work on as a team, and I think that when we do go to regionals and hopefully qualify for nationals next year, just the fact that I've been there and the coaches have been there, it won't be such a new experience. We'll go in there knowing what to expect, and I think that will help the team more. I think also seeing someone from the team go there, it's like, "Oh yeah, we can make it there, we can do it." So I think that should help a lot too.
THB: You are a two-time All-America, a conference and regional gymnast of the year and a national champion. What else can you get out of your career? What other goals do you have as a collegiate gymnast?
CB: I definitely would like to be an All-America next year, and getting another national title is something to work for because every year it just keeps changing. You have to keep working toward it because nobody just sits there and says, "Well, I'm just going to let her win." Every year you have to keep working at it, and it's always something new. Those two are my big goals. Getting the team to nationals is a huge goal because I've gone and I've done all this, but I want the team to go because I think a lot of people don't know how good our team really is. I think for us to get there would be something huge that people would get to see. That's probably my biggest goal.
THB: After seeing the other teams at nationals and the individual routines, do you think your team could compete on the same level?
CB: Yes. Definitely. Definitely. Sitting there, I thought, "We should have been here," because there were definitely teams I thought Thursday night when they were competing that we were stronger than them overall. That was kind of frustrating and disappointing, but I definitely think we could compete with the teams there.
Players Mentioned
