University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Win EAGL Championships For First Time Since 2002
March 25, 2005 | Women's Gymnastics
March 25, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. - For the second time this year, the North Carolina gymnastics team did not count a single fall on its way to winning its second East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championship Friday at NC State. The Tar Heels won every event except uneven bars, where they were edged by .025 points by Maryland, and earned a season-high 195.975 to defeat West Virginia (195.20), Maryland (195.20), NC State (194.975), George Washington (194.20), New Hampshire (193.25), Rutgers (192.625) and Pittsburgh (191.10) in the 10th league championship meet.
"I was extremely impressed with the energy level of this team and the way the girls were able to refocus going into each event," said head coach Derek Galvin, who was named the 2005 EAGL Coach of the Year at the meet for the fourth time in the 10-year existence of the EAGL. "The biggest challenge in this type of meet, where you compete on an event, then sit down, then compete on an event, then sit down, is being able to focus yourself after taking a break. This team did an exceptional job of that."
Junior Courtney Bumpers tied for the all-around title with West Virginia's Janae Cox with her total of 39.475, the highest all-around score any EAGL gymnast has achieved this season. Bumpers is a two-time EAGL all-around champion after winning the 2004 title as well. She tied the EAGL record for the most individual wins in the EAGL Championships for the second year in a row after winning uneven bars, floor exercise and all-around. Bumpers was also the runner-up on balance beam.
"Courtney Bumpers was just on a different level tonight," Galvin said. She won bars, which is the only event that she didn't make the All-EAGL team on, so she clarified that she was All-EAGL by winning. And she won all-around, where she was only second-team All-EAGL, so she clarified that one too. It just shows you what type of competitor she is. Tenacious. Focused. What a joy to coach."
The Tar Heels steadily increased their lead with each rotation, but were still tightly followed by West Virginia, NC State and Maryland. Maryland was down three-tenths of a point to West Virginia after the third round, but managed to score a 49.05 on uneven bars in the final event to catch up and tie for second with the Mountaineers. NC State slipped down to fourth place with a 48.90 on balance beam in its final rotation.
Carolina had a strong start on uneven bars as the Tar Heels notched four scores of at least 9.80 and earned their second highest bars total of the season, a 49.025. This is the first meet since NC State hosted Carolina on Feb. 25 that the Tar Heels have not had any falls on uneven bars. Junior Courtney Bumpers registered a season-high 9.875 to lead the team, and seniors Elisabeth Alsop and Olivia Trusty and sophomore Christine Robella each had a 9.80.
Carolina brought its momentum from uneven bars into the balance beam in the second round. Bumpers again landed a 9.875, and Alsop had another 9.80 to lead the Tar Heels to a 48.975 team score. The mark was Carolina's best since Jan. 21, when the team scored a season-high 49.275 at William & Mary.
The Tar Heels performed their best on floor exercise, where Bumpers recorded a season-high 9.925, and Trusty, Robella and junior Mikel Hester all registered a 9.85 or better. Carolina's original sum was a 49.20, but judges took a one-tenth deduction for a procedural error by Carolina in the order of the lineup. The resulting 49.10 still marked the fifth time this season that the team has topped a 49.0 on floor exercise.
Carolina finished on vault with its lowest team score of the night, a 48.825, but its hold over the other teams had been secured. Robella and Bumpers led the team on vault with scores of 9.85 and 9.80, respectively.
Robella placed third all-around, with her second highest total of the season, a 39.30. Hester was fifth with a 39.075. Trusty had strong performances on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, but a fall on balance beam cost her a lower all-around score.
All three gymnasts are competing with injuries. Robella and Hester have coped with an abdominal and shoulder injury, respectively all season, but Trusty's shoulder has just recently aggravated her.
"The truth is, they're all sore," said Galvin. "And for them to come out here and do what they're doing is amazing."
Next up for the Tar Heels is the possibility of competing in the 2005 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships. The NCAA will announce qualifying for the meet on Monday by 3 p.m. The meet will take place in Gainesville, Fla., Sat. April 9 at 6 p.m.
Team Scores
1. North Carolina 195.975
2. West Virginia 195.20
2. Maryland 195.20
4. NC State 194.975
5. George Washington 194.20
6. New Hampshire 193.25
7. Rutgers 192.625
8. Pittsburgh 191.10
Carolina's Scores
ars (49.025, 2nd)
1t. Courtney Bumpers 9.875
7t. Elisabeth Alsop 9.80
7t. Christine Robella 9.80
7t. Olivia Trusty 9.80
17t. Shawna Kelly 9.75
31t. Mikel Hester 9.70
Beam (48.975)
2. Courtney Bumpers 9.875
5t. Elisabeth Alsop 9.80
8t. Christine Robella 9.775
8t. Alice Xu 9.775
17t. Mikel Hester 9.75
42t. Olivia Trusty 9.175
Floor
1. Courtney Bumpers 9.925
2t. Christine Robella 9.875
4t. Mikel Hester 9.85
4t. Olivia Trusty 9.85
29t. Amy Williams 9.70
46. Elisabeth Alsop 9.60
Vault (48.875)
2t. Christine Robella 9.85
7t. Courtney Bumpers 9.80
9t. Mikel Hester 9.775
15t. Shawna Kelly 9.725
15t. Olivia Trusty 9.725
15t. Amy Williams 9.725
All-Around
1t. Courtney Bumpers 39.475
3. Christine Robella 39.30
5. Mikel Hester 39.075
11. Olivia Trusty 38.55
Players Mentioned
