University of North Carolina Athletics
Gymnastics Spotlight: Morgan Evans
February 17, 2010 | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 17, 2010
Sophomore Morgan Evans competed for the first time this season in Sunday's loss to Maryland in front of what is believed to be a record attendance of over 2,000. Evans had surgery to repair torn cartilage in her hip and was sidelined for the team's first two meets of 2010. The sophomore peaked last season at NCAA Regionals where she placed sixth in the all-around competition and head coach Derek Galvin is hopeful that Evans will build off that success once she is healthy.
Evans and the Tar Heels travel to Raleigh, N.C. this weekend where they will face EAGL opponent No. 25 NC State and No. 10 Nebraska.
Coach Derek Galvin on Evans: Morgan is coming back off of a hip injury and she is working hard. I am eager to get her back in the lineup. She can give us a stronger vault. She vaulted [Sunday] but she's capable of stronger vault when she's healthy. She's also working hard on bars, beam and floor. She's pushing all four events and we know that when we have Morgan healthy, our team scoring potential is higher.
TarHeelBlue.com: What did your injury teach you about yourself?
Morgan Evans: It taught me that I can actually be patient. Having an actual injury, but unable to feel pain was very frustrating. Waiting six plus weeks for my hip to heal was very hard, but I was able to stay strong and stay fit.
THB.com: How did your teammates help you get through your recovery? How did you help them in the first two meets?
ME: My teammates were very positive and encouraging. They kept telling me that everything will be okay and that stressing about it will slow the recovery process. They reminded me that if I did not rush the recovery I would be 100 percent in no time. In the first two meets I tried to be the best cheerleader/coach I could be. When my teammates needed encouragement I was there, and I was always standing on the sidelines trying to coach when necessary.
THB.com: How did the extra week off impact the team?
ME: I believe it did a great deal for the team. We had more mental and physical time to prepare for the rest of the season and more time to polish what we already have.
THB.com: How did it feel to compete for the first time this season?
ME: Competing for the first time was fun. I was glad to get back into the swing of competition and I wad just excited to be able to show off some of my hard work.
THB.com: There was a record attendance for Carolina gymnastics Sunday at the meet against Maryland, what does the fan support mean to you and the team?
ME: The fan support is awesome! It keeps the team pumped up and it encourages us to keep working hard because we know we have fans out there that are behind us and also want to see us do our best.
THB.com: What meet are you most looking forward to this season?
ME: I am looking forward to the meet against University of Florida. Not only will we be in a beautiful atmosphere but we will also be competing against a really strong team. We always go hard no matter what team we are against. I am confident that we will finish strong at this meet and I feel like it will open people's eyes and the rest of the gymnastics community will know we are a strong team.
THB.com: What do you enjoy doing when you're not in the gym?
ME: I just like to have fun. Mainly hanging out with my roommates, doing creative stuff, listening and dancing to music, and watching movies.
THB.com: What event do you hope to improve on or learn a new skill on?
ME: I hope to improve on floor. I am trying to up my difficulty just a little.
THB.com: What is your most memorable moment in the gym?
ME: It's probably last season when the team warmed up by dancing to pump up songs on my iPod. It was very interesting watching the different styles of dancing. We all had a good time.
Players Mentioned
