University of North Carolina Athletics
Gymnastics Spotlight: Elizabeth Durkac
February 14, 2011 | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 13, 2011
Sophomore Elizabeth Durkac has had an impressive year so far for the Tar Heels. She has been one of Carolina's strongest performers on uneven bars with second-place finishes at both William & Mary and Maryland. This past week, Durkac set a personal-best record on beam, scoring a 9.75 to place third against a very talented Penn State team.
Coach Derek Galvin on Durkac: Elizabeth looks very good at this point in the year. She competed for us last year and did a great job but she was hampered a little bit by a heel injury. She still competed but it prevented her from doing what she could on floor and vault. She looks good right now and we are very excited about what we think she will be able to do this year. She is also a very good student, an excellent student. Elizabeth is someone who has been very effective in focusing on her goals both in gymnastics and academically here at Carolina.
TarHeelBlue.com: Competing on floor is new for you this year. How have you liked it?
Elizabeth Durkac: It's good, it's a lot of fun. It's like a whole new college experience when youre out on floor with your team doing your routine beside you. You just get a whole new thrill when youre out on the floor competing, a rush goes through your body.
THB.com: What did you do in the off-season to prepare for floor?
ED: I did a lot of tumbling and working on my landings and we worked on my dance a lot because I've always had trouble with that. Just worked a lot to prepare me for that.
THB.com: What is your favorite event and why?
ED: Bars, I like competing bars. I like to just be able to swing and go out there. It takes your nerves away when you can just swing.
THB.com: The team has experienced some highs like the win at the George Washington Invitational and some letdowns like at Rutgers. How does the team respond to that?
ED: I think it gave us a lot more grit to really want this. We started off really awesome and that was really great for us. It gave us a lot of confidence, now after GW we are a little disappointed because we didn't want to lose but now we are really in it and we are not going to let that happen again. We are going to do everything to stop it.
THB.com: What is the biggest difference between freshman and sophomore years, both inside the gym and out?
ED: Last year I was a lot more passive and would just listen to the authority figures, the seniors. This year all of us have taken a lot more initiative and we are just part of a lot more. We have more of a voice this year.
THB.com: What is the best thing about being a UNC gymnast?
ED: Probably the team, they're aweomse. It's a lot of fun and great coaches.
THB.com: What do you enjoy doing when not in the gym?
ED: I just like to hang out with Maura [Masatsugu], my best friend who is on the team, and a lot of the other girls on the team. They are a lot of fun. I go to Qdoba a lot on Franklin Street.
THB.com: Is that your favorite place to eat?
ED: Qdoba? Definitely!
THB.com: In your bio you said that you always wear two different color socks, is it lucky or can you not find the matching pair?
ED: It started with my mom, she would never be able to pair the right ones together. I just get so frustrated and I didn't want to do my own laundry so I wear two different ones.
THB.com: Your teammates call you Bibis, what's the story behind the nickname?
ED: My brother couldn't say my name when he was younger so he called me Bibis and from that point on it stuck!
Players Mentioned
