University of North Carolina Athletics
Gymnastics Spotlight: Teri Diamond
April 26, 2011 | Women's Gymnastics
April 26, 2011
The 2011 University of North Carolina gymnastics team will be remembered as one of the closest teams in the program's history. Head Coach Derek Galvin believes that lone senior and team captain Teri Diamond is responsible for such a cohesive attitude. Diamond chose to come back for a fifth year, hoping to vindicate an injury-filled career and lead her team to a second-straight EAGL Championship. She would accomplish these and more.
Diamond became a force on the uneven bars, aptly placing first on senior night with a personal-best 9.825. The Tar Heels would then accomplish their ultimate goal of winning the 2011 EAGL Championship. Diamond would end the season with the Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award and as the Team MVP, as voted by her teammates, for her inspiring leadership.
Head Coach Derek Galvin on Diamond: Teri's commitments to this team of not only being the best gymnast she can be but also of being an effective leader have just been fantastic. This year, her performance on bars as a competitor as well as in training has just been inspiring to her teammates. She has led by example but also vocally. Teri in my opinion has been the most effective team leader we've had in many, many, many years. Its come from her heart but also as a determined competitor. Coming into this season she wanted this team to experience the exhilaration they felt last year at the EAGL Championship. She got her teammates to the point where they thought they could do it again. I can't say enough about the impact that she has had. I can't imagine what this year would have been like if she had not been here. I gave her the opportunity to come back for a fifth year and she took full advantage of that and I'm thankful she did.
TarHeelBlue.com: Last year you couldn't compete at the EAGL Championship because of an injury, describe what its been like to come back and win the EAGL again this year?
Teri Diamond: It was hard last year taking on a different role than what I was used to. I was still so happy for my teammates. I wanted to defend my title for my classmates since I redshirted last year. We successfully did that and it made me happy beyond belief!
THB.com: What did winning the EAGL Championship mean to you and your team?
TD: It's awesome. To have won two out of the five EAGL Championships since I've been here has been incredible. I'm blessed to have a great team, coaching staff and training staff. It wouldn't have been possible without every single person getting on board.
THB.com: You scored a personal best on bars on senior night, taking first place. What was that like for you?
TD: It was awesome; I worked so hard for that moment. It was incredible that I was able to do that for myself and that my teammates were there backing me up, so proud of me and so happy for me. I've had a lot of trials and tribulations here with injuries so I was glad I could end on a good note in Carmichael.
THB.com: Coach Galvin describes you as one of the best leaders he has had on a team, how do you view your role as a team leader and captain?
TD: It's been a joy, honestly. I have been blessed with awesome teammates and the coaches have been so supportive. If I come up to them with something, they are always on board. We support each other and that's how this team is so cohesive. It is so much easier to lead a team where we are all friends. They are honestly like my sisters so it's not that hard. I just try to do the best I can, be the best person I can and be the best example for my teammates. Hopefully when they come up as leaders they can look back at what I did and say that they can take this on too.
THB.com: How do you think you progressed as a gymnast?
TD: Well I came into Carolina really, really strong. My freshman year was a big transition and I grew four inches. In gymnastics that's huge, it changes everything. That was a big adjustment. My sophomore year I came in doing the best gymnastics I had done here at Carolina and then I got injured so I had surgery on my elbow. Coming back my junior year was tough to get in shape and do all the skills I used to. My junior year was my hardest because I was coming back from the elbow injury and then before regionals I hurt myself again, a pretty traumatic ankle injury so I wasn't able to compete. It was tough to have two major injuries in two years. I learned to take on a different role, support my teammates however I could from the sidelines. The injury kept me from competing senior year so I really feel like this has been one of my strongest years. At 22, I'm a fifth year, which is kind of unheard of in gymnastics, but I feel like this is my strongest year yet.
THB.com: Looking back on your career as a Carolina gymnast what are your favorite memories?
TD: Up until this year it was winning EAGL last year but I think winning it this year takes the cake. No one expected us to go out there and do that well. My favorite moment was when Taylor Brown stuck her vault. It was the most exciting moment I've had at Carolina. It was crazy!
THB.com: What are you going to miss the most about UNC?
TD: I'm going to miss campus and the pit the most. I will miss sitting out there on nice days and seeing friends and hanging out there; it's where everything is happening.
THB.com: What is your greatest individual accomplishment as a Carolina gymnast?
TD: Just stepping up and being the leader this year that my team needed me to be. I don't know if we would have had the year we had, I don't know if we would have won EAGL, without being such a cohesive team. Me, Penny and Derek talked about it before school started and knew we needed to be a really close team to succeed.
THB.com: What makes this team so special?
TD: I just think everyone wants to do it for each other. We are all friends outside of the gym. This is the closest team that I've been on. If you have 12 best friends outside of the gym, you are obviously going to take that into the gym. You always have someone supporting you both in and out of the gym.
THB.com: What advice would you give to a freshman coming in?
TD: I would definitely say just take in as much as you can. Don't waste a minute of your time here because this is my fifth year and it went by so fast. If I could relive it right now I would. I would start over as a freshman. Don't take anything for granted. Gymnastics wise just rely on your coaches and your teammates. They are always there for you. It really is the biggest support system you could ask for it. Don't regret anything!
THB.com: What is the best thing about being a UNC athlete?
TD: We are one of the best athletic departments in the nation. I feel like all the athletes really do support each other. They are friends outside of their sport. UNC is known for both amazing academics and athletics. It's awesome to be part of that--everyone knows who the Tar Heels are.
THB.com: What is the best advice Coach Galvin has given you?
TD: That's hard; I would want to give the best possible thing he has said. He is really like a dad to us, so pretty much anything a father would tell you. He wants the best for us.
THB.com: What did it mean to you to be named Team MVP?
TD: It was really nice to just be acknowledged for the way that I've tried to come off to my team. Morgan Evans, gymnastics wise, has done so much for our team. The fact that I am just doing bars but was acknowledged as MVP says a lot about how people view me and that's important.
THB.com: What do you want to do after graduation?
TD: I'm undecided. I don't know yet but I'm trying to stay in Chapel Hill as long as possible!
Players Mentioned
