University of North Carolina Athletics
Getting To Know You: Acacia Cosentino
October 29, 2014 | Women's Gymnastics
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Acacia Cosentino grew up a fan of Ohio State football in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a suburb on the east side of Cleveland. Cosentino got her start in athletics at six years old when she tried everything from softball to ice skating, but nothing stuck like gymnastics.
"My parents took me to a club gym 45 minutes away every day, often twice a day, so that I could have quality training," she says. "I had a great experience in club. I loved what I was doing and saw myself improving and achieving my goals.
"However, when I was 12 or 13 my coach quit and the gym I was going to stopped training upper level gymnasts. By this time I was a level 10 so I had to go somewhere else. Unfortunately, the club gym that provided me the best chance of continuing to succeed in my career was a four hour drive away, in Cincinnati.
"After trying other clubs, my family and I decided that it would be best for me to go to Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy," she continues. "The whole family picked up and moved just for me until I graduated from high school. A lot of people thought we were crazy, and sometimes I thought that same way, but I am so thankful to my family for making that sacrifice. God truly had a plan in all of it, and I would not change one bit of it for anything. Although there were times when gymnastics was really tough it was worth every second. I was able to realize my dreams of winning state championships, as an individual and five times as a team, of qualifying to JO (Junior Olympic) nationals and winning first place as a team."
Cosentino's national rankings got her recruiting offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Illinois, NCSU, Maryland, and North Carolina. Ultimately, UNC felt like the best fit.
"Its impeccable academic reputation, equally impressive athletic
department, a stunning college campus coupled with a great college town, and a
prestigious degree at the end of it all weighed into my decision," she
says.
"However, at the end of the day it came down to the people at UNC and in Chapel
Hill that really made this university stand out. They have a special and unique
quality to them, an ability to make you feel like a part of their family even
when they just meet you. I experienced that with Derek, the head gymnastics
coach, the administrators, the students and everyone I met at UNC. It is an
extremely valuable quality that has continued to prove true of the people in
Chapel Hill over my four years here, and I hope that I have picked up at least
some of that as part of my education as a Tar Heel."
As a fifth year senior Cosentino has had the opportunity to witness many changes and transitions in the gymnastics program. She has grown into a self-proclaimed, classy but sassy woman, whose English degree has also done wonders for her rap battle skills on the team bus. Through it all, Cosentino says her favorite part of being a part Carolina is the feeling of family and pride that they all live out.
"We invest in people to help them reach their fullest potential," she says. "Knowing that I play for an administration that is about more than just winning, makes the winning that much better and my pride in Carolina athletics that much greater.
"When we accomplish our goals it is because each and every person is able to contribute, take ownership, and have pride in what we have done together. Winning EAGL conference championships my freshman year was so exciting. It was an amazing competition, which we were not favored to win. When we pulled it out in the end we all felt like we were on top of the world.
"I will never forget that moment when Taylor Brown, with a hurt knee, did her vault as our last competitor," Cosentino continues. "She did the best vault of her life, and helped us clinch the win. I have never had a more exciting moment in gymnastics than standing in that number one spot with the girls on the team that year, knowing that each of us was a valuable contributor and none of us could have done it without the support of our teammates."
Cosentino hopes to end her experience the way she started it, with a championship ring.
"We are pushing to make Carolina gymnastics bigger and better as a contender, and I am looking forward to seeing everything this team can accomplish."
Carolina gymnastics' fans should look out for Costentino's solid dismount and high flying releases on the uneven bars and the dramatic flair she brings to her floor routine. Bars is Cosentino's favorite event to train due to the challenge it presents, but her favorite event to compete is floor because it allows her to share her personality and engage with the crowd.
Acacia is not only a key competitor on the team, she is also an exceptional team leader," says head coach Derek Galvin. "Acacia's commitment to excellence in every aspect of her life serves as a wonderful example to all her teammates. Academically, athletically, spiritually and socially, she has a focus and purpose in everything she does. Acacia's desire to do her best in training and competition, and her desire to serve her teammates in the pursuit of their goals is benefiting everyone on the team.
As a consistent part of the line-up on both events Cosentino is sure to contribute to all of this year's coming wins, but she aims to contribute much more as one of the team's captains.
"I really want to lead my team with integrity, enthusiasm, and selflessness, so I hope that I am able to help each one of my teammates reach their fullest potential in order to do the same as a team," she says.
"Outside of gymnastics, I have already accomplished my most measurable goal of being accepted as a corps member with Teach for America. I am set to start teaching with this great program not long after graduating, and I am excited for that. Otherwise, in everything I do I just want to invest in others' lives and glorify God."
Cosentino summarizes her experience through the notion that relationships, like the amazing ones Carolina has fostered for her, are one of the most important things in life.
Her advice: "Invest in who you do life with more than what you actually do in life, because what you do is important, but as C.S. Lewis said, 'Friendship... like philosophy, like art has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."
Players Mentioned
