University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Announces 2017 Gymnastics Schedule
November 14, 2016 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina's 2017 gymnastics schedule, which was released Monday by head coach Derek Galvin, includes four home meets at Carmichael Arena and four meets against teams that qualified for the 2016 NCAA Regionals.
“We've got two of the strongest teams in the nation on our schedule and we have another strong group of contenders from the East Atlantic Gymnastics League,” said head coach Derek Galvin. "We've been working hard in the offseason to prepare and we're excited to get the 2017 season started in January."
The Tar Heels kick off the year on the road at the 10th annual Lindsey Ferris Invitational in Washington, D.C. The meet, which is named after a former George Washington gymnast who passed away in 2006, will serve as an early test for the Tar Heels as the host Colonials advanced to the NCAA regionals a year ago.
Carolina's four home meets this season, include three dual competitions and one quad meet. In the home opener on Jan. 20, UNC will host four-time NCAA champion Florida. The Gators won three straight titles from 2013-15 and are set to have another highly talented team in 2017.
Following an away dual meet with Pittsburgh, the Tar Heels return to home competition on Feb. 3 in a quad meet with Towson, William & Mary and Wisconsin-Whitewater. UNC will host dual meets against EAGL powerhouse New Hampshire on Feb. 17 and William & Mary on Feb. 24 to close out the home schedule.
The schedule includes two competitions against rival NC State in newly renovated Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. The Tar Heels face the Wolfpack in a dual meet on Feb. 10 and close out the year at the EAGL Championships on March 18.
Carolina will finish the regular season with a matchup against UCLA, a consistent national championship contender, on March 12 in Los Angeles, Calif. The competition will be a homecoming for associate head coach Amy Smith, who competed for the Bruins from 1994-97 and served on the coaching staff for the 2012 season.
There are a number of new faces on the 2017 gymnastics squad, as 13 of the 18 student-athletes are newcomers to the team. This includes 11 freshmen and two sophomores – Jamie DeCicco and Madison Hargrave – who were unable to compete during the 2016 season due to injury.
The new UNC gymnasts reign from 10 different states, including North Carolina, Nevada, Utah, Georgia, Oregon, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Virginia and Ohio.
Five gymnasts – Morgan Lane, Kaitlynn Hedelund, Lauren Weisel, Madison Nettles and Christina Pheil – are returners and are proving to be leaders in the gym for the Tar Heels.
“We've got five people returning from last year who all have competed significantly for us. They are providing a fantastic foundation for all the new people on the team,” said Galvin.
In 2017, Galvin enters his 36th year at the helm of the UNC gymnastics program, while Smith is in her fifth year coaching the Tar Heels. Whitnee Johnson, who served as a volunteer assistant coach in 2016, has been promoted to an assistant coach for the 2017 season.
Players Mentioned
