North Carolina State University Athletics
2010 Gymnastics Season Preview
1/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
RALEIGH, N.C. - After another successful season in 2009, head coach Mark Stevenson enters his 30th year as the only gymnastics coach in school history and coming off of his second EAGL title in three years. Stevenson thinks his 2010 team could be even better.
“We really feel like we have a much better team at this point than we had last year,” Stevenson said. “The five or six freshman from 2009 now have a year of experience and are doing a very good job for us.”
One of the biggest reasons for optimism is the high number of returning starting routines.
“We graduated three kids last year and only one of them (Ashley Shepard) competed on floor and vault in the last two meets,” Stevenson said. “We have 22 of our starting routines back, which we feel really good about. The kids that were here last year have upgraded their routines and we are feeling pretty positive about this team.”
With the returning gymnasts upgrading their routines, it adds another wrinkle that could make of break the 2010 season.
“I think the best we ever did was returning 18 of our starting routines, so this is by far the most experience I’ve returned in 30 seasons,” Stevenson said. “The big catch is that we have upgraded our routines, so now we have to stick those routines to be successful. It comes down to how consistent they can become on their events and we will be in great shape.
“We have six kids that can score 39 in the all-around and that is a great “problem” to have. I could literally take just those six kids to every meet, but I don’t have to. I have some other strong athletes that can step up and be strong in crucial spots for us.”
Stevenson sat down to go over a quick preview of what each gymnast will bring to the Wolfpack team in 2010.
Senior Taylor Seaman
The key with Taylor is that she went to NCAAs, and after she got that experience of being there, now that she is back she wants to experience that again and is more prepared to compete at that level. This year she has a great chance to go back and possibly in the all-around if we don’t make it as a team. Which I think it is possible that we go as a team this year. She has those great leadership qualities in that she is vocal and she isn’t afraid to speak up and talk to us about what she needs to improve on and what she is thinking and trying to work on.
Senior Lauren Deuser
She came to us as a walk-on but has been on scholarship for the duration of her time here. She is a superb student and has really shined in the gym for us, as well. She has come a long way and she will start for us on beam and bars and she won EAGL on bars last year.
Junior Brittney Hardiman
She should have won the all-around at EAGL last year, but she had a fall on her last event. She is a great kid and continues to work hard and get better. She has a major release on bars now that she has never had before and we’ve upgraded her first pass on floor, as well.
Junior Brittany Vontz
She is doing pretty well. Her bars are very strong and she is getting much better on beam. Floor is solid and she is doing the vault this year after mentally and physically rehabbing from her achilles injury a few years back.
Sophomore Brooke Barr
Brooke was a five-time EAGL Rookie of the Week selection and deserved the EAGL Rookie of the Year award, I thought. She is a great kid and is a 9.8 and a 9.9 on three events and a 9.7, 9.8 on bars by the end of the year.
Sophomore Jess Panza
She is way ahead of last year. She is finished the season strong, hitting a 39 in her last meet in the all-around and has upgraded her floor, bars and beam routines since then. She has really done a great job and is in great shape.
Sophomore Jackie Yanchocik
Jackie is doing a nice job. Her bars look really good and she is more consistent than last year. She will be a backup on floor and beam at some point.
Sophomore Becca Teich
Becca looks really good in the gym. She has missed some time this fall with a slight knee injury but her bars are getting much better. I think she will be in the starting lineup on bars and she will be a starter on vault.
Sophomore Anna Kronenfeld
Anna looks awesome. I think she will either be in the lineup on floor or the first alternate. She is also one of our best on the beam so she will be key to our team success.
Sophomore Alex Williams
She has come a long ways. She is better across the board, and her bars are much cleaner. She filled in on vault last year when we had some injuries and did a fine job until she got hurt, as well. I think she will make an impact somewhere this year.
Freshman Rachel Fincham
Rachel had a bar routine in early December at practice that was as good of a bar routine as I have seen in my time here at NC State. She is very good on the floor.
Freshman Morgan Johnson
Morgan, I’m positive will compete on beam and vaulting this year.
Editor's Note: NC State gymnastics will open its 2010 season by hosting Rutgers on Friday night in Reynolds Coliseum. GoPack.com's Tim Peeler will be writing a feature story on head coach Mark Stevenson as he enters his 30th season with the Wolfpack. That story will be on GoPack.com on Thursday.
