North Carolina State University Athletics
Meet the 2010 Freshmen
10/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Oct. 18, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. - With seven talented new freshmen, NC State gymnastics is looking as promising as ever heading into the 2010-11 season.
Most of the newcomers have been competing for over ten years, building the skills that will allow them to excel on the collegiate stage.
Hannah Fallanca came to NC State from Mount Tabor in Winston-Salem, N.C. "I got into the sport because I was really hyper as a three year-old," said Fallanca.
When choosing a college to attend, the 2010 signing class picked NC State for many different reasons.
"The team was really close," said Stephanie Oullette from Columbia, Md. "The coaches were nice and it was closer to home compared to some of the others."
Heidi Ffield traveled from Fairfax, Va. to join the Wolfpack. "All the girls seem to be a tight-knit family and the coaches seem to be like their second parents," said Ffield. "It felt like a home away from home. Everyone's very supportive of each other."
"I just enjoyed the atmosphere of the team and the coaches," said Diahanna Ham, a freshman from Boston, Mass.
The transition from high school to college is always difficult, however, choosing to be a varsity athlete creates new pressures for the girls that they were not used to before.
"The biggest transition [from club to college] is that we're already starting routines," said Fleming, N.J. native Kristen Harabedian, "On my club team, our season didn't start until January and we didn't really start doing routines until a little before that, because the season goes until April or May."
"It's a nerve-wracking but exciting experience hearing how big the meets can get. It wasn't always like that in my club team," said Ffield.
"The college level is all about the team and club was all about the individual," said Fallanca.
The girls have high hopes for themselves and are currently working on their new routines for the upcoming season. Heidi Ffield hopes to compete bars and beam this season, while Fallanca, Ham, Oullette and Harabedian are hoping to compete in the all-around (vault, bars, beam, and floor).
Although they are still transitioning from leaving their hometowns and joining the Wolfpack family, the freshmen are getting along great and hope to have an impressive debut season.
