The return of assistant coach Colleen Johnson to Carmichael Gymnasium has inspired a newfound confidence for the N.C. State gymnastics team as it looks to avenge last season’s disappointment at the NCAA Regionals.
Johnson served as assistant coach at N.C. State from 2000 to 2004, and won the 2003 Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. After spending the last six seasons at Arizona, she is delighted to be back in Raleigh.
“They are a very talented and a very hard-working group,” Johnson said. “The ability is there and I’m taking the approach that I’m not focusing on the past but dealing with the cards I have been dealt.”
After the Pack finished last among six teams at the 2010 NCAA Regional Championships held in Morgantown, W. Va. The team will be looking to make the next step in 2011. To make that step, the Pack will need junior Brooke Barr, a star performer in 2010 with 28 podium finishes, to lead.
“I hope to go out there and contribute to my team as much as possible,” Barr said. “We are ready to show everyone what we are made of and we know we can get to nationals.”
Senior Brittany Hardiman, who indentified the balance beam as an event of concern in previous seasons, echoed that confidence. The Pack was ranked fourth on beam in the EAGL conference in 2010, but led the league in uneven bars and floor exercise and finished second on vault.
“Beam was our big issue last year, and it has been for the past couple of years,” Hardiman said.
But Barr said Johnson’s return has aided State in overcoming its demons surrounding the event.
“She makes you feel comfortable and excited to do beam, whereas in past year’s, we have been nervous for it, because we did not know what to expect,” Barr said. “It’s looking really good.”
The new energy and confidence spread by Johnson has also been felt by head coach Mark Stevenson. Stevenson, a four time NCAA Southeast Region coach of the year, has led the Pack since 1980 and attributed the team’s new perspective to Johnson.
“She brings a new perception on how to compete and see inside yourself and be consistent on balance beam,” Stevenson said. “I think the biggest thing for us will be confidence.”
New training techniques have also been implemented on the balance beam in the pre-season to promote confidence in a team that finished 17-6 in 2010. Johnson pointed out the important role that Barr will have to play in 2011, highlighting her as a potential star performer.
“Brooke is a very, very talented young lady,” Johnson said. “Sometimes I think I have more confidence in Brooke than she has in herself. She brings experience to the table and is a rock.”
The Pack will look to get its season off to a perfect start with a victory against Oklahoma in its season opener January 14 in Reynolds Coliseum.
