Orange County Gymnastics has faced hurdles in the past year, but it could find reprieve if a deal between owners Tim and Jessica Baker and Carrboro Plaza succeeds.

The North Carolina gymnastics team’s ultimate goal of qualifying for the NCAA championships this spring was brought into sharper focus after Friday’s convincing victory over George Washington in Carmichael Arena.

At North Carolina, even the coaches recognize when their athletes have a lot of schoolwork to do. That’s why gymnastics coach Derek Galvin decided to make sure that his team’s No. 1 mission for the week was to survive it.

The North Carolina gymnastics team didn’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption.

North Carolina gymnastics coach Derek Galvin thinks this year’s team might be the most talented he has ever coached.

North Carolina gymnast Morgan Evans won the all-around competition at the NCAA Norman Regional in Oklahoma.

Every team believes it can win. But the day before Saturday’s East Atlantic Gymnastics League championship, North Carolina gymnasts listed 67 reasons why they deserved their fifth league title.

When called on to help her team finish its season strong, redshirt senior Teri Diamond is going to come out swinging — on the uneven bars, that is.

Led by their captain and lone senior Teri Diamond, the North Carolina’s gymnastics team finished its last home meet Saturday with a 194.400-188.825 win against William and Mary. In Diamond’s last appearance in Carmichael Arena, the co-captain finished her home career with a personal best 9.825 on the bars. “It was really good to go out like that.

After tough losses against Maryland and Penn State, the North Carolina gymnastics team bounced back by recording a season-high 195.650 points in its victory against Pittsburgh on Sunday, which coach Derek Galvin attributed to one factor — confidence.

When the North Carolina gymnastics team took on No. 18 Penn State on Friday night, nothing could spoil the Tar Heels’ enthusiasm. Despite losing the meet 195.925 to 192.975, the Tar Heels felt good about the progress they’ve made so far.

Going into the third rotation, the Tar Heels led the Terrapins by just more than a half a point. Yet after the rotation where UNC faltered on the beam and Maryland executed their floor routines, UNC found itself in a one-point deficit.

History repeated itself when the North Carolina gymnastics team took on Maryland in Carmichael Arena on Saturday. The team’s season opener was marked by individual triumphs, but the Tar Heels eventually fell to the Terrapins, losing the meet 193-192.6.

Krista Jasper commands attention. As spitfire on the mats in her gymnastics competitions, it is impossible to ignore her athletic ability.

To prepare for the first two meets of the season, the North Carolina gymnastics team has treated practice more like competition, even performing routines for a nationally certified judge — assistant coach Penny Jernigan.

With nostalgia running high on senior day, Christine Nguyen turned in a performance to remember.

In her last performance at Carmichael Arena, the senior swept all four events on her way to recording a score of 39.575, the fourth highest all-around score in North Carolina history.

This Valentine’s Day, the UNC gymnastics team had a not-so-hot date with the balance beam.

Echoing their struggles from a meet at William & Mary, the Tar Heels hit a rough patch on the balance beam and ultimately fell to Maryland in their first home meet in two years.

“We just weren’t as solid on beam as we have been at practice,” coach Derek Galvin said.

Going into the 2010 season, the gymnastics team is returning home.

With renovations to Carmichael Arena complete, the Tar Heels are looking forward to a season that includes several home meets.

This season marks the first time the gymnastics team will host home tournaments in two years, coach Derek Galvin said.

If only the North Carolina gymnastics team's final event had taken place on the dance floor and not the spring floor. After the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championships on Saturday a stunned UNC team awaited awards.

At 7 years old Christine Nguyen was too scared to execute a cartwheel on the high beam. Since then she has gone on to train alongside Olympic medalists and stood alone as 2008 EAGL Gymnast of the Year. But those reasons are not why she stands out among the gymnasts in Derek Galvin's 27-year coaching career.