Bumpers claims 2nd NCAA gymnastics title

This time, Courtney Bumpers didn’t have to share.

It was hers — and hers alone.

No one could contest the perfection with which she performed in the floor exercise Saturday at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships at Auburn.

The North Carolina junior scored a 10.0 to earn her second consecutive national title in the floor exercise.

In 2004, Bumpers was co-champion in the event with Alabama’s Ashley Miles.

In 2005, she was the sole winner.

“It’s become more real the second time and when you win it outright,” Bumpers said. “I was more in it because … I was more aware of the things going on around me and the crowd and what I was feeling during my routine.”

This time around, Miles came in second to Bumpers, scoring a 9.975. Nebraska’s Emily Parsons and Stanford’s Tabitha Yim tied for third with 9.925.

The 10.0 was Bumpers’ only perfect mark of the season, as she had struggled with consistency during the regular season after getting a new routine later in the year than usual.

“I was shocked,” said Bumpers, who was named a first team All-American for the third time in her career. “I mean, I knew I had done a really great routine, but to get a 10 at nationals was really exciting and really amazing.”

North Carolina coach Derek Galvin said he thought he would never experience anything greater than when he watched Bumpers become the school’s first national champion last year.

But then she nailed her opening tumbling pass of a roundoff, a back handspring and then a double layout followed by a front flip — a combination Galvin said no other college gymnast does.

“(Saturday) surpassed even last year,” he said. “The expression on her face through the routine and when she finished, it was the most heartwarming thing. She looked absolutely elated with what she’d done.”

Despite entering nationals ranked 68th nationally in the floor exercise, Bumpers advanced to Saturday’s final by winning Session I of the preliminaries Thursday. Her mark of 9.95 was the highest mark of the opening round.

“Even after that routine, she was eagerly asking us, ‘What else do I need to correct?’” Galvin said.

Bumpers had to compete without her teammates, as the Tar Heels finished third in the team competition at the Southeast Regional Championships on April 9.

And while the crowd and the other teams adopted her by giving her a standing ovation, Bumpers said she wished her team could have been there.

“That was very difficult because I really do rely on my team a lot,” she said. “(The other teams) really wanted me to do well, but it’s not the same to compete without your team.”

And while Bumpers said she will try to win a third title next year, she hopes that in 2006, she can lead her team to the NCAAs.

Because that’s an experience she wants to share.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.