Entering the stretch run of its season, N.C. State’s gymnastics program is gaining momentum in its push for a second consecutive East Atlantic Gymnastics League title. Leading this year’s team is a senior who is making noise for her talent on the balance beam.
Senior gymnast Hannah Fallanca is a two-time All-EAGL first team selection and has four total second team All-EAGL accolades, along with the fourth-best beam score in Wolfpack history. Fallanca, who competes in beam, vault and floor exercise events, has also been named to three consecutive EAGL All-Academic teams. But she said that she is more comfortable on the beam than anywhere else.
“I can walk easier on the balance beam than I can on the floor,” Fallanca said. “My family always makes fun of me saying ‘I can’t walk straight but I can do flips on the beam. It’s not normal.”
Fallanca began competing in gymnastics when she was three years old. Now a senior leader for N.C. State, the Winston-Salem native hasn’t lost sight of where she comes from. Fallanca said she chose State so she could compete closer to home and her mother, whom she said is her role model.
“She has been such a positive influence on me throughout my whole life and been by my side no matter what my decisions have been with school, gymnastics and life,” Fallanca said. “She’s my best friend, so I want to be just like her.”
Fallanca admitted that the transition to college can be difficult for those competing in gymnastics, especially gymnasts who have been homeschooled for most of their lives. Although she was not homeschooled, the senior said she tries to help her freshman teammates adapt to the changes of college life.
“Homeschooled girls are doing a terrific job transitioning into a big university,” Fallanca said. “We help them, make sure they don’t go too crazy and make sure they’re aware of what it’s like with classes and what it’s like to do homework. We just have to guide them in the right direction but hope that they learn on their own too.”
“[Assistant Coach Colleen Johnson] took me in,” Fallanca said. “I was a lost freshman when I came in, and I was kind of the underdog benchwarmer. She helped to mold me and have confidence in myself…and here I am competing in three events when I was supposed to be a benchwarmer.”
Mentors like Johnson have helped Fallanca become a star for the Wolfpack.
After she graduates with a degree in Parks and Recreation, Fallanca said she hopes to pursue her dream of working with the Special Olympics to stay around the sport of gymnastics while helping children with special needs. Fallanca said she has also entertained the thought of opening up her own gymnastics facility one day.
Whatever the future holds for Fallanca and the N.C. State gymnastics team, expect her to attack it with cheerfulness and a positive attitude. Fallanca and her Wolfpack teammates will be in action against William and Mary tonight at 7 P.M. in Reynolds Coliseum.
