University of Georgia Athletics
Gym Dogs Set for Championship Action
April 19, 2007 | Gymnastics
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Georgia returns to the NCAA Championships for the 24th consecutive year, attempting to win a third consecutive national team title.
Georgia Gym Dogs (21-2-1)
Two-Time Defending National Champions at the NCAA Championships
Thurs., April, 26-28
Site: Salt Lake City
Huntsman Center Arena (15,000)
Delayed TV: CBS, May 12, 3-5p.m. ET
Live Georgia Audio Broadcast: G-Xtra on georgiadogs.com
The Gym Dogs, with seven NCAA national championships overall, won the 2005 title in Auburn, Ala., and earned last year’s trophy in Corvallis, Ore. Salt Lake City is the site of Georgia’s 1987 and 1999 national championships the progam’s first and fifth, respectively.
Georgia has placed third or higher at the NCAA Championships in 18 of the last 20 years, and the Gym Dogs remain the only team that has advanced to the Super Six Finals every year since the start of the championship format in 1993.
Including regional, semifinal and Super Six competition, Georgia has won 19 of its last 28 NCAA meets dating back to 1998.
Georgia failed to win its fourth straight Southeastern Conference title in March. The Gym Dogs last won an NCAA title without winning their conference championship in 1989.
Three All-Arounders Anchor Gym Dog Lineup
For much of the year it’s been three all-arounders who have handled the workload for Georgia. SEC and Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year Katie Heenan, defending NCAA All-Around, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam champion Courtney Kupets, and Tiffany Tolnay have competed in 44 percent of Georgia’s routines this year (137 of 312).
Heenan ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in the all-around, while also ranking ninth on floor and fourth on vault.
Courtney Kupets finished the regular season second nationally on the uneven bars and balance beam and her average bars score of 9.921 was the highest in the country.
Tolnay, who finished fourth in the all-around at last year’s NCAA Championships, is the nation’s fourth-ranked all-arounder and also finished the regular season ranked fifth on floor and eighth on beam and vault.
Triple Threat
Here’s a look at results of teams that attempted an NCAA three-peat since Utah won five straight national team titles in the 1980s:
The Utes again won back-to-back team titles in 1994-95 but placed third to Alabama in 1996.
Georgia had a chance at three straight after consecutive undefeated seasons in 1998-99. The Gym Dogs managed only a third-place finish in 2000
as UCLA won the title.
UCLA used its 2000 title as a spring board to back-to-back championship seasons, but also couldn’t make it three straight, as the Bruins finished third to Alabama’s 2002 championship.
UCLA had a second chance for three straight in 2005 after winning the NCAA trophy in 2003-04. But a fourth-place finish to the Gym Dogs ended those hopes.
Did You Know?
The Gym Dogs are 8-2-1 against teams in this year’s Championship field. W - Alabama, Michigan, Denver, LSU, Utah, Stanford. L - Florida, UCLA. T - Florida.
Did You Know?
At the NCAA North Central Regional, the Gym Dogs had a different gymnast win each individual event the first time that has happened in Georgia post-season history. Courtney Kupets - AA; Tiffany Tolnay - V; Kelsey Ericksen - UB; Katie Heenan - BB; Courtney McCool - FX.
Did You Know?
Twenty-one Georgia gymnasts have now combined for 141 10.0s since 1989 after Ashley Kupets was perfect on vault against Michigan.
Sixty-three of Georgia’s 10s have come on vault, 24 on bars, five on beam and 49 on the floor exercise.
Georgia’s most recent 10.0 at the NCAA Championships came from Karin Lichey on vault in 1998
