University of Georgia Athletics
Gym Dogs Post 197.125 in Victory Over Auburn
February 16, 2008 | Gymnastics
AUBURN, Ala. The No. 1 Georgia gymnastics teams used a stellar team effort on beam to capture the victory over No. 16 Auburn, 197.125-195.475, Friday at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
The team score of 197.125 is the second highest for Georgia (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) this year, while its beam score of 49.500 ties for the highest of this season. That was without an all-arounder in the lineup and Courtney Kupets sick and only competing one event.
The Gym Dogs are now 60-0 all time against Auburn, who fell to 4-5 (0-5 SEC) with the loss.
On beam, four of the six Georgia scores were 9.900 or better, including a career-high 9.950 from Nikki Childs to win the beam title for the meet. Katie Heenan notched a 9.925 on beam in the leadoff spot, as all three of her scores went 9.900 or better and the senior won the outright event title on both vault and bars.
“I think our score is a good one considering all of the last-minute changes we had to make in the lineups and having Tiffany in just two events and Courtney in only one event,” Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “We still didn’t put together that four-event complete meet we’ve been talking about, but it was great to see it all come together on beam at the end of the meet.”
For the third straight meet, Georgia opened with a miscue on its first routine of the evening, as Childs fell of the bars to open competition. But the next five competitors had clean routines, led by Katie Heenan’s 9.900 in the anchor position.
Georgia’s 49.275 on bars topped Auburn’s 49.175 on vault and the Gym Dogs took a .1 lead into the second rotation.
The Gym Dogs had a solid outing on vault as well, scoring a 49.325 as a team. Heenan topped all scorers again with a 9.925 and sophomore Lauren Sessler hit her first competition vault with a strong 9.850.
“Lauren has been working so hard in the gym and it was great to see her hit the vault in competition,” Yoculan added. “This might just be the confidence booster she needed to help her hit some more big vaults for us in the future.”
With Auburn having to count a fall on bars, Georgia led 98.600-97.100 halfway through the competition.
As it also did on vault, Georgia had to make some last-minute changes on floor exercise, and neither Kupets nor Tolnay were in the final lineup. Despite three solid routines to open by Hilary Mauro, Nikki Childs and Grace Taylor, the Gym Dogs’ final three floor workers stumbled out of bounds along with one fall and the team netted a 49.025 on the event.
Even with struggles on the floor, Georgia headed to the final rotation with comfortable lead, 147.625-146.175. It was then on beam where the Gym Dogs closed out the meet with their second highest score of the year.
Georgia returns to Athens for their first two-meet homestand of the season beginning next Saturday, Feb. 23 against Kentucky at 4 p.m.
SCORING
Team Results
1. Georgia 197.125 (VT- 49.325, UB- 49.275, BB- 49.500, FX- 49.025)
2. Auburn 195.475 (VT- 49.175, UB- 47.925, BB- 49.075, FX- 49.300)
Individual Results (Georgia competitors)
Vault: Marcia Newby 9.875; Cassidy McComb 9.825; Lauren Sessler 9.850; Katie Heenan 9.925; Paige Burns 9.600; Tiffany Courtney Kupets 9.850
Bars: Nikki Childs 9.275; Marcia Newby 9.800; Abby Stack 9.825; Tiffany Tolnay 9.875; Grace Taylor 9.875; Katie Heenan 9.900
Beam: Katie Heenan 9.925; Hilary Mauro 9.800; Grace Taylor 9.925; Tiffany Tolnay 9.900; Nikki Childs 9.950; Courtney McCool 9.725
Floor: Hilary Mauro 9.825; Nikki Childs 9.800; Grace Taylor 9.850; Abby Stack 9.250; Cassidy McComb 9.775; Courtney McCool 9.775
The team score of 197.125 is the second highest for Georgia (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) this year, while its beam score of 49.500 ties for the highest of this season. That was without an all-arounder in the lineup and Courtney Kupets sick and only competing one event.
The Gym Dogs are now 60-0 all time against Auburn, who fell to 4-5 (0-5 SEC) with the loss.
On beam, four of the six Georgia scores were 9.900 or better, including a career-high 9.950 from Nikki Childs to win the beam title for the meet. Katie Heenan notched a 9.925 on beam in the leadoff spot, as all three of her scores went 9.900 or better and the senior won the outright event title on both vault and bars.
“I think our score is a good one considering all of the last-minute changes we had to make in the lineups and having Tiffany in just two events and Courtney in only one event,” Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “We still didn’t put together that four-event complete meet we’ve been talking about, but it was great to see it all come together on beam at the end of the meet.”
For the third straight meet, Georgia opened with a miscue on its first routine of the evening, as Childs fell of the bars to open competition. But the next five competitors had clean routines, led by Katie Heenan’s 9.900 in the anchor position.
Georgia’s 49.275 on bars topped Auburn’s 49.175 on vault and the Gym Dogs took a .1 lead into the second rotation.
The Gym Dogs had a solid outing on vault as well, scoring a 49.325 as a team. Heenan topped all scorers again with a 9.925 and sophomore Lauren Sessler hit her first competition vault with a strong 9.850.
“Lauren has been working so hard in the gym and it was great to see her hit the vault in competition,” Yoculan added. “This might just be the confidence booster she needed to help her hit some more big vaults for us in the future.”
With Auburn having to count a fall on bars, Georgia led 98.600-97.100 halfway through the competition.
As it also did on vault, Georgia had to make some last-minute changes on floor exercise, and neither Kupets nor Tolnay were in the final lineup. Despite three solid routines to open by Hilary Mauro, Nikki Childs and Grace Taylor, the Gym Dogs’ final three floor workers stumbled out of bounds along with one fall and the team netted a 49.025 on the event.
Even with struggles on the floor, Georgia headed to the final rotation with comfortable lead, 147.625-146.175. It was then on beam where the Gym Dogs closed out the meet with their second highest score of the year.
Georgia returns to Athens for their first two-meet homestand of the season beginning next Saturday, Feb. 23 against Kentucky at 4 p.m.
SCORING
Team Results
1. Georgia 197.125 (VT- 49.325, UB- 49.275, BB- 49.500, FX- 49.025)
2. Auburn 195.475 (VT- 49.175, UB- 47.925, BB- 49.075, FX- 49.300)
Individual Results (Georgia competitors)
Vault: Marcia Newby 9.875; Cassidy McComb 9.825; Lauren Sessler 9.850; Katie Heenan 9.925; Paige Burns 9.600; Tiffany Courtney Kupets 9.850
Bars: Nikki Childs 9.275; Marcia Newby 9.800; Abby Stack 9.825; Tiffany Tolnay 9.875; Grace Taylor 9.875; Katie Heenan 9.900
Beam: Katie Heenan 9.925; Hilary Mauro 9.800; Grace Taylor 9.925; Tiffany Tolnay 9.900; Nikki Childs 9.950; Courtney McCool 9.725
Floor: Hilary Mauro 9.825; Nikki Childs 9.800; Grace Taylor 9.850; Abby Stack 9.250; Cassidy McComb 9.775; Courtney McCool 9.775
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