University of Georgia Athletics
Gym Dogs Down LSU, Stay Undefeated At Home
February 27, 2010 | Gymnastics
ATHENS, Ga. --- The fifth-ranked Georgia gymnastics team remains undefeated at home after earning a 196.575-196.050 win over No. 10 LSU on Friday evening at Stegeman Coliseum.
The Gym Dogs are now 4-0 at home this season and improve their overall record to 4-4 (3-3), while the visiting Tigers drop to 5-4-1 (2-3-1).
Seniors Courtney McCool and Grace Taylor provided strong leadership in the final two events for the Gym Dogs to hold onto the lead they maintained all evening.
“They are being seniors and they are leading us, but we need everyone to carry their weight,” said head coach Jay Clark. “We’ve talked about unity and oneness and what that can do for the consistency of a team, and that’s really what we have to continue to focus on. The seniors are doing a great job and continue to close it out.”
“Tonight we had every opportunity to pull off a big one, and we just didn’t do it,” Clark added.”
Georgia began with a 49.225 on vault, paced by a season and career high 9.875 for freshman Noel Couch. At the third and fourth positions, Cassidy McComb and Shayla Worley posted matching 9.850s. McComb’s tied a season high while Worley’s was both a season and career high for the freshman. In the final two performances on vault, Hilary Mauro and Kat Ding each scored 9.825. Lauren Sessler’s 9.750 was also a season best for the senior. LSU logged a 48.850 on bars in their first rotation, led by Susan Jackson’s 9.900 that erased an earlier 9.400 for the Tigers as the Gym Dogs took an early lead.
Georgia turned in a strong performance on bars in the second rotation, kicked off by a season-high tying 9.850 from senior Grace Taylor, which was followed by a season high 9.875 for senior Marcia Newby. The next three UGA gymnasts in Gina Nuccio, Ding, and Worley notched 9.850s, which marked a career high for the latter. Senior Courtney McCool closed it out with a 9.875 as the Gym Dogs totaled a 49.300 on bars. With LSU’s 49.250 on vault, Georgia took a 98.525-98.100 lead at the midway point.
The third rotation of the night for the Gym Dogs was beam, where freshman Christa Tanella led off with a career-high 9.800. Georgia got 9.925s from both Taylor and McCool in the final two performances on beam, with that score marking the season-best for McCool. Worley added a 9.750 while Georgia had to count Mauro’s 9.550 to finish with a 48.950. LSU closed the gap slightly with a 48.975 to bring the score to 147.475-147.075 in favor of Georgia.
Georgia’s last stop was floor, where Couch led off with a 9.775 that Mauro followed up with a 9.850. Taylor and McCool again provided strong anchors as they logged a 9.850 and 9.950, respectively. McComb and Tanella were late additions to the floor lineup, adding 9.675 and 9.600 for the Gym Dogs as they closed the meet with a 49.100 on floor to outpace LSU’s 48.975.
LSU captured the all-around as Georgia did not compete any gymnasts in all four, with the title going to the Tigers’ Jackson with a 49.450 and followed by teammate Sabrina Franceschelli’s 39.050.
After tonight, the Gym Dogs have turned in their four highest scores of the 2010 season in their last four outings, while their four highest floor scores of the season – all above 49 – were in those meets as well. Previously, Georgia’s four floor scores before that were all below 49.
Georgia gymnasts won at least a share of three of the four events this evening. Newby and McCool split the bars title with LSU’s Jackson, while Taylor and McCool split beam and McCool captured floor outright, capping a three-event win for the senior on the night and defending her No. 1 national ranking on floor.
“Courtney and I are accountability partners,” Taylor said. “We keep each other focused on what’s important, and that is having fun and enjoying every skill. This is more fun than anything we could ever do.”
The Gym Dogs improve to 62-15-2 all-time against the Tigers in what was the 80th meeting between the SEC rivals.
Georgia will remain at home next week when No. 3 UCLA makes the trip for a 4 p.m. contest on Sat., March 6. The meet will be aired on a tape delayed basis on CSS.
Tonight’s meet will be shown on ESPN2 on March 7 at 3 p.m.
TEAM RESULTS
1. Georgia – 196.575
2. LSU – 196.050
Individual Results (Georgia competitors)
Vault: Noel Couch – 9.875; Lauren Sessler – 9.750; Cassidy McComb – 9.850; Shayla Worley – 9.850; Hilary Mauro – 9.825; 9.825; Kat Ding – 9.825
Bars: Grace Taylor – 9.850; Marcia Newby – 9.875; Gina Nuccio – 9.850; Kat Ding – 9.850; Shayla Worley – 9.850; Courtney McCool – 9.875
Beam: Christa Tanella – 9.800; Hilary Mauro – 9.550; Kat Ding – 9.200; Shayla Worley – 9.750; Grace Taylor – 9.925; Courtney McCool – 9.925
Floor: Noel Couch – 9.775; Hilary Mauro – 9.850; Cassidy McComb – 9.675; Christa Tanella – 9.600; Grace Taylor – 9.850; Courtney McCool – 9.950
Attendance: 9,988
The Gym Dogs are now 4-0 at home this season and improve their overall record to 4-4 (3-3), while the visiting Tigers drop to 5-4-1 (2-3-1).
Seniors Courtney McCool and Grace Taylor provided strong leadership in the final two events for the Gym Dogs to hold onto the lead they maintained all evening.
“They are being seniors and they are leading us, but we need everyone to carry their weight,” said head coach Jay Clark. “We’ve talked about unity and oneness and what that can do for the consistency of a team, and that’s really what we have to continue to focus on. The seniors are doing a great job and continue to close it out.”
“Tonight we had every opportunity to pull off a big one, and we just didn’t do it,” Clark added.”
Georgia began with a 49.225 on vault, paced by a season and career high 9.875 for freshman Noel Couch. At the third and fourth positions, Cassidy McComb and Shayla Worley posted matching 9.850s. McComb’s tied a season high while Worley’s was both a season and career high for the freshman. In the final two performances on vault, Hilary Mauro and Kat Ding each scored 9.825. Lauren Sessler’s 9.750 was also a season best for the senior. LSU logged a 48.850 on bars in their first rotation, led by Susan Jackson’s 9.900 that erased an earlier 9.400 for the Tigers as the Gym Dogs took an early lead.
Georgia turned in a strong performance on bars in the second rotation, kicked off by a season-high tying 9.850 from senior Grace Taylor, which was followed by a season high 9.875 for senior Marcia Newby. The next three UGA gymnasts in Gina Nuccio, Ding, and Worley notched 9.850s, which marked a career high for the latter. Senior Courtney McCool closed it out with a 9.875 as the Gym Dogs totaled a 49.300 on bars. With LSU’s 49.250 on vault, Georgia took a 98.525-98.100 lead at the midway point.
The third rotation of the night for the Gym Dogs was beam, where freshman Christa Tanella led off with a career-high 9.800. Georgia got 9.925s from both Taylor and McCool in the final two performances on beam, with that score marking the season-best for McCool. Worley added a 9.750 while Georgia had to count Mauro’s 9.550 to finish with a 48.950. LSU closed the gap slightly with a 48.975 to bring the score to 147.475-147.075 in favor of Georgia.
Georgia’s last stop was floor, where Couch led off with a 9.775 that Mauro followed up with a 9.850. Taylor and McCool again provided strong anchors as they logged a 9.850 and 9.950, respectively. McComb and Tanella were late additions to the floor lineup, adding 9.675 and 9.600 for the Gym Dogs as they closed the meet with a 49.100 on floor to outpace LSU’s 48.975.
LSU captured the all-around as Georgia did not compete any gymnasts in all four, with the title going to the Tigers’ Jackson with a 49.450 and followed by teammate Sabrina Franceschelli’s 39.050.
After tonight, the Gym Dogs have turned in their four highest scores of the 2010 season in their last four outings, while their four highest floor scores of the season – all above 49 – were in those meets as well. Previously, Georgia’s four floor scores before that were all below 49.
Georgia gymnasts won at least a share of three of the four events this evening. Newby and McCool split the bars title with LSU’s Jackson, while Taylor and McCool split beam and McCool captured floor outright, capping a three-event win for the senior on the night and defending her No. 1 national ranking on floor.
“Courtney and I are accountability partners,” Taylor said. “We keep each other focused on what’s important, and that is having fun and enjoying every skill. This is more fun than anything we could ever do.”
The Gym Dogs improve to 62-15-2 all-time against the Tigers in what was the 80th meeting between the SEC rivals.
Georgia will remain at home next week when No. 3 UCLA makes the trip for a 4 p.m. contest on Sat., March 6. The meet will be aired on a tape delayed basis on CSS.
Tonight’s meet will be shown on ESPN2 on March 7 at 3 p.m.
TEAM RESULTS
1. Georgia – 196.575
2. LSU – 196.050
Individual Results (Georgia competitors)
Vault: Noel Couch – 9.875; Lauren Sessler – 9.750; Cassidy McComb – 9.850; Shayla Worley – 9.850; Hilary Mauro – 9.825; 9.825; Kat Ding – 9.825
Bars: Grace Taylor – 9.850; Marcia Newby – 9.875; Gina Nuccio – 9.850; Kat Ding – 9.850; Shayla Worley – 9.850; Courtney McCool – 9.875
Beam: Christa Tanella – 9.800; Hilary Mauro – 9.550; Kat Ding – 9.200; Shayla Worley – 9.750; Grace Taylor – 9.925; Courtney McCool – 9.925
Floor: Noel Couch – 9.775; Hilary Mauro – 9.850; Cassidy McComb – 9.675; Christa Tanella – 9.600; Grace Taylor – 9.850; Courtney McCool – 9.950
Attendance: 9,988
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