University of Georgia Athletics

2010 Gymnastics Season In Review
April 27, 2010 | Gymnastics
The Georgia gymnastics team finished the 2010 season with a 13-8-1 record under first year head coach Jay Clark. The Gym Dogs had four wins against teams that qualified for the NCAA Championships including a victory over eventual national champion UCLA.
Although Georgia had its streak of 26 straight years of qualifying for the NCAA Championships come to an end, senior Courtney McCool qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships, and finished runner-up on the balance beam. The Lees Summit, Mo., native earned First Team All-America honors on beam and second team honors on floor.
Georgia faced one of the toughest schedules in the country as 10 of the Gym Dogs’ 11 regular season opponents were ranked in the top 15. Seven opponents were ranked in the top-10 at the time of competition including third-ranked Arkansas, third-ranked UCLA, fourth-ranked Florida and fourth-ranked Alabama.
Georgia was a perfect 6-0 at home with four of the wins coming against eventual NCAA Championship particpants: Stanford, Arkansas, LSU and UCLA. The Gym Dogs have won 24 straight home meets, and the home team was 11-0 in Georgia’s 11 regular season meets in 2010.
Despite not qualifying for the NCAA Championships, Georgia was statistically among the top teams in the country throughout the season. Entering Regional competition, the Gym Dogs ranked in the top 10 in each of the four events including second on balance beam, fourth on bars, sixth on floor and 10th on vault.
The Gym Dogs posted the highest overall team score in the SEC by a wide margin, a 197.900 in the win against UCLA on March 6. That was second in the country to Oklahoma’s 197.950 against Alabama on March 5.
Georgia also put up the highest team floor exercise mark in the SEC, a 49.575 against UCLA while the 49.550 against NC State was second. The Gym Dogs’ 49.550 on beam against the Bruins was the second highest beam score in the league.
In the regular season, a Georgia gymnast posted the SEC’s high mark on each event: Grace Taylor posted the only perfect 10 by an SEC gymnast (beam vs. UCLA), Kat Ding had the high score on bars (9.975 vs. Kentucky) and tied for the best vault score (9.975 vs. UCLA), while McCool tied for first on floor (9.975 vs. NC State). Georgia had five seniors in 2010: McCool, Taylor, Marcia Newby, Lauren Sessler and Lauren Johnson. The group led Georgia to a 107-13-2 record in four years with three national championships and an SEC title. The Gym Dogs debuted four freshman in 2010: Kati Breazeal, Noel Couch, Christa Tanella and Shayla Worley. McCool had 15 event titles to lead the Gym Dogs this season including eight on floor, six on beam and one on bars. Ding was second with 11 (eight on bars and three on vault), while Taylor has seven (all on beam). McCool finished either first (seven times) or second (five times) on floor exercise in each of Georgia’s 13 meets.
Academic Success
Eight members of the Georgia gymnastics team were named to the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll, according to an announcement by the league office. Mariel Box, Kat Ding, Lauren Johnson, Marica Newby, Gina Nuccio, Lauren Sessler, Grace Taylor and Amber Trani were among the 42 UGA student-athletes honored. The 2009-10 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2009 Spring, Summer and Fall terms.
A National Attendance Leader
Georgia led the country this year in average attendance - both home and away. A total of 108,719 fans watched the Gym Dogs’ 11 regular season meets this season - an average of 9,883 per meet. That is 1,000 more than second-place Alabama’s average of 8,508 per meet. Utah is third with 8,030 per meet. The Gym Dogs also led the country with 96.05 percent capacity in its six home meets this season.
Three of Georgia’s meets attracted more than 10,000 fans: 10,224 in the home opener against Stanford; 14,220 at Alabama on Jan. 15; and 15,552 at Utah on Jan. 22. The 15,552 fans at the Huntman Center in Salt Lake City is the largest crowd in the history of college women’s gymnastics.
Best of the Best
While Georgia did not win the SEC team championship this season, three Gym Dogs claimed SEC individual titles and two more were runners-up: Courtney McCool won the SEC floor title with a 9.950, Kat Ding won the SEC bars title with a 9.925 and Hilary Mauro tied for first on vault with a 9.900. Grace Taylor finished second on balance beam with a 9.925, and Marcia Newby was runner-up on the vault with a 9.875.
Although Georgia had its streak of 26 straight years of qualifying for the NCAA Championships come to an end, senior Courtney McCool qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships, and finished runner-up on the balance beam. The Lees Summit, Mo., native earned First Team All-America honors on beam and second team honors on floor.
Georgia faced one of the toughest schedules in the country as 10 of the Gym Dogs’ 11 regular season opponents were ranked in the top 15. Seven opponents were ranked in the top-10 at the time of competition including third-ranked Arkansas, third-ranked UCLA, fourth-ranked Florida and fourth-ranked Alabama.
Georgia was a perfect 6-0 at home with four of the wins coming against eventual NCAA Championship particpants: Stanford, Arkansas, LSU and UCLA. The Gym Dogs have won 24 straight home meets, and the home team was 11-0 in Georgia’s 11 regular season meets in 2010.
Despite not qualifying for the NCAA Championships, Georgia was statistically among the top teams in the country throughout the season. Entering Regional competition, the Gym Dogs ranked in the top 10 in each of the four events including second on balance beam, fourth on bars, sixth on floor and 10th on vault.
The Gym Dogs posted the highest overall team score in the SEC by a wide margin, a 197.900 in the win against UCLA on March 6. That was second in the country to Oklahoma’s 197.950 against Alabama on March 5.
Georgia also put up the highest team floor exercise mark in the SEC, a 49.575 against UCLA while the 49.550 against NC State was second. The Gym Dogs’ 49.550 on beam against the Bruins was the second highest beam score in the league.
In the regular season, a Georgia gymnast posted the SEC’s high mark on each event: Grace Taylor posted the only perfect 10 by an SEC gymnast (beam vs. UCLA), Kat Ding had the high score on bars (9.975 vs. Kentucky) and tied for the best vault score (9.975 vs. UCLA), while McCool tied for first on floor (9.975 vs. NC State). Georgia had five seniors in 2010: McCool, Taylor, Marcia Newby, Lauren Sessler and Lauren Johnson. The group led Georgia to a 107-13-2 record in four years with three national championships and an SEC title. The Gym Dogs debuted four freshman in 2010: Kati Breazeal, Noel Couch, Christa Tanella and Shayla Worley. McCool had 15 event titles to lead the Gym Dogs this season including eight on floor, six on beam and one on bars. Ding was second with 11 (eight on bars and three on vault), while Taylor has seven (all on beam). McCool finished either first (seven times) or second (five times) on floor exercise in each of Georgia’s 13 meets.
Academic Success
Eight members of the Georgia gymnastics team were named to the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll, according to an announcement by the league office. Mariel Box, Kat Ding, Lauren Johnson, Marica Newby, Gina Nuccio, Lauren Sessler, Grace Taylor and Amber Trani were among the 42 UGA student-athletes honored. The 2009-10 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2009 Spring, Summer and Fall terms.
A National Attendance Leader
Georgia led the country this year in average attendance - both home and away. A total of 108,719 fans watched the Gym Dogs’ 11 regular season meets this season - an average of 9,883 per meet. That is 1,000 more than second-place Alabama’s average of 8,508 per meet. Utah is third with 8,030 per meet. The Gym Dogs also led the country with 96.05 percent capacity in its six home meets this season.
Three of Georgia’s meets attracted more than 10,000 fans: 10,224 in the home opener against Stanford; 14,220 at Alabama on Jan. 15; and 15,552 at Utah on Jan. 22. The 15,552 fans at the Huntman Center in Salt Lake City is the largest crowd in the history of college women’s gymnastics.
Best of the Best
While Georgia did not win the SEC team championship this season, three Gym Dogs claimed SEC individual titles and two more were runners-up: Courtney McCool won the SEC floor title with a 9.950, Kat Ding won the SEC bars title with a 9.925 and Hilary Mauro tied for first on vault with a 9.900. Grace Taylor finished second on balance beam with a 9.925, and Marcia Newby was runner-up on the vault with a 9.875.
Georgia Gymnastics vs. Oklahoma Postmeet Video Recap
Saturday, March 15
Georgia Gymnastics vs. Kentucky Postmeet Video Recap
Monday, March 03
Georgia Gymnastics vs. Arkansas Postmeet Video Recap
Saturday, February 15
Georgia Gymnastics vs. Alabama Postmeet Video Recap
Sunday, February 02