Georgia Travels to Take On Mizzou Friday

Meet Information
No. 15 Georgia at No. 23 Missouri
Friday, February 26 | 8:00 p.m. ET | Hearnes Center | Columbia, Mo.
Watch: SEC Network +
Live Stream
Stats
MEET NOTES

ATHENS, Ga. --- The University of Georgia gymnastics team continues competition on the road as the team travels to Columbia, Missouri for a Friday night matchup against the Tigers. The meet is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be streamed on the SEC Network +.

HISTORY AGAINST MISSOURI
The GymDogs hold a 22-2 record against the Tigers. The teams were scheduled to compete in 2020, but the meet was canceled due to COVID-19. To open the 2021 season, Georgia beat Missouri in Athens.

HAWTHORNE CONTINUES THE MOONWALK
Sophomore Soraya Hawthorne assumed the responsibility of taking over the Georgia moonwalk tradition on beam this season and debuted the move at LSU. She is the seventh GymDog to perform the moonwalk on the balance beam, following Nikki Childs, Cassidy McComb, Lindsey Cheek, Mary Beth Box, Morgan Reynolds, and Sabrina Vega.

SEASON HIGH MARKS AGAINST ALABAMA
The GymDogs earned season-high team marks in the first three rotations against Alabama on their way to the team's first score of 197.000 or better in 2021.

SEASON HIGH VAULT AT AUBURN
Despite a season-high score of 49.325 on vault, the No. 12 GymDogs fell to the No. 19 Auburn Tigers, 197.050-196.150, on the road. In her season debut on vault, sophomore Soraya Hawthorne led the charge with a 9.900, matching her career-high score. Juniors Abbey Ward and Megan Roberts followed with a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively. Junior Rachel Baumann and sophomore Amanda Cashman added a 9.825 apiece.

GYMDOGS SNAP ALABAMA'S WIN STREAK
For the first time in dual competition since 2013, Georgia GymDogs defeated Alabama, 197.275-197.00, in Stegeman Coliseum.

Season-high team marks in the first three rotations highlighted the Georgia victory which snapped the Tide's undefeated 4-0 record for the 2021 season.

With a 9.875 by Rachael Lukacs pacing Georgia to jumpstart competition on vault, career-highs by Haley de Jong and Amanda Cashman gave the GymDogs an extra boost in the first event.

Moving on to bars, De Jong continued to shine as she performed to yet another career-high with a 9.925. Marissa Oakley followed suit with a 9.925 to join de Jong as Georgia's leaders on bars.

Two 9.925 marks by both Rachel Baumann and Oakley highlighted Georgia's third rotation on beam. The GymDogs wrapped up competition on floor, where Baumann and Soraya Hawthorne led the charge; both scored 9.900 apiece, a season-high for Hawthorne.

GEORGIA SELECTED AS 2021 NCAA REGIONAL HOST
The University of Georgia gymnastics team has been selected to host the 2021 NCAA gymnastics regional April 1-3 in Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia is one of four hosts for the 2021 regional championships, along with Utah, Missouri, and West Virginia.

The 2021 regional marks the 12th time Georgia has hosted the event since 1985. Georgia last hosted in 2019 when the GymDogs posted their highest score in a decade with a 198.050 to advance to the NCAA National Championship. Marissa Oakley earned a Perfect 10 on bars, marking the first GymDog since 1998 to earn a perfect score on that apparatus in regional competition. Together the GymDogs earned a score of 49.550 on beam, which tied for the fifth highest single-meet beam score in Georgia gymnastics history.

The 2020 NCAA Regional and National Championships were canceled due to COVID-19.

For more information about the NCAA Athens Regional, visit www.georgiadogs.com.

SERVANT LEADERS
Coach Courtney Kupets Carter has encouraged the seniors to be servant leaders for their younger teammates. With the season, and training in general, looking different than year's past it is important for them to look out for the underclassmen. Kupets Carter has praised the servant leadership of Emily Schild for stepping up.

FRESH FACES IN THE ALL-AROUND
Junior Megan Roberts and sophomore Haley de Jong both competed all-around for the first time in their Georgia career at Florida. De Jong took home the all-around title with a 39.175 and Roberts followed with a 39.150, both beating out two Florida gymnasts.

The next week at LSU, junior Rachel Baumann added her bars routine to the lineup to compete all-around for the first time.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Freshman Victoria Nguyen competed all-around in her first competition as a GymDog. She recorded an overall score of 39.400 after notching a 9.750 on vault, a meet-high 9.950 on bars, a 9.850 on beam, and a 9.850 on floor. The Houston, Texas native's bars score was the highest in the nation after the first meet.

Katie Finnegan has made her way into the lineup, competing three meets on bars and earning a high score of 9.825 against Arkansas.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rachel Baumann

Amanda Cashman

Haley de Jong

Katie Finnegan

Soraya Hawthorne

Rachael Lukacs

Victoria Nguyen

Marissa Oakley

Megan Roberts

Emily Schild

Sabrina Vega

Abbey Ward