Feb. 18, 2007
From Georgia Athletics
ATHENS, Ga. (www.georgiadogs.com) --- The No. 2-ranked Gym Dogs led No. 4 Utah all night, handing the elite program a sizeable 196.850-195.475 loss Friday at Stegeman Coliseum in front of a crowd of 9,604.
Utah (7-1) finished second to Georgia in the 2006 National Championships, and the nine-time national champion Utes succumbed again to the seven-time national champion and two-time defending national champion Gym Dogs in the 2007 regular season.
"Utah came in with some new skills, but unfortunately it wasn't the competition we had hoped for," Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. "Had the score been closer I think we would have been pushed harder and not had those mistakes we made in the last rotation and would have had more of that `killer instinct.'"
Georgia's record for the season improves to 9-0-1, as it has now beaten Utah in three straight years in dual meets. While the 2005 and 2006 meets were won on a combined point margin of .015, the Gym Dogs ran away with this one by a 1.375-point margin.
Sophomore Courtney Kupets, the 2006 NCAA All-Around Champion, captured her first all-around title of the year with a 39.625. All of her routines scored 9.900 or better on the night. Junior Katie Heenan, who has won six all-around titles this year, finished in second with a 39.575.
The Gym Dogs opened competition on vault with a 49.450, tying the season-high recorded against Florida. Three Gym Dogs posted 9.900s or better, led by Heenan and Kupets with 9.925s.
Georgia followed with a solid showing on bars minus a few troubles sticking landings to come away with a 49.300 in its second event. The Gym Dogs held on to a lead over Utah after two rotations, 98.750-98.275.
Kupets gave the best bars performance for Georgia, following last week's perfect 10.0 with a 9.950. Senior Kelsey Erickson, who had been sidelined with an injury, also made a return to the bars lineup with a 9.850.
Georgia's outing on beam was not its best of the year, but with a 49.300 plus several miscues by Utah on floor to give the Utes a 48.300, the Gym Dogs extended their lead to 1.475 after three rotations.
The Gym Dogs had to count a fall on floor and only managed a 48.800, but it proved to be more than enough for the win over Utah.
Georgia returns to its Southeastern Conference slate next Friday when it welcomes Auburn to Stegeman Coliseum at 7:30 p.m.
SCORING
Team Results
1. Georgia - 196.850 (VT-49.450, UB-49.300, BB-49.300, FX-48.800)
2. Utah - 195.475 (VT-49.250, UB-49.025, BB-48.9800, FX-48.300)
Individual Results (winner and all Georgia competitors)
All-Around: 1. Courtney Kupets - 39.625; 2. Katie Heenan - 39.575; t3. Tiffany Tolnay - 38.900
Vault: t1. Katie Heenan, Courtney Kupets - 9.925; t3. Tiffany Tolnay - 9.900; 5. Ashley Kupets - 9.875; t9. Megan Dowlen, Marcia Newby - 9.825
Bars: Courtney Kupets - 9.950; Katie Heenan - 9.875; Kelsey Erickson - 9.850; Tiffany Tolnay - 9.825; Nikki Childs - 9.800; Grace Taylor - 9.775;
Beam: t1. Katie Heenan, Courtney Kupets - 9.900; t3. Megan Dowlen, Tiffany Tolnay - 9.850; 8. Grace Taylor - 9.800; 9. Courtney McCool - 9.775
Floor: t1. Courtney McCool, Courtney Kupets, Kristina Baskett (Utah) - 9.900; 4. Katie Heenan - 9.875; t5. Ashley Kupets - 9.775; 10. Grace Taylor - 9.350; 11. Tiffany Tolnay - 9.325
