SEC Gymnastics: 1.22.10


SEC Gymnastics Results for Friday, January 22, 2010



Alabama 197.450
Arkansas 195.500


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 3 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team came away with its best score of the season by more than a point, downing No. 7 Arkansas, 197.450-195.500, in front of 13,506 fans. Senior Morgan Dennis used a career-high 9.975 to win the vault and a 9.95 to win the floor exercise.  Sophomore Ashley Sledge, junior Kayla Hoffman, senior Kassi Price and sophomore Ashley Priess all tied for first on the uneven bars with matching 9.9s. Arkansas senior Casey Jo Magee won the balance beam with a 9.925.

Alabama finished off the night with a 49.450 on the floor exercise, led by Dennis’ 9.950. Alabama got off to a very hot start, scoring a 49.425 on the vault led by 9.9 or better scores from its last three competitors, including Dennis’s 9.975 in the anchor position. The Tide kept up the pace on the uneven bars where four competitors tied for first with a 9.9 and a fifth scoring a 9.875 for a 49.475 team mark. Dennis kept things going with a 9.875 on the balance beam leading the Tide to a 49.1 team total.

Meet Results

                                Vault                     Bars                       Beam                    Floor                     Total

Alabama              49.425                   49.475                   49.100                   49.450                   197.450

Arkansas              49.000                   48.750                   48.950                   48.800                   195.500

*Courtesy: Alabama Media Relations
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Florida 196.050
Kentucky 195.350


LEXINGTON, Ky. –The No. 4 University of Florida gymnastics team (2-1, 2-0 SEC) collected its second consecutive win of the season in Friday’s dual meet at No. 12 Kentucky (3-2, 1-2 SEC). The Gators posted a 196.05-195.35 win over the Wildcats in front of a Memorial Coliseum crowd of 2,132.

The Gators showed improvement from their first road performance of the season and did not count a fall toward their team total. A stronger beginning helped the Gators Friday, UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said.

A Gator took at least a share of four of the evening’s five event titles, including freshman Ashanée Dickerson picking up her third consecutive all-around title with a total of 39.25. She is the first Gator to open the season with three consecutive all-around wins since former All-American Melissa Miller in 1988. Fellow freshman Marissa King was runner-up in the all-around at 39.075.

Senior Courtney Gladys picked up a share of two event titles Friday, tying for top honors on both vault and balance beam. Teammate Nicole Ellis tied Gladys on vault as each turned in season-best vault marks of 9.875. The mark was also a collegiate-best for Ellis after matching her previous best of 9.85 twice in 2010 and twice in 2009.

Both Gladys and freshman Liz Green shared their first collegiate balance beam wins with Kentucky’s Storey Morris at 9.825. It was the second consecutive meet Green led UF on beam, as she took second last week versus Arkansas with her collegiate-best of 9.85.

Three Gators shared the evening’s uneven bars title at 9.825 – Alicia Goodwin, Elizabeth Mahlich and Maranda Smith. It was the second consecutive bar win for Smith and the first of the season for Goodwin and Mahlich. Kentucky’s Emily Green took the floor exercise title at 9.85. Florida’s Dickerson matched her collegiate-best of 9.90 for the second straight week to finish runner-up.


Meet Results

                                Vault                     Bars                       Beam                    Floor                     Total

Florida                  49.175                   49.050                   48.750                   49.075                   196.050

Kentucky              48.750                   48.650                   48.600                   48.350                   195.350

*Courtesy: UF Media Relations
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Utah 196.550
Georgia 196.500


SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -----Despite its highest total score of the season, No. 10 Georgia fell just short to sixth-ranked Utah, 196.550-196.500, in front of a record crowd of 15,552 at the Huntsman Center Friday.

The Gym Dogs (1-2) trailed by .25 entering the final rotation, but closed the gap with a 49.325 on beam, Georgia’s highest score on any event this season. On Utah’s final routine of the meet, Utah needed a 9.825 from Annie DiLuzio on floor to tie Georgia’s team score, and she posted a 9.875 to give the Utes (2-1) the narrow win.

Georgia began the meet with its second-highest score on any event with a 49.250 on bars. After a fall on Georgia’s first routine of the night, the Gym Dogs scored a 9.825 or higher on each of the next five routines including a meet-high 9.900 by Kat Ding.

Utah scored a 49.325 on vault in the first rotation to hold a slim lead.

The Gym Dogs took a narrow led after the second rotation with a 49.150 on vault. Ding again led the team with a 9.875 followed by Hilary Mauro with a 9.850. The Utes posted a 49.000 on bars, and at the halfway point of the meet, Georgia led 98.400-98.325.

Georgia’s 49.150 on vault was its fourth-highest score on any event this season.

Utah reclaimed a 147.425-147.175 lead after the third rotation when the Gym Dogs were forced to count a 9.525. Georgia finished with a 48.775 on floor led by Courtney McCool’s 9.900. In three meets this season, McCool has scored a 9.925 and two 9.900s on floor. She entered the meet tied for first nationally on floor. Mauro added a 9.825 and Shayla Worley had a 9.800 for Georgia.

In the final rotation on beam, Georgia was led by McCool’s 9.925 and Grace Taylor’s 9.900. Utah posted a 49.125 on floor.

The Gym Dogs did not have an all-arounder in the meet for the first time this season. Lauren Sessler and Gina Nuccio both competed on vault for the first time this year.

Meet Results

                            Vault                     Bars                       Beam                    Floor                     Total

Utah                   49.325                   49.000                   49.100                   49.125                   196.550

Georgia              49.150                   49.250                   49.325                   48.775                   195.500

*Courtesy: Georgia Media Relations

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LSU 195.650
Auburn 193.900


BATON ROUGE, La.
– The 16th-ranked LSU gymnastics team closed the meet with a 49.275 score on floor to roll to a 195.650-193.900 victory over No. 11 Auburn Friday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC) picked up its first conference victory with the help of outstanding performances from the three senior all-arounders – Susan Jackson, Sabrina Franceschelli and Summer Hubbard.

Jackson, the nation’s No. 1 all-around performer, either won outright or tied for all five titles including the all-around crown with a 39.525 score.

LSU led throughout the meet as the Tigers opened with a six-tenths lead after one event. LSU posted a 48.975 on vault while Auburn managed a 48.325 on bars. Jackson and Kayla Rogers led the way with a 9.875 and 9.825, respectively. Hubbard and Ashley Lee added 9.775 scores, and Franceschelli scored a 9.725 to pace the Tigers.

Auburn (0-3, 0-2) was led by Krissy Voss and Carmen Nelms on bars as both scored a 9.825.

Auburn closed the gap in the second event with a 49.075 on vault while LSU tallied a 48.750 on bars, so after two rotations LSU led, 97.725-97.400.

Jackson and Hubbard tied for the bars title with 9.875 scores, and Franceschelli and Samantha Engle chipped in a 9.85 and 9.80, respectively.

LSU broke away from Auburn in the third rotation when Auburn struggled on floor and had to count two falls en route to a 47.750 score. LSU posted a 48.650 on beam, led by Jackson’s 9.875 and Gloria Johnson’s season-high 9.775.

LSU cemented the victory in the fourth rotation with a resounding 49.275 on floor – three-tenths higher than the Tigers’ previous best floor score – while Auburn scored a 48.750 on beam.

Rogers led off floor with a season-best 9.90, and the Tigers kept adding high scores. Franceschelli scored a 9.80, Engle posted a 9.825, Hubbard tallied a 9.85 and Jackson won the event with a 9.90.

Competing on floor for the first time in her career, Lee fought off nerves to earn a 9.75 with a great display of composure in a solid routine.

After winning all four events and the all-around, Jackson increased her career individual title total to 41.

Hubbard scored a career-high 39.100 all-around mark, tying Franceschelli for third place in the all-around standings behind Jackson and Auburn’s Krissy Voss who scored a 39.200.

Hubbard’s bars title was the ninth of her career, and Rogers’ floor title marked the second of her career.

Meet Results

                            Vault                     Bars                       Beam                    Floor                     Total

LSU                    48.975                   48.750                   48.650                   49.275                   195.650

Auburn              49.075                   48.325                   48.750                   47.750                   193.900

*Courtesy: LSU Media Relations