The University of Georgia gymnastics team will be on the road out west in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, January 25 to compete at the Metroplex Challenge. The meet is set to start at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET) at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena.
The podium style meet will also feature reigning national champion and top team in the country Oklahoma along with No. 5 Alabama and No. 4 Denver.
The No. 18 GymDogs will begin competition on beam before moving to floor, then vault, and finishing on bars.
Viewing of the compeition will be available via FloGymnastics streaming, though fans will have to pay for a subscription to be able to watch. Click here for the stream.
ESPN TABS VEGA A TOP-10 “SHOULD-GO-VIRAL” FLOOR ROUTINE
ESPN tabbed senior Sabrina Vega as a top-10 “should-go viral floor routine for the 2020 NCAA gymnastics season”.
“Senior Sabrina Vega’s floor routine is the highlight of any Georgia meet. With her gorgeous form and entertaining dance, there isn’t a person in the arena who isn’t watching her every move. A 2011 world champion with the U.S. team, Vega has spent three years being the rock and competitive leader of the GymDogs — and her dance skills and overall presentation are the best in the NCAA.”
She is one of four gymnasts named from the SEC.
ONE OF SIX TO HIT 197.325
UGA is the sixth team in the country to hit a 197.325 or better so far this season. The team did not hit this mark until week 8 against Florida last year.
The score of 197.325 is the third best in the SEC so far this season, behind Alabama (197.400) and Florida (197.350).
FURTHER ALONG IN 2020
The Georgia vault, beam, and floor lineups looked strong against LSU. On vault and beam the GymDogs posted scores of 49.325 and 49.225, which are marks the team did not hit until week five in 2019. Similarly, the floor squad did not hit the mark of 49.550 until week 11 last year.
The GymDogs are showing continued improvement and look to build on strong routines as the season moves forward.
EVEN MORE IMPROVEMENT
The entire bars lineup improved their scores from the meet against LSU to Iowa State. In total the squad posted a 1.225 improvement.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Freshman Loulie Hattaway was named to the Dean’s List of the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll after earning a 3.50 GPA or higher while taking 14 hours or more throughout the Fall 2019 semester.
Additionally, Sterlyn Austin, Amanda Cashman, Soraya Hawthorne, and Alyssa Perez-Lugones also earned between a 3.50-3.99 GPA.
In total the team averaged a 3.13 GPA for the fall.
FORMER TEAMMATES COACH TOGETHER
Georgia gymnastics head coach Courtney Kupets Carter added her former teammate and All-American Katie Heenan Dodson to the staff as volunteer assistant coach.
Heenan Dodson was a GymDog from 2005-2008, winning four National Championships and earning All-America honors on all four events and in the all-around (13 total). She also scored a Perfect10 on vault and floor. Additionally, she took home four SEC Champion crowns as an individual and three team titles.
Like Kupets Carter, Heenan Dodson is also a Honda Award Winner.