Mary Beth Box, Brittany Rogers and Brandie Jay stand together before a meet during an NCAA gymnastics meet between Stanford University and the University of Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum on Monday, Jan. 18, 2016, in Athens, Ga. (Photo by Emily Selby)
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Gymdogs have a 1-3 record overall, but are 1-0 in the SEC. Kentucky is sitting at 1-2 on the year and are looking for their first conference win. Georgia’s has been on the road for 3 of it’s first four matches, and the match versus Kentucky will make the Gymdogs’ fourth road trip in 5 meets to start the year.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “Our gymnasts love spending time together, so the road trips give us that ability,” Georgia head coach Danna Durante said. “We’re building a great chemistry and a great closeness thanks to these meets. Our gymnasts are not only resilient competitors, but they really care about each other.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia is coming off a 195.80 to 195.35 loss to Missouri last Friday. The Gymdogs were solid yet again on bars (49.175), vault (49.275) and floor (49.22), but they struggled on the beam once again as three falls cost them a chance at a victory. Georgia’s national ranking points to the struggles the Gymdogs have had on the balance beam as they are nationally rated third, fourth and sixth on the vault, bars and floor, respectively, (or as senior Mary Beth Box put it, “rock stars”), but they are is 43rd on beam.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “It’s like a great NBA player who makes millions of dollars and can’t make his free throws,” Durante said. “He might make them in practice and then he can’t make them in the game. It’s the same thing and the more you press the worse it gets. It comes back to a technical approach. This week, we’ve done a lot of team work on beam. They’re harder on themselves than any coach or fan could ever be. There’s no doubt it’s just a matter of time before it all comes together.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Senior Brandie Jay enters Friday’s meet with the nation’s second-best effort on vault at 9.975 and she has the fourth-highest average at 9.9. She also stands fourth in the all-around at 39.475 after making her collegiate debut in all four events against Missouri. Fellow senior Brittany Rogers is averaging 9.888 on bars (seventh best in the country) with a high of 9.925.
[su_spacer size=”40″] This marks the 80th all-time meeting between Georgia and Kentucky with the Gym Dogs holding a 78-0-1 advantage in the series. Georgia won in Athens last season, then the Gymdogs were fifth and Kentucky was eighth at the SEC Championship.
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FOLLOW THE GYMDOGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
[su_spacer size=”20″]On Twitter at: @UGAGymnastics
[su_spacer size=”20″]On Instagram at: @ugagymnastics
[su_spacer size=”20″]On Facebook at: Georgia.Gymdogs
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GAME NOTES:
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