In her second year as head coach of the University of Georgia gymnastics team, Courtney Kupets Carter has been named the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Southeast Region Coach of the Year, it was announced Thursday.
Kupets Carter brought the GymDogs to new heights in 2019. Georgia posted its highest season-opening score since 2007- a 196.600 against Ohio State, and was the fifth school in the nation to record a 197.000. The GymDogs hit that mark in week four against Iowa State in Athens.
For the first time since 2008, Georgia defeated Florida in Gainesville. The then-No. 7 GymDogs upset then-No. 3 Florida, 197.450-197.375, handing the Gators their first SEC loss of the season. For the first time since 2008, Georgia defeated Florida in Gainesville. The then-No. 7 GymDogs upset then-No. 3 Florida, 197.450-197.375, handing the Gators their first SEC loss of the season.
With the best SEC Championship finish since 2014, two Georgia gymnasts earned All-Freshman Honors. Megan Roberts and Alexa Al-Hameed scored a pair of 9.90’s on bars as the GymDogs finished fourth at the SEC Championship.
Additionally, Kupets Carter coached junior Sabrina Vega to SEC Specialist of the Year honors. Vega is the first gymnast to receive yearly conference honors since 2014.
At the NCAA Regional in Athens, the GymDogs posted their highest score in a decade with a 198.050 to advance to the NCAA National Championships.
Georgia gymnasts Sydney Snead, Sabrina Vega, Rachel Dickson, and Rachael Lukacs claimed six WCGA Regular Season All-America honors. Snead claimed first-team honors on vault and second team honors in the all-around, while Vega earned first team honors on beam, and second team honors on floor. Lukacs and Dickson were named to the second team on vault and floor, respectively.
Georgia will compete in the semifinal of the NCAA Gymnastics National Championship on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The GymDogs face Oklahoma, Denver, and Oregon State and start competition on bars. The teams with the top two scores from each semifinal on Friday will advance to the National Championship Finals on Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
