The No. 11 University of Georgia gymnastics team topped No. 12 Kentucky with a 197.050-196.825 win at Memorial Coliseum on Friday night.
Junior Marissa Oakley earned the top score of the night on bars matching her season-high score of 9.925, marking her third event title this year. Senior Sabrina Vega took home the beam crown with a 9.925 and earned the best all-around score for the first time of her career.
“It was a win on the road in SEC territory and we had a great score so there are a lot of things to be proud of tonight,” Georgia head coach Courtney Kupets Carter said. “Our strongest events are floor and beam so having a good start on bars and vault really built our confidence to help do their gymnastics without tightening up. We’ve had several new gymnasts in those lineups and that’s what so great about this team- to be able to put anyone in and still be able to get a great team score. No matter who goes in, we can still hit. And we are going to continue building as a team.”
The GymDogs opened competition on bars, posting a 49.200. In the anchor position, junior Marissa Oakley matched her season-best score of 9.925. Preceding her, sophomore Megan Roberts swung to her best road score (9.850), and freshman Loulie Hattaway tied her career-high 9.825. Sophomore Rachael Lukacs, senior Sabrina Vega, and freshman Haley De Jong all earned scores of 9.800. That marked a career-high for Vega who has only competed bars three other times as a GymDog.
Georgia was solid on vault, scoring a season-high score of 49.375. Freshman Soraya Hawthorne (9.900) and Lukacs (9.925) earned season-best scores for the event, while sophomore Abbey Ward and Vega notched their best road scores with a 9.825 and 9.850, respectively. Sophomore Mikayla Magee also contributed a 9.875.
The Wildcats also posted a 49.375 on vault and Georgia trailed by one-tenth after two rotations.
Georgia took the lead after the third rotation, scoring a 49.225 on floor. Vega led the squad with a 9.900 in the anchor position. Lukacs scored a 9.875 for her routine, while sophomore Alyssa Perez-Lugones and Hawthorne both contributed a 9.825.
The GymDogs scored a 49.250 on beam to finish the meet. Vega led the squad with a 9.925, while Baumann and Oakley contributed score of 9.875 and 9.825, respectively.
Georgia returns home to Stegeman Coliseum to face the Florida Gators on Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m. The meet will be televised on the SEC Network’s Friday Night Heights.
FINAL RESULTS-
GEORGIA: 197.050 (VT- 49.375, UB-49.200, BB- 49.250, FX- 49.225)
KENTUCKY: 196.825 (VT- 49.375, UB-49.300, BB- 48.750, FX- 49.400)
VAULT– 49.375
Mikayla Magee: 9.875
Abbey Ward: 9.825
Megan Roberts: 9.675
Sabrina Vega: 9.850
Soraya Hawthorne: 9.900
Rachael Lukacs: 9.925
BARS– 49.200
Rachael Lukacs: 9.800
Loulie Hattaway: 9.825
Sabrina Vega: 9.800
Megan Roberts: 9.850
Haley De Jong: 9.800
Marissa Oakley: 9.925
BEAM– 49.250
Mikayla Magee: 9.875
Soraya Hawthorne: 9.750
Haley De Jong: 9.700
Marissa Oakley: 9.825
Rachel Baumann: 9.875
Sabrina Vega: 9.925
FLOOR– 49.225
Alyssa Perez-Lugones: 9.825
Sterlyn Austin: 9.575
Rachel Baumann: 9.800
Soraya Hawthorne: 9.825
Rachael Lukacs: 9.875
Sabrina Vega: 9.900