With the highest score to open the season since 2007, the seventh-ranked University of Georgia gymnastics team began the 2019 campaign with a 196.600- 194.900 win over No. 18 Ohio State in front of a sold-out crowd in Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday.

“The excitement that builds as you watch a student-athlete hit their routine, knowing that they have to hit a certain skill to keep moving forward, that is what carried this team through at times,” Georgia head coach Courtney Kupets Carter said. “We didn’t have a perfect meet, and there are things that we need to work on, but those points where they fought, and they fought for each other really made a difference tonight.”

Six freshmen made their Stegeman Coliseum debuts in the season opener, with at least one competing on each event. Rachael Lukacs competed on vault, bars, and floor.

All-Americans Rachel Dickson, Sydney Snead, and Sabrina Vega each earned a 9.9 or better on floor, vault, and beam, respectively.

The GymDogs began competition on vault, scoring a 49.125. Snead led the team with a 9.925, the highest score of the day, followed by Lukacs and Vega with scores of 9.825. Dickson scored a 9.775 with her yurchenko half on front pike. Freshman Abbey Ward matched Dickson’s 9.775.

Georgia was strong on bars, earning a team total 49.200. In the lead off and anchor positions, Snead and Marissa Oakley scored a 9.850. Dickson scored a 9.875. Sophomore Emily Schild and freshman Alexa Al-Hameed contributed scores of 9.825 and 9.800, respectively.

On beam, Georgia scored a 49.075. Vega continued the moonwalk and scored a 9.9. Snead, Schild, and Rachel Baumann each scored a 9.775, while Oakley earned a 9.850.
 
 

 

 
 
With three freshmen competing on floor, the GymDogs scored a 49.200 to earn a 196.600 for the day. In their Stegeman debuts, Lukacs and Mikayla Magee scored a 9.850 and a 9.725, respectively. Rachel Dickson earned a 9.9, while Snead contributed a 9.850 and Vega earned a 9.875 to finish the meet.

“The impact of our freshmen is everywhere.” Kupets Carter continued. “When we have a team meeting we have two rows, and all the freshmen are in the first row. They are really important to us. They are very important because we need them to continue fighting. Even though we only have one or two on each event, we need to keep them building.”

FINAL RESULTS

GEORGIA- 196.600 (VT- 49.125, UB- 49.200, BB- 49.075, FX- 49.200)

OHIO STATE- 194.900 (VT- 48.650, UB- 48.725, BB- 48.575, FX- 48.950)

VAULT- 49.125

Marissa Oakley- 9.650

Sabrina Vega- 9.825

Rachel Dickson- 9.775

Abbey Ward- 9.775

Sydney Snead- 9.925

Rachael Lukacs- 9.825

BARS- 49.200

Sydney Snead- 9.850

Rachael Lukacs- 9.750

Alexa Al-Hameed- 9.800

Emily Schild- 9.825

Rachel Dickson- 9.875

Marissa Oakley- 9.850

BEAM- 49.075

Sydney Snead- 9.775

Rachel Dickson- 9.650

Emily Schild- 9.775

Rachel Baumann- 9.775

Marissa Oakley- 9.850

Sabrina Vega- 9.900

FLOOR- 49.200

Alyssa Perez-Lugones- 8.875

Mikayla Magee- 9.725

Sydney Snead- 9.850

Rachael Lukacs- 9.850

Rachel Dickson- 9.900

Sabrina Vega- 9.875