ATHENS, Ga. – Despite a season-high beam score, the 10th-ranked University of Georgia GymDogs (1-3) fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks (1-3), 196.875 -195.950, Friday night in a ‘pinked’ out Stegeman Coliseum.
“It wasn’t the performance we wanted to see or came out to do, but I really loved that we were able to calm ourselves down and show a great routine for the team,” Georgia head coach Courtney Kupets Carter said. “Beam just led into that confidence. It was the highlight of the meet for me. We are finally getting there with the consistency as a team, and it is a great team overall. We had mistakes, and I’m definitely disappointed and know the team is, but this really is a great team. We have a bye week next, and we really need to focus on the details. We need to come in and be a different team. That is the goal— to really turn this around and take us from where we’re at to where we should be.”
Beginning competition on vault, the GymDogs totaled 49.150 points led by a career-high 9.900 from Megan Roberts. Abbey Ward and Rachael Lukacs added 9.825 scores apiece, while 9.800 marks by Haley de Jong and Amanda Cashman capped the first event of the night.
Despite getting off to a slow start on bars in the second rotation, back-to-back scores of 9.850— first by de Jong and then by Roberts –helped get Georgia back on track. Victoria Nguyen finished the event with a 9.800, while Emily Schild (9.700) and Cashman (9.650) also helped boost the GymDogs’ score.
A season-high beam score of 49.300 highlighted the third rotation of competition. While Baumann led with a 9.900, two GymDogs saw career-highs in the event— Soraya Hawthorne tallied a 9.875, while Katie Finnegan grabbed a 9.825 in only her second competition for Georgia. Returning off an injury, Mikayla Magee showed impressive progress with a 9.875 to send the GymDogs into the last event of the night.
Wrapping up competition on floor, Georgia scored a combined 48.650 points led Alyssa Perez-Lugones who tied her career-high of 9.875. Lukacs and de Jong tallied respective marks of 9.850 and 9.825, while Hawthorne (9.800) and Baumann (9.300) rounded out the top five for the GymDogs.
Georgia remains home for its next competition next Friday, Feb. 12, when the GymDogs take on Alabama at Stegeman Coliseum. The meet is slated for 6 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network.
FINAL RESULTS
GEORGIA: 195.950 (VT-49.150, UB-48.850, BB-49.300, FX-48.650)
ARKANSAS: 196.875 (VT-49.175, UB-48.950, BB-49.325, FX-49.425)
VAULT- 49.150
Megan Roberts: 9.900
Rachael Lukacs: 9.825
Abbey Ward: 9.825
Haley De Jong: 9.800
Amanda Cashman: 9.800
Rachel Baumann: 9.675
BARS- 48.850
Haley De Jong: 9.850
Megan Roberts: 9.850
Victoria Nguyen: 9.800
Emily Schild: 9.700
Amanda Cashman: 9.650
Rachel Baumann: 8.050
BEAM- 49.300
Rachel Baumann: 9.900
Mikayla Magee: 9.875
Soraya Hawthorne: 9.875
Katie Finnegan: 9.825
Haley De Jong: 9.825
Marissa Oakley: 9.825
FLOOR- 48.650
Alyssa Perez-Lugones: 9.875
Rachel Lukacs: 9.850
Haley De Jong: 9.825
Soraya Hawthorne: 9.800
Rachel Baumann: 9.300
Amanda Cashman: 9.275