ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia gymnastics team is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the NACGC/W preseason poll, the organization announced Monday.

The GymDogs totaled 1,585 points and one first-place vote. Georgia will face seven of the teams ranked in the top-ten during regular season competition.

All eight teams in the Southeastern Conference were ranked in the poll. Florida (No. 3) leads the way, followed by reigning SEC champion LSU (No. 4), and Alabama (No. 6). After the seventh-ranked GymDogs, Kentucky (No. 10), Arkansas (No. 12), Auburn (No. 14), and Missouri (No. 19) rounded out the conference’s presence in the preseason rankings.

Georgia returns four All-American gymnasts from its 2018 team that finished seventh nationally after starting the season with a No. 18 ranking. In Courtney Kupets Carter’s first year at the helm at UGA, the GymDogs outperformed then-No. 7 Michigan at the Tuscaloosa Regional to advance to the NCAA Semifinals.

The GymDogs open the 2019 season in Stegeman Coliseum on January 5 against Ohio State at 4 p.m.
 
 
2019 Georgia Opponents by Rank

2. Oklahoma

3. Florida

4. LSU

5. Utah

6. Alabama

9. Michigan (at Elevate the Stage)

10. Kentucky

12. Arkansas

14. Auburn

18. Ohio State

19. Missouri

23. Minnesota (at Elevate the Stage)

28. Iowa State