ATHENS, Ga. – It took the highest score of the 2009 collegiate gymnastic season by top-ranked Georgia to beat the Florida Gators in a Southeastern Conference showdown Saturday before a sellout crowd of 10,224 at the Stegeman Coliseum.
U.S. Olympian and Georgia senior Courtney Kupets won the overall event title with 39.85 – the best score in the nation this season and Kupets’ career high – to lead the Bulldogs over the seventh-ranked Gators, 198.20 to 196.65. Georgia improved to 10-0 overall and 6-0 in the SEC, while Florida fell to 5-3 and 3-3, respectively.
Kupets was either first or shared first in each event. She won the floor exercise with a perfect 10.0, won the uneven bars with a 9.975, the vault in 9.925 and shared the balance beam honors with teammate Courtney McCool at 9.95. It was her eighth all-around victory of the season.
Florida’s Melanie Sinclair had a season-best 39.575 total in the all-around to tie Georgia’s Tiffany Tolnay for second place. Florida junior Amanda Castillo, returning from an ankle injury, was fourth in the all-around at 39.425.
The Gators suffered a major blow when senior All-American Corey Hartung suffered a muscle strain in her left calf that kept her out of the vault and floor exercise. It ended a string of 18 straight all-around performances by Hartung, dating back to Feb. 1, 2008.
The Gators opened the meet on the uneven bars and posted 49.275. Alicia Goodwin, Maranda Smith and Sinclair all recorded 9.875, but the Bulldogs later scored 49.55 with Kupets finishing first in 9.975 and three teammates – Gina Nuccio, Grace Taylor and Tolnay – tying for second at 9.900.
Florida felt the sting of Hartung’s injury in the vault. With only five healthy vaulters, Florida was forced to include Courtney Gladys sitdown fall while posting a season-low 48.625 in the event. Smith anchored the Gators’ efforts in the event with her 9.90 effort, which tied for second with Georgia’s Tolnay and Hilary Mauro. Kupets later anchored the Bulldogs with a 9.925 vault.
“We were just so short handed. Courtney’s fall –that was just a fluke,” Florida coach Rhonda Faehn said. “She was trying so hard for the stick, and this was the meet which we didn’t have any extra bodies.”
Florida did come back with season-high efforts in the floor exercise (49.45) and balance beam (49.30). Sinclair and Smith had 9.925 efforts – Sinclair’s season best and Smith’s career best – that tied them for second place with Taylor, Tolnay and Marcia Newby. Sinclair led the way in the balance beam with a season-high 9.90 to share third with Georgia’s Taylor and Mauro behind McCool and Kupets, who tied with 9.950 scores.
“We had a little mistake on the vault, but we overcame that on floor,” Sinclair said. “Everyone did very well. It was a good away meet for us.”
Florida will meet No. 14 Michigan (13-3 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) on Friday at 7 p.m. in its final home meet in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
GEORGIA 198.200, FLORIDA 196.650
Vault: Georgia 49.425, Florida 48.625. Individual winner: Courtney Kupets (UGA) 9.925. Top Gator: Maranda Smith T2 (9.900).
Bars: Georgia 49.55, Florida 49.275. Individual winner: Courtney Kupets (UGA) 9.975. Top Gator: Alicia Goodwin, Maranda Smith, Melanie Sinclair T5 9.875.
Beam: Georgia 49.55, Florida 49.30. Individual winners: Courtney Kupets and Courtney McCool 9.950. Top Gator: Melanie Sinclair T3 (9.900).
Floor: Georgia 49.675, Florida 49.45. Individual winner: Kupets 10.000. Top Gator: Melanie Sinclair and Maranda Smith T2 9.925.
All-around: 1. Courtney Kupets (UGA) 39.850; T2. Tiffany Tolnay (UGA) and Melanie Sinclair (UF) 39.575; 4. Amanda Castillo (UF) 39.425; 5. Maranda Smith (UF) 39.350; Elizabeth Mahlich (UF) 39.200.