Georgia 197.375, Stanford 194.600

The two-time defending national champion Gym Dogs picked up where they left off in their season-opening meet against eighth-ranked Stanford, recording a 197.375 team score that was Georgia's highest tally in its initial gymnastics meet since 2002. Stanford trailed in all four events, registering a team score of 194.600.

In the first rotation, the Red and Black recorded a 49.350 score in the vault, led by Katie Heenan's 9.925. No Georgia gymnast scored lower than a 9.825, while Stanford's first rotation (on the bars) produced scores of 9.80, 9.75, 9.725, and 9.35 to give the Gym Dogs the early lead they would not relinquish.

The two teams swapped events in the second rotation, with Georgia recording a cumulative 49.500 score on the bars to extend the Red and Black's lead and Stanford eking out a 48.675 total in the vault to dig a deeper hole for the visitors from the Golden State. Of the six Gym Dogs competing on the bars, four earned marks of 9.90 or higher, led by Kelsey Ericksen's and Courtney Kupets's 9.925s.

Courtney Kupets. (Photograph from University of Georgia Athletic Association.)

Kupets set a new career high with a 9.975 score on the beam in the third rotation while the other Courtney, incoming freshman and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Courtney McCool, commenced her Georgia career with a 9.90 score. As a squad, the Gym Dogs posted a 49.325 tally on the beam, while Stanford's floor exercises in the third rotation garnered only a disappointing 48.400, as two of the visiting gymnasts posted 9.20 marks.

The fourth rotation gave the Gym Dogs their final opportunity to put on a dominating performance and the Red and Black took full advantage of the occasion. Buoyed by Heenan's 9.925, Georgia received a 49.200 tally in the floor exercise as poor performances on the beam by Stanford earned the visiting team marks of 9.60, 9.60, 9.55, and 9.175 to garner a cumulative 48.350 score that was the squad's worst tally in any of the afternoon's rotations.

The Gym Dogs' latest march through the preseason top 10 appears to be underway, as the Georgia gymnastics squad is off to another fine start. The Red and Black's next test will come in Lexington on Friday, January 12, when Suzanne Yoculan's squad travels to take on Kentucky.

Go 'Dawgs!