I mean, dang!
In Saturday afternoon’s final regular-season S.E.C. meet against Florida, the Gym Dogs began the competition in the vault, where Lauren Sessler got matters underway by carding a 9.85. The Red and Black were just getting started.
There followed a 9.9 from Hilary Mauro, a 9.85 from Kathryn Ding, a 9.85 from Marcia Newby, a 9.9 from Tiffany Tolnay, and a 9.925 from Courtney Kupets for a cumulative 49.425. In the meantime, the Gator gals tallied a 49.275 on the uneven bars.
When Georgia took its turn on the bars, Gina Nuccio, Grace Taylor, and Tolnay all posted 9.9s and Kupets capped off the second rotation with a 9.975 to earn an overall 49.55 mark. Florida answered with a 48.625 in the vault, where the visitors were forced to count a 9.3 because they failed to field a competing sixth vaulter.
Mauro began the Bulldogs’ stay on the balance beam in the third rotation, notching a 9.9 in the process, and an additional 9.9 from Taylor, accompanied by 9.95s from Courtney McCool and Kupets, gave the home team a 49.55 for the event. Florida’s floor exercise earned a 49.45.
In the meet’s final stanza, the Gym Dogs competed in the floor exercise, following up Abby Stack’s opening 9.9 with 9.925s from Newby, Taylor, and Tolnay, topped off by Kupets’s perfect 10. The 49.3 posted by the Gators on the beam could not match Georgia’s 49.675.
Led by Courtney Kupets’s career-high 39.85, the Red and Black administered a 198.2-196.65 spanking to the Gainesville girls. Georgia’s score was the highest posted by the Gym Dogs in a decade, which was adequately impressive to move Suzanne Yoculan to say this afterwards:
That’s what I am talking about when I talk about fight. . . . They found the fight to find the potential, and I am finally happy.
You and me both, Coach Yoculan.
Go ‘Dawgs!