The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: KELLY WEGEL Kupets has bounced back from her leg injury earlier this semester. She received SEC Athlete of the Week and scored a perfect 10 at the meet against Alabama.

Gymnast Courtney Kupets said she still is not 100 percent after injuring her foot early last semester.

"I wish I could say I was," Kupets said, adding the injuring simply is annoying, especially since she was never diagnosed with a specific problem.

She said she knew her foot was in pain and even took 10 days off in the fall to let it heal, but it still causes lingering problems.

After not competing in the all-around for the first six meets this season, the sophomore is able to perform on every event in each meet again.

According to Kupets, it was "rough" not being able to compete on the floor exercise or vault, but the injury was not necessarily a bad thing.

"I could tell when I could and couldn't compete," the former Olympian and last year's NCAA all-around champion said.

And although this is not the worst injury she has experienced (Kupets suffered through surgery on her achilles tendon prior to college) she still was annoyed, but she saw support from all of her teammates. "Everyone was behind me," she said.

Kupets added that with her foot injury in the fall, she was able to spend time working on her uneven bars routine and on the balance beam.

"Now I can focus on the floor and vault," she said, adding she continues to work on her bars and beam routines.

However, Kupets now feels it is time to get into the "groove."

And getting back into the swing of things is exactly what she has been doing by continuing to contribute to the team's success.

For the last two weeks, Kupets has been named the SEC Gymnast of the Week.

Last week, she scored her first perfect 10 on the uneven bars against Alabama, and she won the all-around against Utah.

Immediately after the meet against Alabama, coach Suzanne Yoculan said Kupets earned her mark through hard work all summer.

Last week Kupets posted the team's highest all-around score of the season with a 39.675.

But it is not just the scores and the injuries that have changed Kupets.

The gymnast said she has changed since last year.

"I am more rounded now," she said, adding she now is able to relax, hang out and not always be on the go all the time.

But tonight when Kupets and the rest of the ladies of the blue mats walk into Stegeman Coliseum, they will be on the go in order to take on No. 12 Auburn and extend their undefeated record.

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