Spring Break
Kupets named SEC Athlete of the Year
TYLER ESTEP
Issue date: 3/23/09 Section: Sports
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Gym Dog Courtney Kupets' dominant season was rewarded with yet another accolade Saturday, as she was named the SEC's Athlete of the Year.
Kupets took the all-around for the 11th time in 12 meets at the SEC Championships, simultaneously winning or sharing each event title.
"Oh my God. Talk about peaking," head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. "She was an angel today and she just looked like she had wings on. Everything was just effortless, and she did her part for darn sure and tried to rally everyone else."
Kupets is a nine-time All-American and former Honda Award winner, and is the nation's No. 1 all-arounder in her first year back after tearing her Achilles. She is also the country's best on bars and beam and second nationally on vault and floor exercise.
As far as the whole "wings" thing goes, Kupets pointed to an excuse outside of gymnastics.
"We always have a thing at the pool where Grace [Taylor] and Abby [Stack] draw wings on everyone's backs and I just bought a shirt with wings on it, so maybe that's what it was," she said.
Yoculan was also named the SEC Coach of the Year, for the eighth time in her storied career and the third time in four years. In addition, junior Grace Taylor, a health promotion major with a 3.97 GPA, was dubbed the conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a title she wasn't sure how to describe.
"I don't know, I'm a nerd I guess," she said, smiling.
Kupets took the all-around for the 11th time in 12 meets at the SEC Championships, simultaneously winning or sharing each event title.
"Oh my God. Talk about peaking," head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. "She was an angel today and she just looked like she had wings on. Everything was just effortless, and she did her part for darn sure and tried to rally everyone else."
Kupets is a nine-time All-American and former Honda Award winner, and is the nation's No. 1 all-arounder in her first year back after tearing her Achilles. She is also the country's best on bars and beam and second nationally on vault and floor exercise.
As far as the whole "wings" thing goes, Kupets pointed to an excuse outside of gymnastics.
"We always have a thing at the pool where Grace [Taylor] and Abby [Stack] draw wings on everyone's backs and I just bought a shirt with wings on it, so maybe that's what it was," she said.
Yoculan was also named the SEC Coach of the Year, for the eighth time in her storied career and the third time in four years. In addition, junior Grace Taylor, a health promotion major with a 3.97 GPA, was dubbed the conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a title she wasn't sure how to describe.
"I don't know, I'm a nerd I guess," she said, smiling.
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