Spring Break
Gym Dogs roll on to Super Six
197.450 more than a point better than closest competition
TYLER ESTEP
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Sports
LINCOLN, Neb. - As Thursday's afternoon session at the NCAA Championships wound down, chants of "SEC" flooded Lincoln's Devaney Center.
The cheers were because Georgia, Florida and LSU swept the metaphorical podium, each punching their ticket to today's Super Six.
But they had a deeper meaning for Georgia, which posted a 197.450 en route to claiming the top spot by more than a full point.
With the win no longer much in doubt for the Gym Dogs, they took the floor for their final event - beam. Sophomore Hilary Mauro fell in the leadoff spot, just like she did at the SEC Championships, Georgia's only loss of the year.
But, unlike SECs, Cassidy McComb didn't fall next, senior Courtney Kupets went on to post a 10, and beam officially clinched the preliminary title for the Gym Dogs.
"Thank goodness that happened at SECs," said head coach Suzanne Yoculan. "At SECs, we couldn't recover from it. But Cassidy in the second spot said, 'I'm not coming off again.' To go through that as a team makes you stronger and tougher, so we were prepared for it."
McComb looked like a surfer trying to stay on her board at times during her routine, but refused to fall off on the way to a 9.775. That set up 9.950s from Grace Taylor and Courtney McCool, and the fifth perfect 10 of Kupets' season.
"I was not letting that happen again," McComb said. "I knew that feeling, and I wasn't letting my team down or myself down."
Kupets (39.800) and classmate Tiffany Tolnay (39.500) finished 1-2 in the all-around, as the Gym Dogs bested conference-mates Florida (196.375) and LSU (196.300) for the top spot.
The cheers were because Georgia, Florida and LSU swept the metaphorical podium, each punching their ticket to today's Super Six.
But they had a deeper meaning for Georgia, which posted a 197.450 en route to claiming the top spot by more than a full point.
With the win no longer much in doubt for the Gym Dogs, they took the floor for their final event - beam. Sophomore Hilary Mauro fell in the leadoff spot, just like she did at the SEC Championships, Georgia's only loss of the year.
But, unlike SECs, Cassidy McComb didn't fall next, senior Courtney Kupets went on to post a 10, and beam officially clinched the preliminary title for the Gym Dogs.
"Thank goodness that happened at SECs," said head coach Suzanne Yoculan. "At SECs, we couldn't recover from it. But Cassidy in the second spot said, 'I'm not coming off again.' To go through that as a team makes you stronger and tougher, so we were prepared for it."
McComb looked like a surfer trying to stay on her board at times during her routine, but refused to fall off on the way to a 9.775. That set up 9.950s from Grace Taylor and Courtney McCool, and the fifth perfect 10 of Kupets' season.
"I was not letting that happen again," McComb said. "I knew that feeling, and I wasn't letting my team down or myself down."
Kupets (39.800) and classmate Tiffany Tolnay (39.500) finished 1-2 in the all-around, as the Gym Dogs bested conference-mates Florida (196.375) and LSU (196.300) for the top spot.
Be the first to comment on this story