With a dramatic finish on the floor exercise in the fourth rotation in front of a raucous crowd of 5,275, the 24th-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team defeated No. 18 Ohio State, 193.925-193.700, on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Memorial Coliseum.
After leading the Buckeyes after two rotations, the GymKats found themselves behind OSU by 0.100 points heading into the fourth rotation. UK took advantage in their strongest event, the floor exercise, tying the fourth-highest floor total in school history with a 49.200 to overcome Ohio State and claim the victory.
The teams were tied with three gymnasts remaining in the meet. UK took a slight lead with sophomore Julie Joy’s 9.825, but the GymKats scored the win with a 9.900 from freshman Michelle Gales and a career-high 9.925 from sophomore Aronda Primault, who claimed the individual floor title. Sophomore Julie Joy contributed a 9.825.
“I am very pleased,” Coach Leah Little said. “In our first meet of the season, we did make some mistakes, but we also had some great performances. It is great to have Julia (Gore) back. Michelle (Gales) and Aronda (Primault) were phenomenal on floor. I knew that would happen. And it was wonderful for Julie to win the all-around. This team had its back against the wall. These gymnasts are fighters, and knocking off a ranked team gives them a lot of confidence going into next week.”
The GymKats opened the night on vault where they tallied a 48.700, their second-highest score of the night. Primault led the way with a 9.800 to tie for first-place honors with OSU’s Shelley Harris and Jill Tucker. Gales and fellow freshman Kara Prestigiacomo each contributed a 9.775 to help UK to a 1.3-point lead after the Buckeyes were forced to count two falls on bars.
UK moved to the bars for the second rotation where Gore claimed the title with a career-high 9.850. What makes that even more of an achievement is that Gore dislocated a shoulder on the bars in preseason workouts. Senior co-captain Jessie Lemp assisted the GymKats’ cause with a 9. 800. With six solid performances on the vault from OSU, however, Kentucky’s lead slipped to 0.900 points at 97.050-96.150.
In the third rotation, UK went to the beam where early problems last season resurfaced. Two of the first GymKats fell from the apparatus, and despite Mindy Smith’s 9.825, her 17th consecutive score of 9.800 or better, the Buckeyes took a 0.100 lead with a 48.675 on the floor exercise. But Kentucky would not be outdone as they claimed victory on the floor.
In the all-around, Joy took home top honors with a 38.750 total, while OSU’s Laura Sommerville finished second with a 38.225 and Gales claimed third with a 37.550.
The GymKats return to action when they face No. 25 N.C. State at the Bahama Breeze Invitational in Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday, Jan. 11.
Team ScoresKentucky - 193.925 Ohio State - 193.700
Attendance: 5,275
UK ScoresVault48.700Bars48.350
Kara Prestigiacomo 9.775Aronda Primault9.750Julia Gore9.775Julia Gore9.850Michelle Gales9.750Jessie Lemp9.800Aronda Primault9.800Michelle Gales8.700Julie Joy9.475Katie Toups9.225Melanie Zaharias9.600Julie Joy9.725
Beam47.675Floor49.200
Nicole Allen9.175Nicole Allen9.775Jessie Lemp9.600Melanie Zaharias9.775Michelle Gales9.200Krista Prestigiacomo9.675Julie Joy9.725Julie Joy9.825Melanie Zaharias9.325Michelle Gales9.900Mindy Smith9.825Aronda Primault9.925
All-Around
Julie Joy38.750Michelle Gales37.550
