University of Kentucky
vs.
No. 22 Illinois
Saturday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
UK Against this Week’s Field…
The GymKats and Fighting Illini have only met twice, with UK holding a 2-0 advantage. When the two teams faced each other in 2000, UK came away with the close 194.500-194.000 home victory.
The schools’ first meeting came in 1997 at Memorial Coliseum when the GymKats downed Illinois, 193.175-190.850. This meet was also significant because UK tallied the fifth-highest vault score and third-highest beam score in school history.
Scouting the Competition…
The Fighting Illini of Illinois come into Memorial Coliseum sporting a 0-4 record on the season. However, much like Kentucky, their record is not indicative of how well they are performing. Their team average of 193.881 is ranked 22nd in the nation, and they have a season-high 195.700 in a narrow defeat to Ohio State this past weekend.
Illinois opened the season with a narrow loss to then-No. 9 Penn State, 194.825-194.650. The Illini then traveled to Illinois State and suffered through their worst performance of the season, falling 196.000-192.275. They scored another sub-193.000 when they squared off against Michigan State, which tallied a 194.800. However, they appear to be peaking after their top meet of the season last week.
All-Around: The Illini have had two gymnasts compete in the all-around this season, sophomores Jana Gallagher and Karen Hawley. Each tallied season highs this past weekend against Ohio State as Hawley scored a career-high 39.225 to place second and Gallagher scored a 38.725. On the season, they both are averaging above 38.500.
Vault: This is the worst event for the Illini, who are averaging just 48.038 on the season. It is also the only event in which they are not ranked nationally in the top 25. Illinois scored a season-high 48.350 against Ohio State last week, as five of six gymnasts scored season highs as well. Senior Carissa Ericson leads the way with a 9.713 average. She is followed by sophomore Amanda Kaufman (9.625), junior Allison Berg (9.613) and sophomore Jana Gallagher (9.600).
Uneven Bars: The bars are the second-best event for Illinois, which has a 48.725 average on the season for a No. 20 national ranking. Illinois opened the season against Penn State with its best score of 49.225. Sophomore Michelle Buranich scored a team-high 9.900 in that meet and leads the team with an average of 9.813. Close behind is Gallagher with a 9.794, while senior Gina Wiechmann and sophomore Karen Hawley each have tallied season highs of 9.875.
Balance Beam: Illinois has been inconsistent on the beam this season averaging 48.244. UI did put together its best outing of the season against Ohio State when four gymnasts scored a 9.825 or higher, all season highs, for a team season-best of 49.150. Gallagher led the way with a 9.925, while Wiechmann chipped in a 9.900. Senior Lisa Pellegrinetti and Hawley notched 9.825s. The Illini are ranked 25th nationally on the beam.
Floor Exercise: This is where the Illini shine. Ranked 13th in the country with a 48.875 average, Illinois has only one gymnast averaging below a 9.700. Hawley leads the way with a 9.831, followed by Berg (9.750), junior Michelle Mesik (9.713), Pellegrinetti (9.706) and Ericson (9.700). Against Ohio State, the Illini counted five 9.800 or better routines, with Pellegrinetti scoring a season-high 9.900.
The GymKats Report…
The GymKats notched their first win of the season in a tri-meet this past weekend as they topped George Washington University 193.675-190.800. They also faced No. 3 Georgia in the meet and had the Gym Dogs tied after two rotations. UK moved to beam in the third rotation and scored a season-high 48.800 (the fifth-highest score in school history) without counting a fall for the first time this season, but Georgia’s performance on the floor exercise sent the Gym Dogs back into the lead. With its 195.500 score, Georgia dropped UK to 0-3 in the conference. UK maintains a team average of 193.519 for a No. 26 national ranking and a No. 6 regional ranking.
All-Around: Sophomore Julia Gore leads the way for UK having competed in the all-around in all four of UK’s meets this season. She is averaging a 38.500 (No. 16 in the region), with her season high coming two weeks ago against No. 5 Michigan. In that meet, Gore put together a solid effort that included a career-high on bars to finish ahead of Olympic team member Elise Ray. Freshman Julie Joy competed in her first all-around competition at Auburn and finished with a 38.125, good for a region ranking of 24. Junior Jennifer Simmons started the season with a second-place finish against LSU, scoring a season-high 38.775, and is averaging 37.883.
Vault: This continues to be the GymKats strongest event. Their average of 48.650 is ranked second in the region and ninth nationally. Simmons’ 9.775 average leads the team, is 11th in the region and is 35th in the nation, while Gore and Joy are close behind with a 9.731. Senior Beth Coleman improved her average to 9.725 after a season-high 9.850 against Georgia and George Washington.
Uneven Bars: UK has been inconsistent on bars so far this season, averaging 48.188 for a No. 7 regional ranking and a No. 37 national ranking. Junior Jessie Lemp heads up this group with a 9.744 average. She scored a season-high 9.825 against Georgia to lead the Gym Kats to a season-high 48.325. Junior Katie Toups is second on the team with a 9.675. Toups got off to a slow start this season but has rebounded to score two 9.800s and a 9.775. Gore had a sub-par performance at Auburn but has come back strong scoring two consecutive 9.825s, a career high.
Balance Beam: The balance beam has been another troublesome area for UK. However, the GymKats put together their best performance of the season last week when they scored a 48.800, the fifth-highest beam score in school history, and had no falls. Sophomore Mindy Smith continues to be the bright spot, averaging a 9.856, which is first in the region and 10th in the nation. At Auburn, Smith turned in a career performance with a 9.900 to win the individual honors. Lemp is second on the team with a 9.775 average to rank 10th in the region, while junior Nicole Allen’s 9.706 ranks 15th regionally. Allen got a boost when she tallied a career-high 9.825 against Michigan. Gore contributed to UK’s fine performance against Georgia with a career-high 9.800.
Floor Exercise: The GymKats’ second-best event is the floor exercise, as their 48.544 average is ranked eighth regionally and 35th nationally. Smith also leads the way here with her 9.800 average, and she has been the most consistent on the apparatus, scoring no less than a 9.775 this season. Most recently, she finished fifth against Georgia with a season-high 9.850. Coleman was added to the floor lineup against Michigan and has earned a 9.762 average in two meets, while Allen has been a steady contributor with a 9.700 average. Joy comes in at fourth on the team with a 9.681 average after scoring a career-high 9.775 against Michigan.
Simmons Returns…
Junior Jennifer Simmons returned to the lineup in the GymKats season opener against LSU. Simmons sat out most of the 2000 season after breaking her right ankle during practice in only the third week of the season.
After the first three meets this season, Simmons was performing as if she had never spent time away from the sport. Against LSU, Simmons started strong, winning the vault competition with a score of 9.775. She went on to claim second place in the all-around competition with a 38.775. At Auburn, she again scored a 9.775 to capture second place behind teammate Julia Gore. Against Michigan, she scored a season-high 9.800 for second-place honors.
Simmons had an excellent freshman campaign in 1999. She led the team on the uneven bars with a 9.723 average, and she won two all-around titles, against Auburn and LSU.
Smith Tames the Beam…
With just over one year of collegiate competition under her belt, sophomore Mindy Smith has shown an incredible knack for maintaining control on the beam. Through 10 meets in 2000 and four in 2001, Smith has yet to count a fall on the beam. Against LSU, she tied a career high with a 9.850 en route to winning the individual apparatus title. She then followed that with another career perfomance at Auburn where she tallied a 9.900, only the third gymnast in school history to score that high on the beam. After achieving a 9.875 against Michigan two weeks ago and a 9.800 against Georgia last week, Smith moved up to 10th in the national rankings and is tops in the region.
Allen, Toups Inducted Into UK Society of Character…
Juniors Nicole Allen and Katie Toups were recently inducted into the UK Center for Academic and Tutorial Service’s Society of Character.
The Society of Character is part of the University of Kentucky’s CHAMPS / Life Skills Program. It is designed to help student-athletes realize the value of higher academic achievement, a higher level of maturity, self-responsibility and greater overall success. The Society was founded in 1998 to recognize those individuals who epitomize the term “student-athlete”. Each candidate is nominated by a counselor, coach, trainer or manager and then evaluated on five criteria:
- commitment to academic excellence;
- commitment to athletic participation;
- commitment to personal development,
- commitment to being a role-model, and
- commitment to preparing for the world of work.
The mission of the Society of Character is:
- to recognize student-athletes who have achieved and continue to achieve a high level in all areas of their life;
- to bring together these high achieving student-athletes for interactive programs:
- to further enhance the high achieving student-athletes’ best interests and well being;
- to promote continued interaction with other organizations.
Each candidate nominated for election into the Society of Character must meet the following requirements:
- must have completed a minimum of 30 hours prior to nomination;
- must have a competitive grade point average;
- must demonstrate a commitment to their academic success as well as to personal development, career development and service activities.
Toups, Smith Named PNC Bank Scholar-Athletes…
Junior Katie Toups and sophomore Mindy Smith have each been named PNC Bank Scholar-Athletes of the Week this season.
A junior majoring in biology from Baton Rouge, La., Toups has several academic honors to her credit. She has been named to the dean’s list in the fall of 1998 and 1999 and the spring of 1999 and 2000. She also made the athletic director’s honor roll in her first semester at UK. The Baton Rouge native has been named to the 2000 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll and Academic All-American by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women.
A sophomore from Borden, Ind., majoring in psychology, Smith was named to the dean’s list in both the fall and the spring of 2000, including her 4.0 grade point average last fall. She was also named 2000 Academic All-American by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women.
Tough, Tough Schedule…
In 2001, the GymKats face as rugged a schedule as they have seen in years. UK will meet six of the top nine teams from last season and eight of the top 16, including four of the top six finishers at the 2000 NCAA Championships.
The Kats open with a home date against LSU, and then two weeks later the Kats host Michigan before another home date with Georgia, the 2000 NCAA third-place finisher. The tough competition does not let up during the season as they travel to Denver, Alabama and Arizona State.
This week, 11 teams on UK’s schedule are ranked in the GymInfo national poll, which is based on average score.
Gore Has Stellar Freshman Campaign…
As a member of the 1999 World University Games gymnastics team, Julia Gore began her collegiate career in 2000 will excellent credentials. And it did not take her long to make herself known.
Beginning with her performance at home against Alabama on Feb. 25, Gore scored a 39.000 or better five consecutive times to close out the season. Her career high of 39.225 came in the GymKats’ upset of No. 9 West Virginia. She went on to qualify for the NCAA Regionals in the all-around where she tied for third with a score of 39.050 and earned an alternate spot to the NCAA Championships.
Gore’s performances throughout the season earned her 2000 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and first team All-SEC honors.
Newcomers Make Impact…
UK welcomes five freshmen to the squad this season as Gina Augspurger, Stacey Hackett, Julie Joy, Aronda Primault and Melissa Tucker join the GymKats. Right away, Joy and Primault are both working toward earning a spot in the all-around lineup and are only one event away from doing just that.
In the season opener against LSU, Joy scored a 9.725 on the vault and a 9.625 on the floor, while Primault tallied a 9.700 on vault and 9.675 on the floor.
Joy made the move to the all-around competion at Auburn where she scored a solid 38.125 to finish third, just behind teammate Julia Gore.
Captain Toups…
For the 2001 season, the GymKats selected junior Katie Toups as team captain. The Baton Rouge, La., native made an immediate impact upon her arrival in the Bluegrass and has provided leadership for the team.
As a freshman, Toups finished third on the team in the all-around with an average of 38.343 and posted her a career high 39.000 in winning her first meet against Ball State. As a sophomore in 2000, she led the team on the uneven bars with a season average of 9.825, scoring a career-high 9.900 in a quad meet with Florida, George Washington and Central Michigan.
Excite Nite Rings in New Year…
As in past years, Excite Nite was a rousing success as the 2001 edition entertained 5,500 enthusiastic University of Kentucky gymnastics fans at Memorial Coliseum.
With Master of Ceremonies Dick Gabriel, head coach Leah Little and Carl Nathe, the voice of the GymKats, leading the way, the crowd was introduced to this season’s squad with much hoopla and fanfare. Riding the “Jungle Gym” theme, the Kats opened the festivities with a dance number complete with safari hats and jungle attire.
The GymKats split into two squads headed up by senior Beth Coleman and junior Katie Toups for an intra-squad scrimmage with each side of the Coliseum cheering for one squad. The competition was fierce as Coleman’s white squad, down after the first two rotations, made a strong comeback in the final two to overtake Toups’ blue squad, 117.700-117.100.
The UK pom squad and 10-time national champion cheerleaders also were on hand and performed to the delight of the fans. The cheerleading squad even gave the fans a sneak peek at the routine it will perform at the upcoming national championships. To top things off, the Anderson All-Stars, from Anderson, Ind., entertained the crowd with their dance moves, while fan-favorite Percy Price offered an impersonation of Sisqo.
What the night gave the fans was fun, prizes and a chance to meet the GymKats, who signed autographs for 30 minutes afterward.
Academi-Kats…
The University of Kentucky gymnastics team has a tradition of excellence on and off the mats. In 2000, UK had eight student athletes named to the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women Scholastic All-America team, more than half the team. The GymKats also placed five gymnasts on the 2000 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. Nationally, the team ranked in the top 20 with a team GPA of 3.30. On January 9, 2001, junior Katie Toups earned the PNC Bank Student-Athlete of the Week honor.
2000 SEC Academic Honor Roll
Mila Chitwood
Krissy Hoeferlin
Natalie Hunt
Jessie Lemp
Katie Toups
2000 Academic All-America
Karla Adelt
Nicole Allen
Mila Chitwood
Krissy Hoeferlin
Jessie Lemp
Mindy Smith
Stephanee Stone
Katie Toups
Kats From Across the Nation…
This seasons edition of the GymKats boasts athletes from nine different states. The state with the most representation is Texas with three. Here is the breakdown:
Texas – 3
Colorado – 2
Illinois – 2
Kentucky – 2
Ohio – 2
Indiana – 1
Florida – 1
Louisiana – 1
New York – 1
The quality recruiting continues…
Joining the GymKats for the 2002 season will be a recruiting class comparable to any in Kentucky’s past. Signing letters of intent were Michelle Gales and twins Kara and Krista Prestigiacomo of Atlanta, Ga., and Ashley Brown of Orlando, Fla.
“I am very excited about next year’s group of signees,” Coach Little said. “I feel we have assembled a class of recruits that will help us take it to the next level. They all have experience competing at the national level and have routines with a high degree of difficulty. They should provide depth for us in all the events, and we are excited about their potential.”
The Prestigiacomos bring excellent skill to the GymKats. Kara, who is second academically in her high school class, most recently qualified for the 2000 Level 10 Nationals where she finished 10th on the vault. In 1999, she claimed second on the vault at the Level 10 regional meet after finishing as the state Level 10 uneven bars champion.
Kara’s sister Krista, who is fourth academically in her high school class, excelled at the 1999 Level regional meet with a fourth-place finish on the floor exercise. At the state Level 10 meet, she captured the floor exercise, balance beam, all-around titles, while placing second on the uneven bars and the vault. Both Kara and Krista were members of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Exhibition Team.
Gales comes to UK bearing excellent credentials having won Level 10 titles at state and regional competitions, including first place on the floor exercise at regionals in 2000. She also finished 11th in the all-around at the 2000 Level 10 national competition.
A Level 10 gymnast for more than three years, Brown has competed at the state and regional Level 10 competitions each year, earning a spot at the national meet in 1998.
SEC Dominates Yet Another Sport…
In the inaugural NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships, the University of Florida gave the Southeastern Conference its only representative in the meet. The Gators finished seventh that year.
However, UF set a standard that the remaining conference teams have followed. Since the second meet in 1983, Florida represented the conference each year through 1999. Most importantly, the Gators took at least two other SEC teams along with them. Even though UF did not make it as a team in 2000, three conference teams competed at the NCAA meet.
Not only have SEC teams gone to nationals, they have done quite well. The SEC has won eight national team titles and 49 individual titles. In 1998, the SEC had the top three finishers, becoming the only conference in history to do so.
Overall, the SEC has won the NCAA eight times, with Georgia taking the title five times and Alabama claiming three.
Though Kentucky has never competed in the NCAA Championships as a team, it does hold a couple of individual records. Kentucky is second in the NCAA in individual event champions in a single year with four and Jenny Hansen is third all-time in number of First-Team All-America honors with 13. Hanson also is the only gymnast to ever win three all-around championships.
