VS. FLORIDA, JANUARY 16, 1998
LEXINGTON – No. 22 Kentucky GymKats defeated the No. 8 Florida Gators 194.100 to 192.250 breaking the all-time series of 30-0. Leading the GymKats was junior Misty Marinik. She had the best score on the balance beam with a personal best 9.825. Marinik also captured first place on the uneven bars with a score of 9.825. Marinik was the top all-arounder for the evening with a combined score of 39.000.
AT LSU, JANUARY 23, 1998
BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of Kentucky gymnastics team fell to the Louisiana State Tigers 194.975 – 192.775 Friday. The Tigers served as host to a fourth largest attendance record of 4,022 fans in their season home opener. After the first rotation, LSU barely lead the GymKats 48.4250 to 48.125. On Bars, freshman Ashley Burkholder, had a personal best of 9.525. The top Kentucky uneven bar performance of the evening went to Misty Marinik with a score of 9.725. In the second rotation, Burkholder maintained her collegiate best score of 9.825 on the vault-she had this same score against Florida last week. Junior Misty Marinik and sophomore Lori Freeman both landed scores of 9.700 on the vault.
The Tigers continue to lead through the third rotation with the team total of 146.2500 to 145.1250. In the floor exercise, Ashley Burkholder continued to maintain her collegiate scores with a 9.825. Sophomore Mila Chitwood also had a 9.825 in her floor routine. Burkholder had a personal best and UK team best score of 9.725 on the balance beam.
VS. GEORGE WASHINGTON, JANUARY 30, 1998
LEXINGTON – The sixth-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team defeated George Washington 194.325 to 191.525 Friday in Memorial Coliseum.
The highlight of the meet came when the GymKats posted a school record of 49.450 in the floor exercise. The new score surpassed the old record of 49.167 vs. Auburn on Feb. 10, 1996. Freshman Ashley Burkholder, ranked No. 4 nationally on the vault, won that event with a career high score of 9.875. Sophomore Krissy Hoeferlin tied her career best on the uneven bars with a first-place finish of 9.800. Hoeferlin was also the all-around winner with a personal best score of 39.200.
The GymKats dominated the floor exercise, sweeping the to four spots as all four gymnasts posted career best scores. Burkholder won the event with a score of 9.975, while sophomore Mila Chitwood was second with a score of 9.950. Hoeferlin was third with a 9.990, while junior Misty Marinik scored a 9.825 to take fourt.
VS. AUBURN, FEBRUARY 5, 1998
LEXINGTON-The sixth-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team defeated No. 27 Auburn 193.425 to 190.725 Thursday in Memorial Coliseum.
Senior Whitney Ellis set personal bests of 9.450 on the uneven bars and 9.775 on the balance beam. Freshman Ashley Burkholder tied her personal best on the balance beam with a score of 9.725. Burkholder won the bault with a score of 9.825 and was the top all-around gymnasts with a personal best score of 38.950. Misty Marinik won the uneven bars competition with a score of 9.800.
AT MICHIGAN, FEBRUARY 15, 1998
ANN ARBOR, Mich.-The sixth-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team fell to eighth-ranked Michigan 191.600 to 196.800 Sunday in Cliff Keen Arena.
The top GymKats in each event include sophomore Lori Freeman who placed seventh on vault with a score of 9.700 and junior Misty Marinik tied for third on the uneven bars with a 9.825. Senior Whitney Ellis placed fifth on the balance beam with a score of 9.650 and sophomore Mila Chitwood tied for fourth on the floor exercise with a 9.875. The Wolverines had two perfect scores during the dual meet – Michigan’s Heather Kanick on vault and Sarah Cain on floor. Cain was the top all-arounder for the evening with a combined score of 39.550.
VS. ALABAMA, FEBRUARY 20. 1998
LEXINGTON-Kentucky, the nation’s eight-ranked team, fell to No. 3 Alabama 193.75 to 195.6 Friday in Memorial Coliseum. Kentucky’s Misty Marinik led the GymKats and the meet in all-around, scoring a 39.100, tying her personal best record that she set at the 1996 SEC Championships her freshman year. Marinik, who anchored the uneven bars line-up, improved her personal best with a stellar 9.9 performance. Freshman Ashley Burkholder scored a 38.750 in the all-around competition with an overall first-place finish on the floor with a 9.875.
Sophomore Kristen Hoeferlin put in a solid performance on vault with a score of 9.85. Hoeferlin injured her left elbow during her floor routine.
This was the last home meet of the season for the GymKats. It was also the last meet for seniors Beth Cluxton, Whitney Ellis and Captain Jennie Maxwell.
AT NEBRASKA INVITATIONAL, FEBRUARY 28, 1998
LINCOLN, Neb.-The eight-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team placed third with a score of 192.350 in Nebraska’s eighth annual Masters Classic Saturday.
The field is one of the most competitive in the event’s history with No. 20 Nebraska defending their Masters Classic 1997 Championship title (193.350), No. 19 Michigan State taking second place (193.300) and Rhode Island finishing in fourth place (190.075). The GymKats, competing without key all-arounder Kristen Hoeferlin who suffered a dislocated elbow in the last meet vs. No. 3 Alabama, were led by freshman Ashley Burkholder, who placed third in the all-arounder competition with a score of 38.525. Freshman Beth Coleman made her all-around debut with a 9.500 on bars, 9.625 on vault, 8.600 on beam and 9.600 on floor.
After the second rotation, the GymKats were leading the meet with a combined score of 96.700 from the bars and beam routines. On uneven bars, UK senior Whitney Ellis tied for fifth-place with a personal best score of 9.800. Junior Misty Marinik placed third with a score of 9.875.
Freshman Ashley Burkholder and junior Shawte Hall placed third and fourth respectively in the vault competition. Burkholder scored a 9.775 and Hall recorded a 9.750.
Senior Jennie Maxwell returned to competition since a stress fracture to her left foot was discovered after the first meet of the season against Florida. She scored a 9.550 on the vault.
AT GEORGIA, MARCH 7, 1998
ATHENS, Ga.-The University of Kentucky gymnastics team fell to top-ranked Georgia 186.775 to 196.800 Saturday. The GymKats traveled light without the help of all-arounder Krissy Hoeferlin, who dislocated her left elbow against Alabama, and sophomore Lori Freeman, who tore ligaments in her back and neck in practice last Thursday.
This was the final meet of the regular season for both teams to an almost sell-out crowd of 9,513 fans in Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum. In the first rotation, junior Misty Marinik, who sprained her left ankle in practice last week, returned to uneven bars competition leading the GymKats with a score of 9.825. UK scored a 48.200 to Georgia’s 49.300.
The highlight of the vault competition was sophomore Mila Chitwood who scored a personal best of 9.650. Junior Shawnte Hall blew out her ankles on the second pass of her floor routine and bravely continued her performance before Coach Little cut the music for Hall’s safety. With only five gymnasts competing on floor, the GymKats had a team total of 43.375.
AT SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS, MARCH 21, 1998
BATON ROUGE, La.-Battling a rash of season-ending injuries, the University of Kentucky gymnastics team placed fifth at the SEC Championships Saturday.
The GymKats competed among four Top-10 nationally ranked schools, including top-ranked and first-place finisher Georgia. Kentucky’s first rotation was on the balance beam where it scored a 48.225. Three GymKats had personal best scores. Freshman Ashley Burkholder scored a 9.825 on the beam. Freshman Beth Coleman recorded a 9.00 and senior Whitney Ellis had a 9.800. The GymKats took to the floor for the next rotation with a team total score of 48.525. Follwing a stress fracture to her left foot, senior Jennie Maxwell performed her floor routine with confidence and scored a 9.550.
In the all-around competition, freshman Ashley Burkholder broke a score of 39.000, her collegiate career-high. Burkholder was recognized as the SEC Freshman of the Year, as voted by all six SEC head coaches. This markes the second consecutive year a Kentucky gymnast has received the prestigious award. Krissy Hoeferlin, who is out the rest of the season with an elbow injury, was recognized as the 1997 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Kentucky, with a 2-3 conference mark this year, bettered last season’s 1-4 league record. The overall regular season record is 4-6.
NCAA SOUTHEAST REGIONALS
ATHENS, Ga.-The University of Kentucky gymnastics team took fifth out of seven places with a score of 192.150 at the NCAA Southeast Regionals Saturday.
The 24th-ranked GymKats, competing in Olympic order (vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise) led the competition after the second rotation with a combined score of 96.725. Ashley Burkholder, SEC Freshman of the Year, was the top vaulter among the GymKats with a score of 9.750. Junior Misty Marinik was the top UK finisher on bars with a score of 9.875.
On beam, senior Whitney Ellis scored a 9.750 and on floor, Marinik and Burkholder both scored 9.775. The school that served as host for the Southeast Regionals, top-ranked Georgia, was on fire tonight scoring a 99.225 out of a possible 100 after two rotations. Gym Dawg Karin Lichey had two perfect scores for the evening on bars and floor. The GymKats are one of seven teams that qualified based on the team scores from the regular season and the SEC Championships held at LSU on March 21. Other teams that qualified for the Southeast Regionals include: Georgia (1), Florida (4), West Virginia (6), North Carolina State (20), George Washington and Maryland. Last year’s Regionals were held at Kentucky with Florida taking first place and Georgia placing second by .250 of a point. This year, Kentucky finished in fifth place for the second consecutive year, while Georgia and Florida finished in first- and second-place respectively.
