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.
“We had a great performance tonight, considering our list of injuries,” said Kentucky Coach Leah Little. “I couldn’t be more proud of them.” The GymKats competed among four Top-10 nationally ranked schools including top-ranked and tonight’s 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, freshman Beth Coleman scored a 9.000 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. Following a stress fracture to her left foot, senior Jennie Maxwell performed her Michael Jackson medley floor routine with confidence and scored a 9.550.
In the all-around competition, freshman Ashley Burkholder broke a score of 39.000 making this her best score of her collegiate career. Burkholder was recognized as the SEC Freshman of the Year. The award was decided by votes from all six SEC coaches. This is the second time UK has received this award. Krissy Hoefferlin, who is out the rest of the season with a dislocated left elbow, was recognized last year as 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.
The Wildcats will perform at the NCAA Regionals in Athens, Ga., on April 4. “We are coming off a good performance and will have two weeks to mend,” said Coach Little. “The judging gets harder but I think we have a good shot at it.”
AGATETeam Totals Vault Bars Beam FloorGeorgia 197.600 49.325 49.600 49.375 49.300 Florida 196.750 49.925 49.100 49.325 49.375LSU 196.450 48.675 49.125 49.250 49.400 Alabama 195.400 48.775 48.500 48.850 49.275 Kentucky 193.600 48.500 48.350 48.225 48.525 Auburn 192.425 48.250 48.350 48.225 48.150 Kentucky ResultsVault 48.500Jennie Maxwell 9.700Shawnte Hall 9.725Beth Coleman 9.675Misty Marinik 9.650Ashley Burkholder 9.750Uneven Bars 48.350Beth Cluxton 9.625Ashley Burkholder 9.575Shawnte Hall 9.550Beth Coleman *9.650Whitney Ellis 9.675Misty Marinik 9.825Balance Beam 48.225Beth Cluxton 9.650Beth Coleman *9.000Ashley Burkholder *9.825Whitney Ellis *9.800Misty Marinik 9.225Mila Chitwood 9.725Floor Exercise 48.525Beth Coleman 9.600Jennie Maxwell 9.550Misty Marinik 9.525Shawnte Hall 9.675Ashley Burkholder 9.850Mila Chitwood 9.775 All-AroundAshley Burkholder *39.000Beth Coleman 37.900Misty Marinik 38.225* personal bests
