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Kentucky uses a school-record balance beam score to post second highestscore in school history

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In a thrilling Southeastern Conference matchup,the University of Kentucky gymnastics team came within seven-hundredths of apoint of knocking off No. 2 Alabama and posted the second-highest score inschool history in a 195.900-195.825 loss.

Freshman Aronda Primault took all-around honors with her career-high39.125, which included a career best score of 9.850 on balance beam. TheKat’s 49.350 beats the former school record of 49.050 set at the SECChampionships in 1996.

The GymKats (2-6, 0-4 SEC) opened strong on the uneven bars, postingtheir second highest score on the apparatus this season with a 48.825.Junior Jessie Lemp led the way for UK with a 9.825, which tied her seasonhigh. Fellow juniors Katie Toups and Jennifer Simmons came up big, bothposting scores of 9.800. Alabama (12-1-1, 4-0 SEC) turned in a 49.175 onvault, led by sophomore Kristen Sterner’s 9.925.

UK posted a 48.725 on the vault as senior Beth Coleman led the wayon Alabama’s Senior Night with a 9.850. Alabama had an uncharacteristic badnight on bars as they were forced to count two early falls, but came backstrong with a 9.925 performance by senior Dara Stewart and Andree’ Pickens’first 10.0 bar routine of the season. The Tide tallied a 48.575 in theevent, closing the gap between the teams to just two-tenths of a point.

The Kats came alive in the third rotation, posting a season-high48.925 on the floor exercise and capitalized on Alabama’s misfortune to takea narrow 146.475-146.400 lead entering the final rotation. Freshman JulieJoy posted a career-high 9.850 to lead the way for UK on floor exercise tolead the way while Coleman was close behind with a 9.825. The Kats wereforced to count a .10 reduction on Smith’s routine after she stepped out onher final tumbling pass.

In the final rotation, the GymKats posted a school-record 49.350 asUK swept individual honors. Sophomores Melanie Zaharias and Smith each hadphenomenal 9.925 performances to tie for first. Smith extended her streak onthe beam, never counting a fall in collegiate competition with 17 meetsunder her belt. Alabama pulled together on floor exercise though, posting a49.500 to eliminate Kentucky’s chance of the upset.

“That was the best performance by any team I’ve ever coached,” CoachLeah Little said. “I’m so impressed with our performance. Moving to balancebeam last, our team really held together and shined. I couldn’t be moreproud of these gymnasts.”

Alabama’s 195.900 was its second-lowest score of the season and itslowest dual-meet score in the 2001 campaign. The Tide looks to rebound nextweek when they travel to Athens, Ga., for their third meeting with Georgia.

The Kats return to action on Friday, March 2, when they travel toFlorida for a quad meet with Iowa State and Ball State. The meet getsunderway at 7 p.m. at the McConnell Center.

        UK SCORES
Vault                   48.725                  Uneven Bars48.825Jessie Lemp             9.500                   Nicole Allen8.875Katie Toups             9.725                   Jessie Lemp9.825Julie Joy               9.625                   Aronda Primault9.700Jennifer Simmons        9.750                   Julie Joy9.700Aronda Primault         9.775                   Katie Toups9.800Beth Coleman            9.850                   Jennifer Simmons9.800Balance Beam            49.350                  Floor Exercise48.925Karla Adelt             9.725                   Nicole Allen9.725Jessie Lemp             9.800                   Beth Coleman9.825Nicole Allen            9.850                   Julie Joy9.850Aronda Primault         9.850                   Jennifer Simmons9.700Mindy Smith             9.925                   Mindy Smith9.725Melanie Zaharias       9.925                   Aronda Primault9.800All-AroundAronda Primault         39.125