Behind a school-record team total, the 23rd-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team defeated Ball State, 196.100-194.825, on Friday, Feb. 15 at Memorial Coliseum. The GymKats broke or tied 10 career highs en route to the historical win, topping the previous team best of 195.875 set in 1996 and tied last season.
“We knew this team was capable of a score like this,” Coach Leah Little said. “That record stood since 1996. We have been a little disappointed in our scores so far this season, but this will give us a lot of confidence heading into a stretch of three straight Southeastern Conference meets. Hopefully this will catapult us into the second half of the season.”
The GymKats (6-4, 0-2 SEC) tallied season-highs on the uneven bars with a 49.300 and the floor exercise with a 49.250 while scoring the second highest of the season on beam with a 48.650. UK jumped on top of Ball State (10-5) in the first rotation with a 48.900 vault score and never looked back.
No career highs were set on vault by Kentucky but the scores were solid. Melanie Zaharias earned first-place honors with a 9.850, while Aronda Primault, Julia Gore and Julie Joy tied for third with a 9.775. Kara Prestigiacomo rounded out the scoring with a 9.725 to give UK a 0.675 lead after one rotation.
The career marks then began to fly as UK tallied the second-best bar total in school history. It all started with Jessie Lemp’s 9.875, which was followed by a first-place 9.925 from Julia Gore and Julie Joy. Primault scored a season-best 9.800, while Lindsay Cameron also broke her career mark with a 9.775. With the big scores, the GymKats’ lead grew to 1.275 points.
Primault won the beam title with a career-high 9.925 to pace the UK attack. Mindy Smith returned to form with a third-place 9.825, tying a season best, while Joy added a 9.775. The Cardinals, however, came through with a 49.075 on floor to close the gap to 0.850 points.
BSU continued to put the pressure on the GymKats with a 48.825 on beam, leaving little room for error by UK on the floor exercise. Kentucky responded by scoring the third-highest team total in school history behind a 9.900 from Michelle Gales and a personal-best 9.875 from Gore. Joy and Primault each added a 9.850, while Zaharias set a personal mark with a 9.775 to lead UK to the victory and school record.
In the all-around, two GymKats broke personal records as Primault won the title with a 39.350 and Joy finished second with a 39.325.
Kentucky remains at home next week when it plays host to SEC-rival Auburn on Friday, Feb. 22 at Memorial Coliseum. The meet will be broadcast by Fox Sports South on a delayed basis on March 10.
Team Scores
1. Kentucky: 196.100
2. Ball State: 194.825
Attendance: 1,218
Individual Apparatus Results:
Vault : UK – 48.900, BSU – 48.700
1. Melanie Zaharias (UK) 9.850, 2. Jaime Swisher (BSU) 9.800, 3. Julia Gore (UK) 9.775, 3. Julie Joy (UK) 9.775, 3. Aronda Primault (UK) 9.775, 6. Kim Cromer (BSU) 9.750, 6. Jessica Surridge (BSU) 9.750, 8. Kara Prestigiacomo (UK) 9.725, 8. Amy Bodus (BSU) 9.725, 10. Michelle Gales (UK) 9.675, 10. Jenny Gantt (BSU) 9.675, 12. Quiana Williams (BSU) 9.200.
Uneven Bars: UK – 49.300, BSU – 48.225
1. Julia Gore (UK) 9.925$, 1. Julie Joy (UK) 9.925$, 3. Jessie Lemp (UK) 9.875$, 4. Renee Planck (BSU) 9.850, 5. Lindsey Kohout (BSU) 9.825, 6. Aronda Primault (UK) 9.800, 7. Lindsay Cameron (UK) 9.775$, 8. Collen Dupuis (BSU) 9.625, 8. Jenny Gantt (BSU) 9.625, 10. Nicole Allen (UK) 9.400, 11. Courtney Vojtasek (BSU) 9.300, 12. Cassie Anthony (BSU) 9.250.
Balance Beam: BSU – 48.825, UK 48.650
1. Aronda Primault (UK) 9.925$, 2. Quiana Williams (BSU) 9.875, 3. Mindy Smith (UK) 9.825, 4. Julie Joy (UK) 9.775$, 4. Renee Planck (BSU) 9.775, 6. Jamie Irwin (BSU) 9.750, 7. Amy Bodus (BSU) 9.725, 8. Cassie Anthony (BSU) 9.700, 8. Courtney Vojtasek (BSU) 9.700, 10. Jessie Lemp (UK) 9.625, 11. Michelle Gales (UK) 9.500, 12. Melanie Zaharias (UK) 9.200.
Floor Exercise: UK – 49.250, BSU – 49.075
1. Jenny Gantt (BSU) 9.925, 2. Michelle Gales (UK) 9.900, 3. Julia Gore (UK) 9.875$, 4. Julie Joy (UK) 9.850, 4. Aronda Primault (UK) 9.850, 4. Quiana Williams (BSU) 9.850, 7. Amy Bodus (BSU) 9.800, 8. Melanie Zaharias (UK) 9.775$, 8. Miesha Williams (BSU) 9.775, 10. Renee Planck (BSU) 9.725, 11. Nicole Allen (UK) 9.675, 12. Cassie Anthony (UK) 9.575.
All-Around
1. Aronda Primault (UK) 39.350$, 2. Julie Joy (UK) 39.325$.
$ = career high
