Jan. 31, 2003
The University of Kentucky gymnastics team will play host to the 16th-ranked Brigham Young Cougars, on Friday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET, in Memorial Coliseum. UK senior Melanie Zaharias has won back-to-back titles on vault, posting scores of 9.850 and 9.875 in consecutive meets.
The GymKats (3-3) are looking to rebound from a 1-2 performance last weekend at the Dodge Premiere in Gainesville, where they defeated Bowling Green but were unable to overcome No. 7 Florida or No. 17 Minnesota.
BYU (1-1) swept their home-opener last weekend, defeating the Boise State Broncos by nearly two points.
Live scoring of the meet is available by clicking here.
GymKat Notes
Last weekend — Florida, Minnesota & Bowling Green…
The GymKats went 1-2 last weekend in Gainesville, defeating Bowling Green but coming up short of No. 7 Florida and No. 17 Minnesota. UK’s team score of 192.200 was their lowest total of the season. The Cats performed at or above their season average on vault and bars, but had two falls on beam and four on floor. Senior Melanie Zaharias captured her second-consecutive vault crown, with a strong 9.875. Junior Julie Joy tied her career high on beam, while sophomore Michelle Gales did the same on vault.
This weekend — Brigham Young…
The GymKats will host the Lexington leg of a home-and-home series this weekend, when the 16th-ranked Brigham Young Cougars visit Memorial Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 31. BYU (1-1) is coming off a 195.600-193.700 victory over the Boise State Broncos last weekend. BYU is making its first-ever trip to the Bluegrass.
In the polls…
Kentucky dropped out of the Top 25 this week for the first time since March 26, 2001. The Wildcats team average currently sits at 193.317, less than three-tenths of a point behind No. 25 Minnesota. With a score this weekend above 194.481, Kentucky’s average would surpass the Golden Gopher’s current mark of 193.608. But judging from the marked improvement that the Top 25 has seen in the previous weeks, the GymKats will have to have a strong showing this weekend to return to the rankings.
Event rankings…
Kentucky’s season average on vault positions the GymKats as the 19th-best vaulting team in the country. The Cats also rank in the top-30 in the nation on the uneven bars and balance beam. After Week One, the GymKats held the 14th position on beam, posting an opening-week score of 48.700 – one-half point higher than their 2002 season average. Last season, UK was in the top-20 on both vault and bars for the entire season, but never climbed higher than 22nd on beam or floor after the second week of the season.
UK vs. BYU…
Kentucky is 2-4 all-time against the Cougars. All six of the teams’ previous meetings have occurred at neutral sites — Tucson, Ariz., Columbia, Mo. (twice), Athens, Ga. (twice), and the Bahamas — but each squad will host a dual meet against the other this season. After a ten-year drought, the team’s renewed their rivalry a season ago at the Bahama Breeze Invitational, a meet which also featured North Carolina State. Then No. 24 Kentucky would edge No. 23 BYU, 192.450-191.650, but take second place behind the 25th-ranked Wolfpack. Kentucky’s Julie Joy captured the beam and all-around titles. Kentucky’s women’s soccer team defeated BYU last fall, in the only meeting between the two institutions so far this school-year.
You can do it, GymKats…
1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Strug will be the special guest of the GymKats when they face Arkansas, Texas Woman’s University and the University of Illinois at Chicago on Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. ET. She will sign autographs for an hour prior to the meet, and will emcee the event along with Jennifer Nime of Fox and WKYT-TV. Strug is most famous for sticking the final vault of the 1996 Summer Olympics on a broken ankle to give the United States its first-ever all-around gold medal in women’s gymnastics.
The most in Memorial…
A record crowd of 6,215 saw UK’s Excite Nite 2003 against George Washington. That exceeded last year’s crowd by 940 and marked the 13th consecutive year that the event has hosted more than 5,000 fans. Excite Nite celebrated its 20th anniversary this year; this was only the second time that the event has featured a scored meet. UK is 2-0 on Excite Nite, having defeated Ohio State in 2002.
Prim-all-t American…
Junior Aronda Primault earned second-team All-America honors for her performance on vault at the 2002 NCAA National Championships. The Canton, Ohio, native was UK’s top performer in three events and in the all-around last season. She qualified for the national competition by placing seventh in the all-around at the Southeast Region Championship with a score of 39.225. Her 9.875 vault at nationals was good enough for a sixth place finish in Session II, 12th overall in the nation.
Out with a bang…
This season, the GymKats will have no shortage of senior leadership, as their roster includes five members of UK’s Class of 2003. This strong group of gymnasts are looking to end their impressive careers with flourish:
Karla Adelt became a 2002 co-captain after walking-on in 2000. She is a beam specialist for the Cats who saw limited action last season.
Julia Gore was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2000. Last season she was recooperating from a 2001 knee injury, but the Pflugerville, Texas, native looks to be back to form this season.
Jennifer Simmons qualified for NCAA Nationals in 1999. She missed 2002 with a knee injury, but received a medical redshirt and will compete this year as a fifth-year senior.
Mindy Smith has been one of the Cats’ top performers on beam for the past three seasons. This season she was named a team captain by her peers.
Melanie Zaharias competed consistently on vault, beam and floor last season. She vaulted a 9.925 twice in 2002, a mark that has only been surpassed by three UK gymnasts.
Schedule…
Coach Little has again assembled one of the nations’ toughest schedules in order to prepare the Cats for post-season action. Kentucky will see Top 25 competition in 10 of its 11 meets, including four Southeastern Conference tilts against teams ranked in the top 10.
Coach Little, coach a lot…
Coach Leah Little is in her 28th season at the helm of the GymKats. She began Kentucky’s gymnastics program in the mid-70’s and was instrumental in the GymKats move to varsity status in 1980. Little has been named the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year twice, also earning Regional Coach of the Year honors in 1996.
A little help from her assistants…
Coach Little is joined by a pair of assistants who are each in their sixth year. Mo Muhammad has earned Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors twice in his five seasons at UK, while Robin Bodem became a UK assistant after an All-American career in the mid-90’s as a GymKat.
