LEXINGTON, Ky. ? For 20 years, the University of Kentucky?s Excite Nite has been a staple in the Lexington community as one of the premier sporting events. In the 21st annual installment of the event, the UK gymnastics team will play host to No. 24 Brigham Young, Friday Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum in what is billed as ?The Start of Something Magical?.
?The team is extremely excited to be a part of one of the biggest gymnastics events in the country,? said Kentucky head coach ?Mo? Muhammad. ?They have trained hard and are looking forward to taking on a very good BYU team.?
The Wildcats opened the regular season with a narrow defeat at No. 23 Ohio State this past Sunday. Kentucky was led by senior Aronda Primault, who tied for the all-around title, and junior Michelle Gales, who finished third in the all-around. The Wildcats look to bounce back against a solid BYU team that returns 12 letterwinners from last year?s squad which finished sixth at the North Central Regional Championships in 2003.
?BYU has an excellent program,? Muhammad said. ?They are consistently ranked and will come prepared to compete.?
The 2004 edition of Excite Nite will feature an array of entertainment and festivities as it has in the past. Scheduled are appearances by the Wildcat Danzers, the 12-time national champion Kentucky cheerleaders (blue squad), Kings Firecracker Jump Ropers and Mike Woodward, a local magician. There also will be a special guest appearance by Angelica from the Rugrats television show on Nickelodeon.
One of the evening?s highlights will be a special presentation to former Kentucky gymnastics coach Leah Little, who started the program in 1974 and guided it to varsity status in 1980. Little retired last season after 28 years as head coach.
?Leah took this program from a club level to a nationally ranked program in the NCAA,? Muhammad said. ?Her dream of Excite Nite has made this one of the biggest gymnastics venues in the country. More people know about Excite Nite than just about any other gymnastics competition. We are going to work hard every year to keep her dream a reality. ?
Last year?s Excite Nite drew a crowd of 6,215 fans to Memorial Coliseum, which was the fourth largest attendance to witness a collegiate gymnastics event in the entire country in 2003.
Excite Nite tickets are $5 each and season tickets cost $10 each. Season ticket holders will be guaranteed reserved seating at all five home meets, including Excite Nite. Tickets can be purchased at the UK ticket office in Memorial Coliseum or by calling (859) 257-1818 or toll-free (800) 928-CATS.
Kentucky Gymnast of the Week
Sophomore Staci O?Keefe was named UK ?Gymnast of the Week? for the first week of the season. The Littleton, Colo., native led off Kentucky on bars and beam against No. 23 Ohio State. She landed both of her routines and scored career-highs on both bars (9.675) and beam (9.650).
?Staci led us off in two events with strong starts,? said Kentucky head coach ?Mo? Muhammad. She is developing into a phenomenal team leader. We are looking forward to continued success from her.?
The Fabulous Freshmen
Kentucky?s 2004 recruiting class is regarded as one its best in school history. The Wildcats added four highly-touted freshmen, all from the state of Texas, who will be expected to contribute immediately in their careers at Kentucky.
Krystle Cook: Five-time Junior Olympic National Champion Rachel Riley: Two-time Region Three all-around champion Alison Sarucci: 2002 Level 10 National qualifier Sarai Sevier: Three-time National qualifier
?Gales? Force Winds Blowing in the Bluegrass
Junior Michelle Gales is quickly becoming recognized as an elite collegiate gymnast. The Atlanta, Ga., native held the highest floor average and the third highest all-around average on the team last season. Against Denver and Southeast Missouri last season, Gales posted a 39.400 all-around score, one of the school?s all-time high scores. Only eight-time national champion Jenny Hansen has recorded a higher all-around score at Kentucky.
Primault Primed for Success
After three solid seasons at Kentucky, senior Aronda Primault is set to have one of her best yet as a Wildcat. As a sophomore, Primault became the third Kentucky gymnast in school history to receive All-America when she was named to the second team.
Last season, Primault had the highest averages on the team on vault (9.842), beam (9.704) and all-around (38.888). She scored a career-high 9.950 on vault against Brigham Young and recorded two vault titles, one floor title and three all-around titles over the course of the season.
Primault started the 2004 season with an all-around title at No. 23 Ohio State. She scored a 9.800 on vault, 9.725 on bars, 9.725 on beam and 9.425 on the floor exercise for a 38.675 all-around score.
