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LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Wildcats (1-9, 0-4 SEC) scored its second-highest score of the season, but fell short to top-ranked Alabama (10-0, 4-0 SEC), 197.075 ? 195.025 in Memorial Coliseum Friday night. Senior Aronda Primault won her third all-around title of the season with a 39.325 to lead UK.
?Every team that we compete against is ranked and every team we?ve faced so far has been ranked ahead of us,? said Kentucky Coach ?Mo? Muhammad. ?We just have no fear, we have nothing to lose. We think if we keep going the way we are going we are going to knock one of them off and I can?t wait.?
Primault scored a 9.825 on vault in the first rotation to lead Kentucky to a 48.825 team score. Freshman Krystle Cook was the Wildcats second-best performer on the apparatus with a 9.800 and junior Lindsay Cameron posted her second-best score of the season on vault, 9.775. Meanwhile, the Tide rode the momentum of senior All-American Jeana Rice to a 49.200 bars score and ?Bama claimed the early lead.
In the second rotation, freshman Alison Sarucci stuck her bars routine and recorded a career-high 9.825 as Kentucky?s second competitor. Junior all-around performer Michelle Gales and senior Julie Joy tied for second on bars with a pair of 9.850 scores while Primault (9.825) and Cook (9.800) helped elevate the Cats to a season-high 49.150 on bars. Alabama posted a team 49.550 on vault, the highest team score of the night, and held a 98.750 ? 97.975 advantage after two rotations. Alabama sophomore Ashley Miles was the highlight of the second rotation as she scored the meet?s only perfect 10.0 score.
Staci O?Keefe stepped up for Kentucky on beam and posted a career-high 9.850 and claimed her first individual title of the season in the event. The sophomore from Littleton, Colo., tied with Alabama?s Mari Bayer for individual honors and her performance drew a loud response from the 2,183 Wildcat fans in attendance and her teammates.
?Staci has gained confidence and patience in her routines,? Muhammad said. ?Tonight was a career night for her on the beam and we hope this can help her down the road.?
Kentucky carried the momentum from O?Keefe?s beam routine over to the floor exercise where four of its competitors scored a 9.800 or better. Gales, who posted her fourth 9.900 or better in the floor exercise, finished second overall to lead UK. Primault?s finishes just behind Gales with a third-place 9.875, followed by Joy?s 9.825 fourth-place finish.
?Julie, Aronda and Michelle have really taken the role of being leaders on this team,? Muhammad said. ?Their performances are getting better and better as the season goes along and that is a testament to their hard work.?
The Wildcats celebrated its annual father/daughter night at the meet and honored on of its former gymnasts, Whitney Ellis, who spent two months in Iraq servings as a dietician for the Marines.
Kentucky returns to action next Friday, Feb. 20 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La.
Kentucky Scores
Vault ? 48.825
Kara Prestigiacomo ? 9.675
Alison Sarucci ? 9.700
Michelle Gales ? 9.725
Krystle Cook ? 9.800
Aronda Primault ? 9.825
Lindsay Cameron ? 9.775
Bars ? 49.150
Staci O?Keefe ? 8.450
Alison Sarucci ? 9.825
Aronda Primault ? 9.825
Krystle Cook ? 9.800
Michelle Gales ? 9.850
Julie Joy ? 9.850
Beam ? 48.000
Bethany Strauch ? 9.650
Kara Prestigiacomo ? 9.100
Julie Joy ? 9.225
Michelle Gales ? 9.475
Aronda Primault ? 9.800
Staci O?Keefe ? 9.850
Floor ? 49.050
Alison Sarucci ? 9.175
Krista Roemerman ? 9.650
Julie Joy ? 9.825
Krystle Cook ? 9.800
Michelle Gales ? 9.900
Aronda Primault ? 9.875
All-Around
Aronda Primault ? 39.325
Michelle Gales ? 38.950
