NOTES
This Weekend?s Meet
The No. 13 Wildcats will compete in their home opener, Sat., Jan. 14, vs. Illinois State and Southeast Missouri. The event will serve as the Cats? 23rd annual ?Excite Nite?. Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. with the meet starting at 6.
Rankings
After opening the season ranked No. 23 by GymInfo, the Cats jumped to No. 13 after the convincing win over Michigan State last week (1/6).
Good Start
For the second time in Coach Mo Muhammad?s three-year tenure, the Wildcats are off to a 1-0 start to the season.
High Mark
Freshman Heather Hite (Parkersburg, W. Va.) became just the seventh different Wildcat all-time to score a 9.9 or better on beam last week vs. Michigan State. Hite?s 9.9 currently sits second nationally.
All-Around Talent
Junior Krystle Cook showed us why she is one of the best all-around gymnasts in the Southeastern Conference. The Ausitn, Texas native won the all-around competition at last week?s meet vs. Michigan State with a career-high mark of 38.975. The mark currently ranks 10th nationally.
Scouting ISU (2-0)
The Redbirds already equaled last season?s win output with a sweep of Winona State and Wisconsin-LaCrosse last weekend. Tove Fjordholm led the team with a 9.525 on floor, while freshman Meaghan Koshman took first on the vault with a 9.825. Junior Whitney Albright and sophomore Cheryl Berezan will be the two all-around competitors for the Redbirds.
Scouting SEMO
The meet will serve as the Redhawks season opener. Six letterwinners return for SEMO after finishing fourth at the Midwest Independent Conference Championships last season. The Redhawks will be slightly short-handed this season with two of the team’s top returnees not competing due to preseason injuries. Senior Tara Boldt, the MIC’s Co-Gymnast of the Year and a NCAA Regional qualifier and junior Lexie Hein, one of the team’s top all-around competitors, will sit out the season.
Excite Nite Info
Billed as ?a party so big, it will last the whole season?, the No. 13-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics team will host its 23rd annual ?Excite Nite?, Saturday, January 14th, at 6 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. Doors for the event will open at 4 p.m.
Fans will enjoy top-flight collegiate gymnastics and interaction with the event through various activities. Olympic gold medalists Dominique Moceanu and Svetlana Boguinskaia will be in attendance. Also present will be UK great and 13-time All-American Jenny Hansen. All three superstars will sign autographs on the concourse from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and serve as guest commentators during the meet. The night will be filled with plenty of fun, thrilling gymnastics and great prizes for the whole family. WKYT?s own Dick Gabriel returns as master of ceremonies to provide fans with an upbeat analysis of the event. After the conclusion of the meet, the UK gymnasts will sign autographs.
The meet itself will serve as the home opener for the Cats as they host Illinois State and Southeast Missouri State. The Cats opened the 2006 campaign with a convincing win over Michigan State last Friday. Junior Krystle Cook won the all-around competition while freshman Heather Hite won on beam with a score of 9.9, putting her in exclusive company as just the seventh different Wildcat all-time to record a 9.9 or better on beam. As a result of the win, the Cats jumped ten spots to No. 13 in the national polls.
Tickets for the event are $5 for adults with $2 tickets available for youth and seniors. Children up to the age of five get in free. Fans can also purchase UK gymnastics season tickets for just $10 online at ukathletics.com, in person at the athletics ticket office in Memorial Coliseum or by phone at 859-257-1818 or 1-800-928-CATS. Fans attending the UK vs. Alabama men?s basketball game on Saturday afternoon can redeem their ticket stubs to earn free admission to ?Excite Nite? while supplies last.
