LEXINGTON – Billed as the ?party so big, it will last the entire season?, the No. 13-ranked University of Kentucky gymnastics squad began the party with a bang, defeating Illinois State and Southeast Missouri State in front of a sellout crowd at the 23rd annual ?Excite Nite? Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum.
The Cats (3-0) posted a team score of 194.150. Southeast Missouri placed second with a score of 185.200, followed by Illinois State with 181.525.
?It was a great experience,? third-year head coach Mo Muhammad said. ?We improved from our last meet and had some excellent floor routines. Natalie (Rubinstein) really stepped up and Krystle (Cook) did another fantastic job. The crowd was really into the meet. Again, it was just an amazing atmosphere.?
For the second consecutive meet, junior Krystle Cook came away with the all-around competition title (38.975). Cook notched her third career 9.9 on the vault and also placed first on the bars with a 9.875.
As a team, Kentucky placed first through sixth on the vault and posted its seventh highest team score in program history (49.125).
Sophomore Kristen O?Shields won the beam with a mark of 9.8, followed by freshman Natalie Rubinstein (9.725) and sophomore Crissy Cannon (9.650).
On the heels of a 9.9 on beam vs. Michigan State (1/6), freshman standout Heather Hite showcased her talents on floor, winning with a score of 9.825.
Accompanying UK?s stellar performance were guest appearances from former Olympians Dominique Moceanu and Svetlana Boguinskaia and UK great and 13-time All-American Jenny Hansen. The former standouts all signed autographs for the fans and spoke to the crowd. WKYT?s own Dick Gabriel returned as master of ceremonies and provided fans with an upbeat analysis of the event, while Public Address announcer Carl Nathe announced the meet.
The Cats open Southeastern Conference competition next weekend when they host Auburn, Fri., Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The meet will be designated the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Meet.
