CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? The University of Kentucky gymnastics squad is off to its best start in program history (7-0) after a clean sweep at Sunday?s quad meet at No. 24 North Carolina. The No. 16 Cats posted a team score of 193.450 en route to defeating host UNC, Maryland and James Madison.

?Our scores were not indicative of how hard the team competed,? head coach Mo Muhammad said after the team?s victory. ?We made some mistakes, but did what we needed to do in order to come away with a victory. This gives us a lot of momentum heading into next weekend?s home match vs. No. 3 Alabama. It should be an excellent meet of two undefeated teams.?

The Cats started the competition on bars with junior Krystle Cook taking home first place honors (9.850). Senior Lucy Burgin tied for second with a season-best 9.825, followed by freshman Natalie Rubinstein in fifth (9.775).

On beam, the Cats went one-two with freshman Heather Hite and sophomore Kristen O?Shields tying for top honors with a 9.825 mark. Cook and junior Rachel Riley tied for fourth (9.750). UK?s team score of 48.850 was a season-high.

UK continued its lead after Hite finished third on floor exercise (9.8) and Cook placed sixth.

The Cats struggled slightly on vault but Burgin?s team-high mark of 9.750 helped give UK the team victory.

Cook took second in the all-around competition with an overall score of 38.850. The Austin, Texas native has placed first or second in the all-around in every meet this season.

Kentucky returns home next weekend to take on 2005 NCAA runner-up No. 3 Alabama (9-0), Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.