LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky gymnastics signees Andrea Mitchell (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Madison Snowden (Lexington, Ky.) will join the team early, as members of the 2008 squad, head coach Mo Mitchell announced Thursday.
?I feel Andrea and Madison will make an immediate impact on the team?s success this season,? Mitchell said. ?They have meshed well with the team and are practicing hard on their routines for Excite Night. They are two dynamic athletes and they will be definite contributors right away. Madison is a graceful athlete and Andrea is a strong and explosive athlete. We are happy to have them on our roster this season. I encourage everyone to come out and watch this exciting team compete against Auburn on Jan. 12 at Excite Night.?
Mitchell, who competed for coaches Boo Ellis and Sasha Gridnev at Premier Athletics, was the all-around champion at every invitational meet in which she competed during the 2007 season. She captured both her state and regional championship in 2007 and has claimed seven individual titles at state and regional meets. Mitchell placed third in the all-around at the 2007 junior open nationals, including a fifth-place finish on the beam, a sixth-place finish on floor and an eighth-place vault finish. Mitchell is the daughter of James and Valerie Mitchell of Knoxville, Tenn., and has two sisters ? Ashley and Asyia.
?Andrea is a solid all-arounder,? Mo Mitchell said. ?She has a crowd-pleasing floor routine that will encourage everyone to stick around to watch. She will make an immediate impact and we are excited to have her. Her amazing personality matches her incredible skills in the gym.?
Snowden, who competed for coaches Kim Albrecht and Enrique Trabanino at Cincinnati Gymnastics, is a two-time level 10 state beam champion and also captured the regional beam title. In 2007, Snowden was the level 10 state bars, beam, floor and all-around champion. She is a two-time junior open national team member. Snowden is the daughter of Bill Snowden and Patsy Fagan of Lexington, Ky., and has two sisters ? Lauren and Whitney.
?We are excited to have Madison join us,? Mitchell said. ?She will bring us immediate support on beam and floor. Her poise and form are impeccable. She is refined and polished, and will truly add flavor and style to our already incredible floor squad.?
Kentucky opens its 2008 regular-season slate on Saturday, Jan. 12, when it hosts Auburn for Excite Night. Meet time is slated for 5:45 p.m. EST in Memorial Coliseum with live statistics available at ukathletics.com. The meet also will be televised on a tape-delay basis by Fox Sports Net South.
Season tickets (reserved seats) are available for just $10 each by stopping by the UK Ticket Office in the Joe Craft Center, or by calling toll-free at (800) 928-2287. Kentucky ranked sixth in the nation in attendance last season with an average of 2,819 fans per home meet, after finishing 21st the year before.
Fans can also purchase admission to all gymnastics meets by buying the Olympic Sports Pass. One pass gains admission to all Olympic sporting events – Baseball, Softball, Gymnastics, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, and Volleyball. Individual passes are $25, family passes (2 adults, up to 3 youth) are $40.
Single-meet tickets are available on meet day at the Joe Craft Center Ticket Office.
