Gymnastics Grab Season-High Score in Win over No. 20 LSU

Feb. 25, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky gymnastics team used impressive scores on all four events, including a season-high mark on balance beam, to grab its highest overall team score and defeat Southeastern Conference foe No. 20 LSU 195.575-192.95 at Memorial Coliseum on Friday.

The meet wraps up SEC competition on a high note for Kentucky (3-6, 1-5 SEC). UK has now defeated the Tigers for the second-consecutive season after posting its first win over LSU (2-7, 0-5 SEC) in 31 tries last year in the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. Kentucky has now posted back-to-back wins over an SEC opponent for the first time since defeating Auburn in 2005 and 2006. The victory in a SEC dual meet is the first for the Kentucky program since they took down Auburn on Jan. 12, 2008.

“This is a big win for this program,” UK assistant coach Chuck Dickerson said. “I love seeing the girls compete and have fun and to add a win over a very good team on top of that is truly gratifying. Now all of our attention turns to our meet Sunday at Nebraska. Hopefully this performance will carry over into good things from here on out.”

UK defeated LSU on every event, including vault where the Wildcats scored a 48.95. Kentucky was led by senior Jasmine Minion, who scored a 9.875 to take home event honors. Fellow senior Andrea Mitchell and junior Whitney Rose were not far behind with Mitchell tying a career high with a 9.85 and Rose scoring 9.825. Seniors Phylicia Reshard and Jasmine Minion concluded the UK rotation with Reshard notching a 9.75 and Williams a 9.65.

Kentucky had more impressive scores on uneven bars with four gymnasts surpassing or equaling a season high for a team score of 48.975. Sophomore Caitlyn Ciokajlo paced the Wildcats by tying a career high 9.875 to claim event honors, while Reshard scored a career high 9.85 on bars. Rose and Williams also tied a season high with Rose scoring a 9.8 and Williams posting a 9.75. Junior Storey Morris wrapped up the UK scoring with a 9.7.

The Wildcats showed their best improvement of the year on beam, scoring a season-best mark of 48.6. Mitchell and Reshard posted the highest beam scores of the night with Mitchell taking home event honors with a 9.85 and Reshard notching a 9.8. Ciokajlo continued her impressive night with a career high 9.725 on beam. Minion and freshman Audrey Harrison also had solid scores with Minion earning a 9.65 and Harrison a 9.575.

Kentucky concluded the meet with a 49.05 score on floor exercise, led by event medalist Reshard, who tied a career high 9.875. The Wildcats had the top three scores on floor with Minion and Mitchell following Reshard’s high score by each scoring a 9.85. Freshmen Kayla Sienkowski turned in a career-high performance on the event with a 9.775, while Harrison earned a 9.725.

Reshard took home the all-around title for the second time this season, earning a career high score of 39.275. Mitchell finished second with a 38.525.

UK will be in action again Sunday to wrap up a stretch of four meets in 10 days. The meet with the Tigers wraps up SEC action for UK until the SEC Championships. Kentucky begins a difficult non-conference swing with a four-team meet at No. 7 Nebraska on Sunday with the Cornhuskers, No. 15 Iowa and Bowling Green, starting at 3 p.m. ET. Live scores from the meet will be available at UKathletics.com.

Kentucky’s Rose left the meet midway through her floor routine after an injury. Her status for UK’s meet with Nebraska is unknown.

For more information on the Kentucky gymnastics team follow “UKGymnastics” on Twitter and Facebook.

AGATE

1) UK 195.575; 2) LSU 192.950

VAULT Results
1) Sarie Morrison (LSU) 9.875, Jasmine Minion (UK) 9.875; 3) Ashley Lee (LSU) 9.850, Andrea Mitchell (UK) 9.850; 5) Whitney Rose (UK) 9.825; 6) Sarah Zoldos (LSU) 9.750, Maliah Mathis (LSU) 9.750, Phylicia Reshard (UK) 9.750; 9) Ericka Garcia (LSU) 9.700; 10) Colleen Williams (UK) 9.650; 11) Kaleigh Dickson (LSU) 9.550

BARS Results
1) Caitlyn Ciokajlo (UK) 9.875; 2) Sarah Zoldos (LSU) 9.850, Phylicia Reshard (UK) 9.850; 4) Sarie Morrison (LSU) 9.825; 5) Whitney Rose (UK) 9.800; 6) Kaleigh Dickson (LSU) 9.775, Shelby Prunty (LSU) 9.775; 8) Colleen Williams (UK) 9.750; 9) Storey Morris (UK) 9.700; 10) Ericka Garcia (LSU) 9.350; 11) Samantha Engle (LSU) 9.325; 12) Andrea Mitchell (UK) 8.975

BEAM Results
1) Andrea Mitchell (UK) 9.850; 2) Phylicia Reshard (UK) 9.800; 3) Shelby Prunty (LSU) 9.775; 4) Caitlyn Ciokajlo (UK) 9.725; 5) Jasmine Minion (UK) 9.650; 6) Maliah Mathis (LSU) 9.625, Ericka Garcia (LSU) 9.625; 8) Audrey Harrison (UK) 9.575; 9) Whitney Rose (UK) 9.100; 10) Kaleigh Dickson (LSU) 8.925; 11) Samantha Engle (LSU) 8.850 ;12) Sarie Morrison (LSU) 8.400

FLOOR Results
1) Phylicia Reshard (UK) 9.875; 2) Jasmine Minion (UK) 9.850, Andrea Mitchell (UK) 9.850; 4) Kaleigh Dickson (LSU) 9.825, Maliah Mathis (LSU) 9.825; 6) Kayla Sienkowski (UK) 9.750; 7) Audrey Harrison (UK) 9.725; 8) Ashley Lee (LSU) 9.700; 9) Shelby Prunty (LSU) 9.675; 10) Ericka Garcia (LSU) 9.625; 11) Sarie Morrison (LSU) 9.375; 12) Whitney Rose (UK) 4.700

All-Around Results
1) Phylicia Reshard (UK) 39.275; 2) Andrea Mitchell (UK) 38.525; 3) Ericka Garcia (LSU) 38.300; 4) Kaleigh Dickson (LSU) 38.075; 5) Sarie Morrison (LSU) 37.475; 6) Whitney Rose (UK) 33.425

UK: VAULT: 48.950, BARS: 48.975, BEAM: 48.600, FLOOR: 49.050
VAULT: Jasmine Minion 9.875, Andrea Mitchell 9.850, Whitney Rose 9.825, Phylicia Reshard 9.750, Colleen Williams 9.650
BARS: Caitlyn Ciokajlo 9.875, Phylicia Reshard 9.850, Whitney Rose 9.800, Colleen Williams 9.750, Storey Morris 9.700, Andrea Mitchell 8.975
BEAM: Andrea Mitchell 9.850, Phylicia Reshard 9.800, Caitlyn Ciokajlo 9.725, Jasmine Minion 9.650, Audrey Harrison 9.575, Whitney Rose 9.100
FLOOR: Phylicia Reshard 9.875, Jasmine Minion 9.850, Andrea Mitchell 9.850, Kayla Sienkowski 9.750, Audrey Harrison 9.725, Whitney Rose 4.700
All-Around: Phylicia Reshard 39.275, Andrea Mitchell 38.525, Whitney Rose 33.425