2010 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS

Transcription

1 2010 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS

2 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 IT S BUSINESS 2010 OUTLOOK Head coach Mo Mitchell feels a new team mantra will give the University of Kentucky gymnastics team an extra edge this year. It s business, Mitchell said. When we go on the road; it s business. When we are at home; it s business. They aren t vacation trips; they re business trips. We re taking our office on the road and we have a job to do. It starts from the top, it starts from me. I m all about business too. The coaches and the athletes all have to be on the same page. I think we have a good group of athletes willing to do that. Mitchell begins his seventh year at UK after helping the Wildcats add 22 team and individual records into the Kentucky record books last season. He also guided a solid vault team to a year-long top-15 status. Mitchell even developed freshman Whitney Rose into the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. We may have made a few mistakes last season, but this year our whole attitude is changing, Mitchell said. We re going to get ready earlier. When the season starts we don t want to be focused on staying on the equipment. When the season starts we want to Mo Mitchell focus on doing our skills at perfection, not just doing them. We re going to come out with a killer attitude this year; we want to have a killer instinct. Two pre-season exhibition meets are scheduled for the Blue and White this season, one intra-squad meet in November and an exhibition inter-squad meet against Ball State is slated for the beginning of December. Complete preparation is the key for UK this season. A squad of 14 will be leading the Blue and White into the program s 30th season. At the end of the year waits what will be the team s 22nd post-season appearance since And this year the meet is in Kentucky s own Memorial Coliseum hosted by the Wildcats themselves. I think it is a brilliant opportunity for us, Mitchell said. We can t ask for a better situation. It s at our home, on our equipment, we have our fans here and we need to get it done. But before UK can look to the regional meet, they must take on the ever challenging SEC schedule as well as a difficult non-conference slate. Six home and five away meets headline the 2010 year. Kentucky faces the top gymnastics programs in the nation every season, so they are no strangers to the type of game the six other conference schools can bring. The LSU Tigers will be meeting Kentucky at the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev., for the Cats first conference meet of Arizona State and Missouri will also be competing in Sin City with the Tigers and Wildcats. Other league meets include Florida, Auburn and Alabama in the Bluegrass while UK is set to hit the road to meet Arkansas and the reigning NCAA Champion, Georgia. Texas Woman s, Kent State, Illinois State, George Washington and Oregon State finish out the schedule. Whether or not home court makes a difference, Mitchell believes in one bottom line: If you hit your hand stands, stick your landings and make your routines, giving the judges nothing to take off, then they don t take anything off. There are three new additions to the team, current Level 10 National Beam champion Caitlyn Ciokajlo, Rachel Sarnovsky and Caitlin Satkowiak. The trio of Wildcat rookies will be added to an already solid roster. However Kentucky will be looking for athletes to step up and fill the voids left by Heather Hite, Natalie Rubinstein and Bridget Carreiro who graduated in May. Not only is competition amongst teams rigorous, but competition to be in the starting six for Kentucky is also just as challenging. In order to prepare the team, Coach Mitchell has demanded dedication and hard work from the get-go. They ve worked hard this summer, Mitchell said. Coach Chuck [Dickerson] has been here with them all summer working hard and we ve put some ground rules down. We have some conditioning and running tests we have been doing so that we are in the best shape we can be in when we start the season. Is it going to be tougher? Yeah it is, but we re in the SEC, five of the top six teams came from the SEC last year and if we re going to be a part of that this year we need to train that way. Emily Green Vault The Wildcats were a top- 15 vault squad in 2009 and return all of the starters but are also jam packed with depth on this event. There are several members of the team who can put up big numbers on the vault outside of the starting six. Last season Kentucky broke its vault Regional Qualifying Score and looks to improve its mark once again. Senior Emily Green led the Cats last season and will be returning after having a record season on vault, averaging a with a career-high She also ranked as high as No. 20 in the country. SEC Freshman of the Year Rose and junior Jasmine Minion are also back in the line-up, each averaging above a on the event last year. Consistency on 16

3 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 IT S BUSINESS It s business. When we go on the road; it s business. When we are at home; it s business. They aren t vacation trips; they re business trips. We re taking our office on the road and we have a job to do. It starts from the top, it starts from me. Head Coach Mo Mitchell vault was an element UK perfected last season under the direction of Coach Dickerson. Dickerson brings more than 25 years of coaching expertise to the event. His emphasis on training and conditioning will help maintain the success UK as seen on the event. Outside of last year s vault line-up is senior Emilie Rymer who is a strong candidate to start on vault after being sidelined by an early season ankle injury last year. Uneven Bars The Wildcats take a hit in their uneven bars lineup with the loss of Rubinstein who ranked top-20 on the event and averaged a on bars. Jamie Reimann Although Coach Mitchell feels that newcomer Ciokajlo can fill the void: I m really excited about Caitlyn because not only is she a really good beam worker, she s a great all-arounder. Her floor scores are great, her bars are incredible and she ll definitely be that kid in that spot to take over for Natalie on the bar routine. A lot of very unique stuff in her bar routine and just a great kid to work with. Bars specialist Jamie Reimann will be returning for her senior year. Reimann stepped into the line-up last season and didn t disappoint, earning a career-best at a meet in her home state of Iowa. Junior Colleen Williams will also be returning to the line-up after competing bars the second half of the season. Sophomore Storey Morris, now with a year under her belt, is a solid contender on the event. Balance Beam A beam coaching change brings former UK gymnast Heather Hite back onto the gymnastics scene. After leading the squad 13 times on the beam last season and acquiring 16 career balance beam titles, Hite looks to help the team from a coaching position now. The Cats also lost Lexington, Ky., native Carreiro who was a solid beam worker as well. Stepping up to the plate from last season s line-up will be Green, Rymer, Minion and Rose, all gymnasts who will be able to post solid scores. Firstyear competitor Ciokajlo is another possible element to add to the equation after having great success on the beam in Level 10 competition. Some of the changes we re making now, as well as coaching changes, are going to bring a breath of fresh air and it s going to help us on this event, Mitchell said. We ve had athletes this summer who were better this summer than they were during the season staying on the equipment and sticking their routines. I m really looking forward to the improvements we re going to have over there. Floor Exercise Always an explosive event for the Blue and White, the Cats should continue their dominance on the floor exercise. Despite a big hole left by the loss of Hite, Kentucky still has many standouts eagerly waiting to fill the position. Junior Minion earned two floor titles last season and led the team three times on the event. Rymer will be back in full health this season and looks to make up for lost time while fellow senior Green will also return to the lineup. Green impressed nailing a or betting in five of the last seven meets. All-Around Senior Hillary Ferguson and Rose were UK s two primary all-around performers last season. Junior Andrea Mitchell also competed on four events at the start of the season before suffering a back injury. Rose and Mitchell will be back in the lineup and compete for the all-around spots. Ferguson, entering her last year as a Wildcat, underwent surgery during the summer on some nagging injuries. Despite not being able to kick off the season on all four events, the Kentucky native looks forward to making big contributions on the mat later in the year. Ferguson finished 2009 with high scores of or better on all four events, her strongest being vault with a and floor with a Overall I think we re going to have a strong team, Mitchell said. What are going to be the strengths of our team are our attitudes and our work ethic and how we approach the season which is totally different than last year. Jasmine Minion Whitney Rose 17

4 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS O P P O N E N TS 2010 OPPONENTS ALABAMA Feb p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Nickname: Crimson Tide Colors: Crimson and White Home Arena (Capacity): Coleman Coliseum (14,619) Conference: Southeastern (Western Division) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 2nd Head Coach: Sarah Patterson Alma Mater: Slippery Rock State, 1978 Overall Record: (31 years) Record at Alabama: same Gymnastics Contact: Roots Woodruff SID Work Phone: (205) SID Fax: (205) roots@ia.ua.edu Web site: ARKANSAS Jan p.m. Fayetteville, Ark. Location: Fayetteville, Ark. Nickname: Gym Backs Colors: Cardinal and White Home Arena (Capacity): Barhill Arena (8,500) Conference: Southeastern (Western Division) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 5th Co-Head Coaches: Mark and Rene Cook Alma Mater: Mark - Chico State, 1977; Rene - Penn State, 1993 Overall Record: Mark (11 years); Rene (seven years) Record at Arkansas: Both (seven years) Gymnastics Contact: Jeri Thorpe SID Work Phone: (479) SID Fax: (479) jthorpe@uark.edu Web site: ARIZONA STATE Jan p.m. Las Vegas, Nev. Location: Tempe, Ariz. Nickname: Sun Devils Colors: Maroon and Gold Home Arena (Capacity): Wells Fargo Arena (13,931) Conference: Pac Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 5th (NCAA South Central regional) Head Coaches: John Spini Alma Mater: Arizona State, 1976 Overall Record: (29 years) Record at ASU: Same Gymnastics Contact: Jennifer Jaeckels SID Work Phone: (480) SID Fax: (480) jennifer.jaeckels@asu.edu Web site: AUBURN Feb p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Auburn, Ala. Nickname: Tigers Colors: Burnt Orange and Navy Blue Home Arena (Capacity): Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum (10,500) Conference: Southeastern (Western Division) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 4th (NCAA West regional) Head Coach: Jeff Thompson Alma Mater: Kentucky, 1985 Overall Record: (11 years) Record at Auburn: Same Gymnastics Contact: Scott Kemps SID Work Phone: (334) SID Fax: (334) smk0008@auburn.edu Web site: FLORIDA Jan p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Gainesville, Fla. Nickname: Gators Colors: Orange and Blue Home Arena (Capacity): Stephen C. O Connell Center (11,120) Conference: Southeastern (Eastern Division) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 4th Head Coach: Rhonda Faehn Alma Mater: UCLA, 1994 Overall Record: (seven years) Record at Florida: Same Gymnastics Contact: Mary Howard SID Work Phone: (352) x SID Fax: (352) maryh@gators.uaa.ufl.edu Web site: GEORGIA Feb. 5 7 p.m. Athens, Ga. Location: Athens, Ga. Nickname: Gym Dogs Colors: Red and Black Home Arena (Capacity): Stegeman Coliseum (10,224) Conference: Southeastern (Eastern Division) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 1st Head Coach: Jay Clark Alma Mater: Georgia, 1991 Overall Record: First year Record at Georgia: Same Gymnastics Contact: Ben Beatty SID Work Phone: (706) SID Fax: (706) bbeaty@sports.uga.edu Website: GEORGE WASHINGTON March 12 7 p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Washington, D.C. Nickname: Colonials Colors: Buff and Blue Home Arena (Capacity): Charles E. Smith Center (5,000) Conference: East Atlantic Gymnastics League 2009 Overall Record: Head Coach: Margie Foster-Cunningham Alma Mater: Penn State, 1982 Overall Record: (24 yeras) Record at GW: Same Gymnastics Contact: Simon Ogus SID Work Phone: (202)

5 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS O P P O N E N TS SID Fax: (202) ogus@gwmail.gwu.edu Web site: ILLINOIS STATE March 12 7 p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Normal, Ill. Nickname: Redbirds Colors: Red and White Home Arena (Capacity): Horton Field House (5,000) Conference: Midwest Independent 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: 4-6 Head Coach: Bob Conkling Alma Mater: Indiana Wesleyan, 1982 Overall Record: (four years) Record at Illinois State: same Gymnastics Contact: Liz Hanley SID Work Phone: (309) SID Fax: (309) echanle@ilstu.edu Web site: KENT STATE March 5 7 p.m. Kent, Ohio Location: Kent, Ohio Nickname: Golden Flashes Colors: Navy Blue and Gold Home Arena (Capacity): MAC Center (6,327) Conference: Mid-American Conference (MAC) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: 6-0 Head Coach: Brice Biggin Alma Mater: Kent State, 1983 Overall Record: (18 years) Record at Kent State: Same Gymnastics Contact: Matthew Lofton SID Work phone: (330) SID fax: (330) mlofton@kent.edu Web site: LSU Jan p.m. Las Vegas, Nev. Location: Baton Rouge, La. Nickname: Fighting Tigers Colors: Purple and Gold Home Arena (Capacity): Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215) Conference: Southeastern (Western Division) 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 6th Head Coach: D-D Breaux Alma Mater: LSU, 1976 Overall Record: (32 years) Record at LSU: Same Gymnastics Contact: Jake Terry SID Work Phone: (225) SID Fax: (225) jterry9@lsu.edu Web site: MISSOURI Jan p.m. Las Vegas, Nev. Location: Columbia, Mo. Nickname: Tigers Colors: Old Gold and Black Home Arena (Capacity): Hearnes Center (13,611) Conference: Big Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 3rd at NCAA Northeastern Region Championship Head Coach: Rob Drass Alma Mater: Penn State, 1990 Overall Record: (10 years) Record at Missouri: Same Gymnastics Contact: Paige Fredrickson SID Work Phone: (573) SID Fax: (573) paf4z3@mail.mizzou.edu Web site: OHIO STATE Feb p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Columbus, Ohio Nickname: Buckeyes Colors: Scarlet and Gray Home Arena (Capacity): St. John Arena (13,276) Conference: Big Ten 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 3rd at NCAA Central Region Championship Head Coach: Carey Fagan Alma Mater: Penn State, 1998 Overall Record: (six years) Record at Ohio State: Same Gymnastics Contact: Emily Meyer and Megan Medeiros SID Work Phone: (614) /(614) SID Fax: (614) meyer.504@osu.edu/medeiros.10@osu.edu Web site: OhioStateBuckeyes.com 19 OREGON STATE March p.m. Corvallis, Ore. Location: Corvallis, Ore. Nickname: Beavers Colors: Orange and Black Home Arena (Capacity): Gill Coliseum (8,100) Conference: PAC Overall Record: Conference Record: NCAA Championship Finish: 11th Head Coach: Tanya Chaplin Alma Mater: UCLA, 1990 Overall Record: (12 years) Record at Oregon State: Same Gymnastics Contact: Jason Amberg SID Work Phone: (541) SID Fax: (541) jason.amberg@oregonstate.edu Web site: TEXAS WOMAN S Jan. 9 7 p.m. Lexington, Ky. Location: Denton, Texas Nickname: Pioneers Colors: Maroon and White Home Arena (Capacity): Kitty Magee Arena (1,500) Conference: Midwest Independent 2009 Overall Record: Conference Record: 2-3 Head Coach: Frank Kudlac Alma Mater: West Chester (Pa.), 1978 Overall Record: (31 years) Record at Texas Woman s: Same Gymnastics Contact: Naveen Boppana SID Work Phone: (940) SID Fax: (940) nboppana@twu.edu Web site:

6 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 COACHES HEAD COACH HAJILE MO MITCHELL Head coach Hajile Mo Mitchell has become a leader in landmarks for the Kentucky gymnastics team. Seven years have passed since Mitchell acquired the Wildcat team, which he has established as a program that can compete on the national scene and in the demanding Southeastern Conference. In 2009 and 2008 Mitchell s Cats smashed multiple school records throughout the season and put several team and individual scores in the UK record books. The Wildcats have also broken three Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) records and earned Kentucky s longest winning streak of eight meets in the past two years. Last season the Blue and White finished in the top 30 of the GymInfo polls for the fourth consecutive year under Mitchell. Kentucky ended the season top- 25 on all four events which includes Mitchell s vault squad who ranked top-15 all year, peaking at No. 7. With such a high performance team, Mitchell was able to add 10 top-10 scores to his resume. Two of those scores ranked top-three in Kentucky history. Not only has Mitchell created a winning program, but he has established an exciting brand of gymnastics for fans to watch. Kentucky has made five uninterrupted NCAA Regional appearances and ranked in the nation s top-15 in attendance in each of his six seasons guiding the Cats, including top-10 attendance rankings in four of those seasons. Off the mat, nine of Mitchell s student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, including two SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll distinctions. In 2006, Mitchell directed UK to its first winning season in 13 years and just the second in the program s history. During the year, the Wildcats posted two of the top-four team totals in school annals. Three of the top four overall have come in the past three seasons as Kentucky has continued to ascend to national prominence. The Wildcats also scored one of the biggest wins in school history when they knocked off ninthranked Auburn. Along with the success came a second consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, at which UK finished fourth and NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year honors for Mitchell. The 2005 campaign was another building block in Kentucky s step-up into national prominence. The year saw the Cats enjoy their highest win total in over a decade, an NCAA Regional appearance and a top national ranking of No. 10. Outside of the gym, Mitchell s gymnasts continued to perform at a high level in the classroom, earning a 3.39 team GPA. Of the team s 16 gymnasts on the roster, 13 earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher, including seven above a 3.5. Throughout his coaching career, Mitchell has been determined to guide his gymnasts to their top performing level. He coached numerous state, regional and national team and individual champions. Two athletes under his coaching direction 20

7 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 COACHES Q & A WITH COACH MITCHELL won the prestigious McDonald s Cup award. Coaching at different levels gives me the opportunity to see gymnasts careers progress, Mitchell said. It s wonderful to see the determination and growth of your athletes pay off for them. Mitchell not only pushes his athletes to excel in the gym, but in the classroom and social settings as well. I love college, especially the academic part of it, Mitchell said. I m in a perfect world because I love academia and I love working with athletes and helping them reach their full potential. I couldn t ask for anything better. A native of Chicago, Mitchell attended the University of Houston and graduated in 1995 with a bachelor s degree in Engineering Technology-Piping and Design. As an assistant under legendary coach Leah Little, he made a name for himself as a phenomenal coach and recruiter. He was twice named NCAA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year (1999 & 2002). Mitchell, who has 25 years of coaching experience, started coaching at Lansing (Mich.) Eastern High School, when he was a sophomore in college. After a year as an assistant coach, Mitchell was promoted to head coach and took the team to its first conference championship. His next assignment was at a private club, the Capital City Kips, in Lansing. He coached there for two years until moving to Texas to work briefly with the highly regarded Bela Karolyi. It was pretty intense and eye-opening, Mitchell said of his experience with the former Olympic coach. It s an experience I don t regret because I learned a lot, but it wasn t the route I wanted to take as far as how I wanted to train athletes. Mitchell then spent eight years coaching at Gizi Gymnastics in Houston before joining Little s staff in He had become acquainted with Coach Little several years before and helped her with summer gymnastics camps in the Bluegrass. Under Little s tutelage, Mitchell refined his skills and learned valuable lessons about coaching at the collegiate level. I was pretty good at dealing with upper-level gymnasts (at the club level) before coming here, and that s what made my transition a lot easier. Mitchell said. But, I also learned that you really have to be willing to listen, and it s not just about gymnastics. You have to be a role model, counselor, and tutor among other personas to be successful. Mitchell is married to Lynn Mitchell of Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple has one son, Xavier Alexander Mitchell. The family resides in Richmond, Ky. Under Little s tutelage, Mitchell refined his skills and learned valuable lessons about coaching at the collegiate level. Are there any changes you are making this year? One of the things we re going to change is getting ready earlier. When the season starts we don t want to be focused on staying on the equipment. When the season starts we want to focus on sticking our landings and sticking our handstands and doing our skills at perfection, not just doing our skills. We re going to come out with a killer attitude this year, we want to have a killer instinct. It s business. We re going on the road, it s business. When we re at home it s business. They aren t vacation trips, they re business trips. We re taking our office on the road and we have a job to do. Our whole attitude is going to change, those are some of the things we re going to change this year. It starts from the top, it starts from me. I m all about business too. Are there any advantages to competing in a neutral location? The great thing is there are more than two teams. We will have eight judges instead of four and I think that makes a bigger difference because one judge can t hurt you as bad in that kind of arena as when there is just four. The bottom line is in our sport there is no defense. There isn t really a home field advantage IF you do your job. If you hit your hand stands, stick your landings and make your routines, giving them nothing to take off, then they don t take anything off. Thoughts on hosting the NCAA Lexington Regional in April... I think it is a brilliant opportunity for us. It s a year we are trying to take the step where no team has ever gone before at UK. We can t ask for a better situation. It s at our home, on our equipment, we have our fans here, we need to get it done. It is exciting to have it here, we have a brand new floor to compete on. We just need to get it done and I think we will. They are setting themselves up to be the team that goes next. 21

8 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 COACHES ASSISTANT COACH CHUCK DICKERSON Chuck Dickerson, entering his third year with the Kentucky gymnastics program, has helped oversee UK s success since his inaugural year in Chuck has been a breath of fresh air to the gymnastics team, head coach Mo Mitchell said. He is well respected and his passion for success is incredible. I am very comfortable with everything he brings to the program. Chuck handles the responsibilities of the vault team and shares the responsibilities of the bars team. Since Dickerson joined the Blue and White, he has helped improve the team s vault and uneven bars Regional Qualifying Scores. A team s RQS is based on its six best scores, three of which must be away. The top score is then eliminated and the remaining five marks are averaged to obtain the score. After just two years with the Cats, Dickerson s guidance on the vault and uneven bars has given UK the edge to secure new school RQS records. The vault score has increased by.125 for a final RQS of on vault, ranking No. 14 in the country. Kentucky remained in the nation s top 20 all season long. The Wildcats uneven bars RQS has improved by almost.2 points since 2007, as the Cats reached as high as No. 19 in the rankings this past season. Under the direction of Dickerson, several gymnasts have achieved individual success. One of his rising stars has been Emily Green, now a senior. As the Cats leading vaulter in 2008 and 2009, Green earned a career-best her junior season, a mark which had not been earned since Green has averaged above a the last two years and is continually ranked top 20 on the event. Sophomore Whitney Rose also stood out for the Blue and White in Her consistency on vault gave her an average of while also earning scores of 9.9 and above. Junior Jasmine Minion is another solid piece of the vaulting line-up. Averaging a 9.845, Minion never recorded a mark below a 9.800, seven scores were a or better. Last season saw the return of the Blue and White s uneven bars leader, Natalie Rubinstein. In her final season of competition, she earned three bars titles and led the Cats 11 times on the event, averaging Several other gymnasts drastically improved their individual averages on the uneven bars with the help of Dickerson. Junior Colleen Williams averaged over half a point better this past season on the bars while seniors Hillary Ferguson and Jamie Reimann both showed marked improvement. With over 25 years of coaching experience, Dickerson is able to assist the Wildcats in recruiting top talent. In 2008, Dickerson helped sign fellow Tyler, Texas, native Storey Morris and Rose of Frisco, Texas, the 2008 Texas State vault and all-around champion. Rose was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in He also helped bring in Caitlyn Ciokajlo who won the Level 10 Junior Olympic National balance beam title. Since 2004, the Tyler, Texas, native had been working in his hometown at Texas East Gymnastics where he coached current UK gymnast, Morris. In both 2006 and 2007, he qualified a gymnast for the USA Championships to go along with his numerous national qualifiers in his four-year span. Prior to his time at Texas East, Dickerson spent eight years at Rowland/Ballard Gymnastics in Kingwood, Texas. While there, he had seven athletes receive Division I scholarships and sent 15 on to the national championships. In 2002, he earned his greatest honor when voted the Texas USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year by his peers. Early on in his career, Dickerson spent 10 years working under famed coach Bela Karolyi. In his coaching career, Dickerson has coached three national champions. Dickerson resides in Lexington. 22

9 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 COACHES ASSISTANT COACH HEATHER HITE Former University of Kentucky gymnastics standout Heather Hite will return to her alma mater as assistant coach this season. Hite competed for the Wildcats for four years and was one of the program's most exceptional balance beam and floor exercise performers. "You watch Heather and you can just see her leadership skills and how much respect she garnered from the athletes last year," head coach Mo Mitchell said. "I'm really excited to have her stay with our program. There are some pros and cons; for one she's a little young, but on the other hand she has some experience beyond her years. I just think that it's a small change that is going to make a major difference. She's young, enthusiastic, excited and wants this season to be perfect. The athletes who competed with her can look at her and see that she knows what she is talking about because she got it done when she competed for UK." Hite has many other credentials than just her outstanding career as a member of the Kentucky squad. She has previous coaching experience (2006-present) from All-American Gymnastics, training all levels of gymnasts and choreographing floor routines. Hite also has 16 years of dance experience, studying ballet, tap and jazz, which will be invaluable to the development of the Wildcats' beam and floor routines. During her senior season in 2009, Hite ranked as high as No. 16 on the beam while also reaching national status on the floor. Last year she competed in every meet for the Cats while leading UK 13 times on the balance beam and eight times on the floor exercise, recording season highs of on both events. The senior captain's leadership helped guide the team to the program's second-best beam score in school history while in Anchorage, Alaska, with a Two of Hite's finest career performances came in 2007 as a sophomore when she recorded a on beam and floor, becoming the first Wildcat since 13-time All-American selection Jenny Hansen did so in Both marks were earned within six days of one another. Hite ended her career with 27 event titles, 14 on beam and 13 on floor. While at Kentucky, Hite was a two-time Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll selection, was named the 2006 CATSPY Female Rookie of the Year and inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character in "It is amazing to be able to stay at Kentucky," Hite said. "I love Lexington. I loved every experience I had as a gymnast here. I am so happy I get to stay where I've been for the past four years because that is why I chose this school in the first place. They are such a great athletic department, a great team and have great coaches all the way around, and I want to be a part of that. I came to UK to accomplish a goal of going to nationals and we didn't quite make it there while I was on the team. Therefore, I want to reach that goal as a coach and help those girls go on to the next level of competition. I feel like I still have work to do here." Hite graduated from UK in the summer of 2009 with a degree in kinesiology. She is the daughter of Roger and Pam Hite who reside in Parkersburg, W. Va. 23

10 KENTUCKY GYMNASTICS 2010 STAFF GYMNASTICS SUPPORT STAFF Geoffrey Staton Athletic Trainer Geoffrey Staton enters his second season with the UK gymnastics team as the graduate assistant athletic trainer. A North Carolina native, Staton completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007 where he earned his B.A. in Exercise and Sport science with a specialization in athletic training. While serving as a student athletic trainer from , Staton worked with the track and field, softball, men s soccer and men s lacrosse teams. He also served as an intern athletic trainer for the NBA s Charlotte Bobcats in Staton also works with both varsity and JV dance teams. He is currently pursuing his masters in athletic training at the University of Kentucky and is an active BOC Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC). Staton resides in Lexington, Ky. Stephanie Bleuel Manager Stephanie Bleuel begins her second season as a manager for the Kentucky gymnastics team. Bleuel graduated from Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky. The Kentucky native was a competitive gymnast for over 10 years at All-American Gymnastics in Lexington, Ky., under UK head coach Mo Mitchell. Bleuel intends on majoring in biology at UK. Courtney Ehrler Manager Courtney Ehrler begins her second season as a manager for the UK gymnastics team. Ehrler graduated from Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky. She has competed and been involved in gymnastics for over 14 years. Ehrler attended All-American Gymnastics in Lexington, Ky., and was coached by the UK head coach Mo Mitchell for most of her career. Ehrler is pursuing a degree in nursing with intentions of becoming a CRNA. Lisa Peterson Associate Athletics Director/Gymnastics Administrator Lisa Peterson joined the UK Athletics Department in January 2003 as Assistant Athletics Director for Business. She was elevated to her current role of Associate Athletics Director in June Peterson manages the day-to-day operations of the athletic business office for all 22 sports and its $62.7 million budget, including supervising payroll, personnel and information systems. This is her third season overseeing the Kentucky gymnastics program and her third as UK's senior woman administrator. She is a member of the senior-level management team and the campus IRIS Steering Committee at UK. She served as a campus liaison for the NCAA self-study. Her additional responsibilities include overseeing volleyball, track and field, cross country and working closely with the women's basketball team. Peterson came to Kentucky from the University of Maryland, where she was Assistant AD for business operations. A 1994 graduate of St. John's University, she joined the Maryland staff in January 1997 as assistant business manager. She was promoted to business manager in 1999 and was promoted again in August Prior to joining the Terps, she was the assistant business manager at the University of Miami (Fla.) from September 1995 through January She also worked in the business office at St. John's as an undergraduate and graduate student. She earned her MBA from St. John's in Maria Zumdick Student Assistant/Gym Contact Maria Zumdick is in her second season as a student assistant with the Kentucky Athletic Media Relations office. Zumdick, a native of Fort Wright, Ky., and graduate of Notre Dame Academy, began working with the University of Kentucky Athletics Department in January 2008, assisting in the day-to-day management of the department. While at Kentucky, Zumdick has worked with a variety of sports, including assisting in the gameday management of football and men's and women's basketball, as well as being the women s golf and gymnastics contact. Zumdick has also worked a variety of conference championship events, including the 2009 Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Championship. Zumdick is working towards a degree in Integrated Strategic Communication and a minor in political science, with an expected graduation date of May Prior to working with the athletics office, Zumdick served as a summer intern for Congressman Geoff Davis in the Fort Mitchell, Ky., office. Zumdick also has four years experience as a pharmacy technician. Mike Haley CATS Academic Counselor Mike Haley has been a full-time member of the Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (C.A.T.S.) since the summer of Haley works as an Academic Counselor for the gymnastics, men s and women s soccer and women s tennis programs. Haley received a pair of degrees from UK. He earned his bachelors in 1987, followed by his masters in athletic administration in Haley received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement award at the 2003 Catspy awards. Haley has a son, Ryan, and resides in Lexington. Jamie Applegate Event Manager Jamie Applegate enters her fifth year as a member of the University of Kentucky Athletics Association staff, her third as the event manager for Kentucky gymnastics. Applegate, who also serves as the event manager for women s soccer and volleyball, is the facilities coordinator for the Joe Craft Center. She also assists with a number of facilities-related and administrative duties. Applegate joined the UKAA staff full time after seven months as a student intern in the business office. A Lexington native, Applegate earned her bachelor s degree in finance and management from UK in 2001 and her master s degree in sports management, also from UK, in Applegate had the distinction of serving as the assistant tournament manager for the 2007 NCAA Men s Basketball First and Second Rounds hosted by Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Applegate resides in Lexington. Jesse Littlefield Student Athletic Trainer Jesse Littlefield is in her third year as a student athletic trainer. This is her first season with gymnastics. She has previously worked with the football, volleyball and women s basketball teams. She assists in athlete injury prevention and rehabilitation. Littlefield is a junior dietetics student at the University of Kentucky. She graduated from Boyle County High School where she was a student athletic trainer for two years. She plans to become a registered dietician and obtain a graduate degree in athletic training. Jamie Moberly Event Coordinator Lisa Pearson Marketing Clifford Tsuboi Meet Director Dr. Andrew Weiner Team Builder 24