April 24 first ncaa title 1 9 8 7 Championship Results 1. Georgia 187.900 2. Utah 187.550 3. UCLA 187.000 4. Alabama 186.600 5. Arizona State 184.000 6. Florida 183.800 Salt Lake City Ta k e I t To T h e To p Lucy Wener For all great teams there is a beginning. Georgia s rise to the elite of the collegiate gymnastics world began on April 24, 1987, when it claimed its first NCAA Championship. After finishing in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships during head coach Suzanne Yoculan s first three years at Georgia, the Gym Dogs were now primed for the spotlight and they would do it in hostile territory, on the floor of six-time defending champion Utah. The Gym Dogs, seeded No. 5 entering the meet, scored a 187.90, which was good enough to outdistance the host Utes (187.55) and UCLA (187.0), who entered the competition as the top-ranked team. Georgia trailed UCLA by four-tenths of a point after posting solid performances on their first two events, the vault and uneven bars. However the toughest event of the meet was on the horizon as the Gym Dogs headed for beam. Georgia came through on the event like a championship team, hitting all six sets, including a 9.5 by Julie Klick, a 9.55 by Terri Eckert and a 9.7 from Andrea Thomas, who hit her 13th beam set of the season in as many tries. We didn t look like a championship team until those final three beam routines, said Yoculan. The Gym Dogs would seal the deal on the floor exercise where Michelle Sessions (9.25), Eckert (9.45), who was Yoculan s first recruit at Georgia, and Corrinne Wright (9.65) all came through with clutch performances. When we came off beam I knew we had taken charge of the meet, said ayoculan. We wanted to set the pace of the meet and make everyone else come up to our standards. The following evening, Lucy Wener, who was sidelined much of the season due to knee and ankle injuries, kept the hardware for Georgia coming as she successfully defended her uneven bars title, scoring a 9.7. Yoculan was named the NCAA Coach of the Year as well as the Southeastern Conference s Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. 70
first ncaa title ROSTER Gina Banales Terri Eckert Debbie Greco Julie Klick Paula Maheu Susie Origer Tanya Schuler Michelle Sessions Andrea Thomas Lucy Wener Corinne Wright Above (L to R): Terri Eckert, Andrea Thomas, Corrinne Wright, Julie Klick, Tanya Schuler. ALL-AMERICANS Terri Eckert (FX) Julie Klick (AA, FX) Andrea Thomas (BB) Lucy Wener (UB) Corrinne Wright (AA,FX) The 1987 team was a go-for-it kind of team. It was easy to coach because we won unexpectedly. We had finished 9th, 7th and 4th nationally the years before so we used the take-it-to-the-top approach with the goal of finishing higher than fourth. We went into the Championships with nothing to lose. - Coach Suzanne Yoculan Gina Banales and Julie Klick Being a part of the 1987 NCAA Championship team was an opportunity to be a part of history. No one expected us to win, but we surprised them all. There is no other feeling like standing on the award stand knowing we had just done something special. - Corrinne Wright 71
April 14 second ncaa title 1 9 8 9 Championship Results Athens, Ga. Paula Maheu 1. Georgia 192.650 2. UCLA 192.600 3. Alabama 192.100 4. Nebraska 190.800 5. Utah 190.200 6. Cal State-Fullerton 189.450 B r i n g i t H o m e The Gym Dogs won their second NCAA Championship in dramatic fashion and did it in front of their hometown fans winning by a minuscule margin of five-hundredths of a point, holding off top-seeded UCLA, which scored a 192.60. This is a coach s dream come true, said Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan. To win the national championship at home has been a mission for me since I became a college coach. It s so exciting. I knew coming in we had a chance to win, and we did. We came into this thing on a mission and we accomplished that mission. We ve always felt our team was made of winners. As the No. 5 seed, the Gym Dogs started off on vault and produced a 47.95. Corrinne Wright led Georgia in the event, tying for third place with a 9.75. From the vault it was onto the uneven bars where Georgia scored a 48.30, including Lucy Wener s meet-high 9.9 and Wright s 9.75. After sitting out a bye, the Gym Dogs came out and produced the highest team score of the meet (47.90) on balance beam. Andrea Thomas anchored Georgia s beam set, scoring a 9.7 which put her in a four-way tie for third with among others Wener. Needing to finish well, the Gym Dogs fed off the energy of the crowd as they performed their floor routines. When Wright finished with a school record 9.9, a score that would eventually catapult her to the NCAA all-around title, the team and the crowd went wild. There were several anxious moments as Georgia sat out a final bye while its closest pursuers UCLA and Alabama, finished on the floor and vault, respectively. However when the final results were tabulated, Georgia had won by the slimmest of margins, sending the team and the crowd into a frenzy. The following night, Wener would go on to score a perfect 10 to take her third national title on the uneven bars, while Wright tied for the floor exercise title. Chris Rodis Kathy Dwyer and Corrinne Wright 72
second ncaa title ROSTER Missy DePaoli Kathy Dwyer Debbie Greco Paula Maheu Lynn Messer Susie Origer Julie Ponstein Chris Rodis Sophie Royce Tanya Schuler Andrea Thomas Lucy Wener Corinne Wright Debbie Greco, Tanya Schuler, Paula Maheu, Lucy Wener ALL-AMERICANS Chris Rodis (V) Andrea Thomas (BB) Lucy Wener (AA,UB,FX) Corrinne Wright (AA,V,UB,FX) Corrinne Wright Competing at home for the national title made a difference in 1989 because the home crowd added atmosphere and excitement. Coming in seeded 5th, we started on vault, ended on floor, and sat out the final rotation on a bye, watching the No. 1 seed UCLA follow us on floor. That is the perfect rotation for the home team and their fans. We were definitely in our comfort zone to bring home the National Title. - Coach Suzanne Yoculan Lucy Wener Very few college athletic teams actually get to compete at the NCAA Championships. Having the opportunity to host the championships, and then to win the title in front of all our fans, friends, and family was truly a unique and special experience. It was a proud moment to be a Georgia Gym Dog! - Debbie Greco 73
April 15-17 third ncaa title 1 9 9 3 Championship Results Corvallis, Ore. 1. Georgia 198.000 2. Alabama 196.825 3. Utah 195.825 4. UCLA 194.925 5. Auburn 194.725 6. Arizona 194.075 Agina Simpkins A P e r f e c t 1 0! Brooks Hatch of the Gazette Times in Corvallis, Ore., described it this way: It was legendary. It might have been the most impressive post-season NCAA performance since UCLA s Bill Walton shot 21-22 against Memphis State in basketball a generation ago. Without question, the 1993 Georgia Gym Dogs was a team for the ages. Heading into the season, head coach Suzanne Yoculan had a hard time believing that she could possibly have a team that was this good. This is the closest team to a perfect 10 that we ve had since I ve been here, said Yoculan. We look so good I don t know whether to look at it as a nightmare or a dream. It turned out to be a dream. The Georgia gymnastics team dominated the competition at the 1993 NCAA Championships in Corvallis, Ore., becoming the first team ever to score 198.0 to easily outdistance second-place Alabama (196.825). Georgia set NCAA team record on vault (49.75), bars (49.75) and floor (49.6). The Gym Dogs started the Super Six competition on the uneven bars, which was the team s nemesis at NCAAs one year earlier. Instead of a repeat of the 1992 performance, Georgia turned in the most prolific bars performance in history, scoring a 9.9 and three 9.95s to go along with a 10.0 by freshman Lori Strong. Georgia had established a half-point lead over the competition after just one event. From that point, the Gym Dogs moved confident through the remaining three events, with an impressive performance on the beam and 10.0s on floor from senior Heather Stepp and Hope Spivey-Sheeley. After three rotations, Georgia held a 1.25 lead over Alabama with the Tide on beam and the Gym Dogs on their premiere event, the vault. With 10.0s by Agina Simpkins and Stepp, Georgia topped its NCAA record vault score with a 49.75 to secure the national championship. There was an unbelievable amount of energy throughout the arena and you could feel our team building to a climax, said Yoculan, who was named the 1993 NCAA Coach of the Year. Seven Georgia gymnasts brought home All-America honors, combining for a total of 13. Stepp capped a brilliant career with individual national championships on the vault and the floor exercise, scoring a perfect 10.0. Simpkins also claimed an individual championship, scoring a 10.0 in the event finals of the uneven bars. Agina Simpkins 74
third ncaa title ROSTER Jennifer Carbone Andrea Dewey Nneka Logan Kelly Macy Sandy Rowlette-Dill Hope Spivey-Sheeley Agina Simpkins Courtney Snyder Heather Stepp Lori Strong Hope Spivey and Heather Stepp Sandy Rowlette and Jay Clark ALL-AMERICANS Andrea Dewey (UB) Nneka Logan (FX) Sand Rowlette-Dill (V,UB,FX*) Agina Simkins (AA,V*,UB,BB) Hope Spivey-Sheeley (V,UB,FX) Heather Stepp (AA*,V,UB,FX) Lori Strong (UB) * indicates second team Lori Strong The Oregon newspaper read, Georgia is in a League of their Own, and we were. We marched out on a mission, hit our first event and never looked back. If there was competition, we never felt it. This was a team where leadership and confidence made the difference. - Coach Suzanne Yoculan The 1993 Championships team was one of persistence and strength. Having turned in a disappointing second-place finish in 1992, we were determined to capture a win. In our lipstick red and black leotards, we hunkered down and put in a near perfect performance. Although it was an awesome feeling to win a National Championship, it was even sweeter bringing it home to share with the greatest fans in the world! - Sandy (Rowlette) Bent 75
April 16-18 fourth ncaa title 1 9 9 8 Championship Results Los Angeles Sam Muhleman 1. Georgia 197.725 2. Florida 196.350 3. Alabama 196.300 4. Utah 196.025 5. UCLA 195.750 6. Arizona State 195.450 U n l e a s h e d With the largest margin of victory in over ten years, Georgia won its fourth NCAA Championship. Just as they had in 1993 the Gym Dogs began the Super Six competing on the uneven bars. And the rotation was just as successful in 1998. The upperclassmen performed 16 of the 24 routines in the preliminaries and in the Super Six team finals at the NCAAs. Even with the victory in hand, Karin Lichey put the exclamation mark on the win with her 10.0 vault as the final competitor for the Gym Dogs. Head coach Suzanne Yoculan was named NACGC Coach of the Year and assistant coach Doug McAvinn was named the NACGC Assistant Coach of the Year. Kim Arnold won the AAI American Award, the first Georgia gymnast to be honored as the nation s top senior gymnast. Arnold and Lichey were a onetwo punch in the all-around standings, with Arnold successfully defending her 1997 title as the overall winner. Both were five-time All-Americans, becoming the second and third UGA gymnasts to earn the maximum number of first-team awards in a single season. Arnold and Jenni Beathard shared the beam title to give Georgia its first individual title on that event. Karin Lichey won her first individual NCAA title when she scored a 9.950 for her floor routine. It marked the eighth consecutive year that at least one Georgia gymnast came away with an NCAA individual title. Georgia had the most gymnasts competing in the individual event finals of any school with seven, and its 18 first-team All-America honors were the most for any school in 1998. We knew this was a special team right from the first day of practice, Yoculan said. All we ve had to do is turn on the lights and get them on the bus. That s the kind of team it s been. They ve managed themselves, they ve taken care of themselves, they ve called their own team meetings. They were a team that was on a mission. We were definitely led by the six upperclassmen. Kim Arnold Karin Lichey, Jenni Beathard and Kim Arnold 76
f o u rt h n c a a t i t l e ROSTER Brooke Anderson Kim Arnold Jenni Beathard Julie Clark Amanda Curry Stacey Galloway Caroline Harris Karin Lichey Kristi Lichey Sam Muhleman Suzanne Sears Kathleen Shrieves Courtney Whittle ALL-AMERICANS Kim Arnold (AA,V,UB,BB,FX) Jullie Ballard (FX) Jenni Beathard (UB,BB) Amanda Curry (BB*) Karin Lichey (AA,V,UB,BB,FX) Kristi Lichey (BB) Sam Muhleman (BB) Suzanne Sears (FX) Kathleen Shrieves (UB*) * indicates second team Julie Ballard, Kim Arnold, Sam Muhleman, Karin Lichey, Stacey Galloway, Jenni Beathard Julie Ballard This was a Team s Team. All the coaches needed to do was unlock the doors and turn on the light - the gymnasts took care of the rest. Experience made the diffrence as we stormed through an undefeated season with lots of All-American upperclassmen. We were truly UNLEASHED and every minute of everyday was fun! - Coach Suzanne Yoculan Being on the 1998 Championship team was truly an honor. This team was disciplined. From the first fall practice to the last routine on the last event at nationals, this team fought until the very end. Our determination lead us to take control and pull it together to make things happen. Being on the award stand with my teammates, my friends, was a feeling of accomplishment that I will never forget. - Karin (Lichey) Usry The 1998 NCAA Championship team was such a great team. All of the girls worked so hard because we all wanted to win, and we were all on the same page, with the same goal on our minds. We were so confident, because we competed just like we practiced. When it came time for Nationals, I don t even think we were that nervous. We just had a calm feel about it, and went out there and got the job done. - Kim (Arnold) Arenas Vince Dooley, Suzanne Yoculan, Doug McAvinn 77
April 22-24 fifth ncaa title 1 9 9 9 Championship Results Salt Lake City 1. Georgia 196.850 2. Michigan 196.550 3. Alabama 195.950 4. Arizona State 195.900 5. UCLA 195.850 6. Nebraska 194.800 Forget the Give Me Five theme the Gym Dogs picked to begin the 1999 season. The slogan the team adopted for the final half of the season was more appropriate: A Wounded Dog is a Dangerous Dog. When it was all said and done, four season-ending injuries weren t enough to stop the Georgia gymnastics team from defeating every opponent that came its way and bring home the program s fifth national championship. No matter the lineup, the place or the occasion, the Gym Dogs managed to maintain a perfect record for the second consecutive season and finish with a 32-0 mark in 1999. Being injured almost became a joke, said head coach Suzanne Yoculan. The injuries and pain were never an excuse. It was the motivation for the drive for five. A second national title wasn t going to be handed to Georgia. The Gym Dogs were going to have to rely on mental toughness to go the distance. On the vault Georgia earned a 49.4 score, the highest team total on the apparatus in the Super Six Championships. Karin Lichey led in scoring with a 9.95 and Kristi Lichey added a 9.90. In the third rotation, Georgia moved to the uneven bars and had a 48.925 score. Karin Lichey led with a 9.95 and leadoff performer Brooke Andersen followed with a 9.8. After bars, Georgia moved to beam in the fourth rotation and scored a 49.275. The first three Gym Dogs Amanda Curry, Emily Chell and Stacey Galloway each scored a 9.875 and Kristi Lichey added a 9.85. Karin Lichey, who fell and scored a 9.40, and Jenni Beathard, the sixth performer with a 9.80 score, rounded out Georgia s beam lineup. Georgia entered their final event the floor exercise knowing that at least a 48.375 score was necessary to outpoint Alabama who had a bye in the sixth rotation and finished the meet with a 195.950 total. UCLA also had a bye in the sixth rotation. The Bruins ended the meet.10 behind Alabama at 195.850. After a bobble from Caroline Harris (9.5), Beathard (9.775), Kristi Lichey (9.850), Suzanne Sears (9.825), Stacey Galloway (9.850) and Karin Lichey (9.950) rounded out the event to give the Gym Dogs a 49.250 floor total and enough to outdistance Michigan s 49.275 bars total in the final round. Georgia won its first title in the Huntsman Center and became the first team to win the NCAA title starting on the vault in the first rotation. Kristi Lichey, who competed on just two events in the 1998 Super Six, went 8-for-8 in the 1999 NCAAs. Similarly, Galloway nailed her beam routine to become an All-American for the first time in her career. We dug deep again, said Yoculan. This team had heart and guts. To go undefeated after all our injuries says something about these girls. G i ve M e F i ve Jenni Beathard and Karin Lichey Suzanne Sears, Kristi Lichey, Amanda Curry, Kat Shrieves 78
ROSTER Brooke Andersen Jenni Beathard Emily Chell Amanda Curry Eileen Diaz Caroline Harris Stacey Galloway April Hoellman Karin Lichey Kristi Lichey Danielle Maurone Sam Muhleman Suzanne Sears Kathleen Shrieves Talya Vexler ALL-AMERICANS Brooke Anderson (V*) Jenni Beathard (AA*,UB,BB) Emily Chell (BB*) Amanda Curry (V, BB*) Stacey Galloway (BB) Karin Lichey (AA,V,UB,BB,FX) Kristi Lichey (AA,V*,BB*) Suzanne Sears (V*) * indicates second team fifth ncaa title Stacey Galloway Karin Lichey Jenni Beathard Sam Muhleman Karin Lichey This was a season of rallying back from adversity. Give Me Five started the season, Defend What is Ours carried us through the middle of the season, and we ended the year with A Wounded Dog is a Dangerous Dog. Another undefeated season led to this title as our adversity became our motivator! - Coach Suzanne Yoculan Kristi Lichey The quote we used at the end of the season in 1999 was, A Wounded Dog is a Dangerous Dog. We sustained injury after injury and still managed to fill in the gaps where it counted. The desire to win began in August and carried us all the way through April. I remember feeling that the leadership, drive, and commitment of the seniors (Karin, Sam, Stacey, and Jenni) was the reason we finished on top! - Talya Vexler In 1999, our team was battered and bruised. From torn and fractured knees to a fractured neck and various other injuries, we barely had enough people to put up on each event. However, our team pulled together with insurmountable strength and unity. The result...a repeat National Championship!!! GO DAWGS!!! - Kathleen Shrieves 79
April 21-23 sixth ncaa title 2 0 0 5 Championship Results Auburn, Ala. 1. Georgia 197.825 2. Alabama 197.400 3. Utah 197.275 4. UCLA 197.150 5. Michigan 196.575 6. Nebraska 196.425 Michelle Emmons and Brittany Smith D re a m B e a m Georgia picked a good time to post its highest score of the 2005 season when it finish with a 197.825 to capture its sixth women s gymnastics national at Auburn s Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. The Gym Dogs (33-5), paced by event season-highs on beam (49.35) and vault (49.575), now have the second-most national titles all-time, trailing only Utah s 10. Alabama finished second with a 197.4, followed by Utah (197.275), UCLA (197.15), Michigan (196.575) and Nebraska (196.425). Georgia entered the championships a 12-team event as the No. 12 seed. That ranking was thanks to a regional score of 195.15 which included three falls on the balance beam that nearly kept the Gym Dogs out of the championships for the first time since 1983. There was also a stretch of four consecutive regular-season losses the longest streak in Suzanne Yoculan s tenure that didn t help Georgia s ranking too much either. After that fourth loss things really turned around for this team, said Yoculan. Some of those big wins we had against Utah and UCLA on the road and of course at SECs gave us confidence that we could beat the top teams in the country. We didn t think this was a competition of talent. We felt it was one of minds and the team that had the most desire would win. Georgia trailed a surging UCLA team after two events, 98.95-98.875. But the vault rotation, combined with a 49.275 by the Bruins on the uneven bars, put the Gym Dogs in the lead at 148.45-148.225 with one event to go. Alabama and Utah each closed with strong events to pass the Bruins in second and third place, respectively. It took a lineup with four freshman and two sophomores on the uneven bars in Georgia s last rotation to clinch the win. Freshman Megan Dowlen opened the bars rotation with a 9.825 and freshman Audrey Bowers posted a 9.8 in the second spot. Freshman Nikki Childs 9.85 was third and freshman Katie Heenan 9.9 tied a career high. Sophomores Kelsey Ericksen and Ashely Kupets helped Georgia to its season-high event score with a 9.95 and 9.85, respectively. Heenan set a career high with a 39.725 in the all-around. She tied career highs on vault, bars and beam (9.95). Kelsey Ericksen finished with a season-high 39.575 and was Georgia s first competitor of the evening with a 9.85 on the balance beam. Georgia s lone senior Michelle Emmons was solid all three of her events, scoring a 9.8 on beam, a 9.9 on floor and a 9.925 on vault. I just focused on the team and I was able to help them out with so much support. We competed with all our hearts tonight, and I enjoyed every minute of this competition, Emmons said. Ashley Kupets Kelsey Ericksen Katie Heenan 80
sixth ncaa title ROSTER Audrey Bowers Nikki Childs Adrienne Dishman Megan Dowlen Michelle Emmons Kelsey Ericksen Katie Heenan Ashley Kupets Courtney Pratt Sam Sheehan Brittany Smith Brittany Thome ALL-AMERICANS Jay Clark and Kelsey Ericksen Nikki Childs (UB*,BB*) Michelle Emmons (V*,FX) Kelsey Ericksen (AA,UB,BB*,FX) Katie Heenan (AA,V,UB,BB*) Ashley Kupets (AA,UB*,FX) Brittany Smith (V,BB*) * indicates second team Kelsey Ericksen Katie Heenan Ashley Kupets We knew the stars had to align for Georgia to win. This championship isn t just for this group of girls here tonight. This one is for every girl that has been on our teams since the championship team in 1999. We spent a lot of time working together to get back to where we were before the Regionals. I knew the Regional was just a fluke. Lightning doesn t strike Georgia twice in a row. We emphasized the total team aspect. Everyone on this team had a role in what happened. We had to tighten the screws up. The girls responded well. They did everything we asked of them. - Coach Suzanne Yoculan We had all of our mistakes on beam at Regionals, and it was a little nerve-wracking knowing that was what we had to start off with (in the Super Six). We knew we had to hit our beams to get the momentum rolling for the rest of the night. We hit our routines consistently and made everything count. - Kelsey Ericksen 81
seventh ncaa title April 20-22 2006 Corvallis, Ore. Championship Results 1. Georgia 197.750 2. Utah 196.800 3. Alabama 196.725 4. Florida 196.275 5. Nebraska 196.175 6. Iowa State 194.725 Nikki Childs Bling it Home T he Gym Dogs completed the program s fourth perfect season with a score of 197.750, their highest since winning the 2005 national title. For Georgia it marked the second time in program history to complete back-to-back NCAA Championship seasons (also in 1998-99). Georgia is the only program in NCAA history with an undefeated national title season. To win the title Georgia had to outlast second-place Utah and Alabama. The Gym Dogs onl led the Crimson Tide by.025 entering the final rotation. Alabama and Utah were on our heels the whole way, said Coach Yoculan. This team is very special. We set a goal at the beginning of the year to go undefeated. I m so proud to have this national title and the fourth undefeated season. It just shows the work athic and focus this team had. It was a total team effort. It was the vaulting event in the final rotation of the Super Six that helped the Gym Dogs pull away with the vitory, as the team score of 49.650 was the highest since the 2003 SEC Championship meet. Courtney Kupets (9.975) and Kelsey Ericksen (9.950) vaulted to career-highs while Megan Dowlen (9.875) tied her career best in the leadoff spot. Tiffany Tolnay had a 9.950 as the anchor and Katie Heenan and Ashley Kupets added a 9.90 and 9.850, respectively. For the second straight year, Georgia had just one senior in its championship run with Brittany Smith. Yoculan was named the National Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her 23-year tenure. The Gym Dogs received a total of 18 All-America certificates in Oregon to lead all teams. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Gym Dogs were ranked first on every event, something Georgia had not accomplished since 1998. Courtney Kupets Kelsey Ericksen 82
ROSTER Audrey Bowers Emily Bridgers Paige Burns Nikki Childs Adrienne Dishman Megan Dowlen Kelsey Ericksen Katie Heenan Ashley Kupets Courtney Kupets Abby Stack Tiffany Tolnay seventh ncaa title ALL-AMERICANS Nikki Childs (UB*,BB) Kelsey Ericksen (V*,BB*,FX) Katie Heenan (V*,UB,AA*) Ashey Kupets (UB*) Courtney Kupets (AA,V*,UB,BB,FX) Tiffany Tolnay (AA,V,UB*,BB) * indicates second team Courtney Kupets Katie Heenan Alabama and Utah were on our heels the whole way. This team is very special. We set a goal at the beginning of the year to go undefeated. I m so proud to have this national title and the fourth undefeated season. It just shows the work athic and focus this team had. It was a total team effort. - Coach Suzanne Yoculan Every single person on this team is different in their own way, but yet contributes the same thing. It s that passion that drives us to do what we do. - Courtney Kupets We knew it was going to happen from the beginning. It s a journey. You look at the girls on this team and the talent and what we did all season, there shouldn t have been any doubt in abybody s minds. I m so proud to be part of this team. - Katie Heenan 83