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This day has been 26 years in the making. The start of the NCAA Championships today marks the beginning of the end for Suzanne Yoculan, the 26-year architect of the Georgia gymnastics program.
Suzanne Yoculan has officially peaced out of Athens. Yoculan and her Gym Dogs held their final practice before departing for the NCAA Championships in Lincoln, Neb., Monday, and for Yoculan, the architect of Georgia gymnastics in her 26th and final year as coach, it was her last ever in Athens.
It's been a tough go for Tiffany Tolnay. The Gym Dog senior has battled injury after injury in 2009, most notably a nagging foot that has moved her in and out of the all-around lineup all season long.
Now that's redemption. Plenty of ghosts loomed for Georgia gymnastics at their NCAA Regional Saturday - there was the looming specter of a second-place finish at the SEC championships, and the accompanying disappointment of a slow start on beam. There was also the memory of an abysmal 195.000 when the Gym Dogs last came to Raleigh.
RALEIGH, N.C. ? For Georgia gymnastics, it's back to the house of horrors. It's back to the place where they put up a 195.000, their lowest score since 2005, and back to the place where they uncharacteristically had nine scores below a 9.700.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - That darn beam. Georgia gymnastics finished strong at Saturday's SEC Championships at the Sommet Center in Nashville, posting a 49.500 on bars and completing a cumulative score of 196.925.
Last year's SEC gymnastics championships were a mess. A close meet and scoring confusion in Duluth forced the Gym Dogs to put on their championship T-shirts, take them back off, then ultimately put them back on again as they won by the smallest possible margin (.025) over Alabama and Florida.
Supposedly nobody's perfect. But three different Gym Dogs have accounted for five perfect 10s this season, leaving the debate somewhat open.
Gym Dog Grace Taylor charted the second 10 of her career on Saturday against Michigan, this time coming on beam, where she's the reigning NCAA champion. But during the previous week and earlier in the day, Taylor was helping her fellow underclassmen prepare a video poking good-natured fun at the team's five "seniors," including coach Suzanne Yoculan.
Five "seniors" said an emotional farewell to Stegeman Coliseum Saturday night, as the top-ranked Gym Dogs dispatched Michigan to close out their regular season.
Sparked by a 10.0 from Courtney McCool, the top-ranked Georgia gymnastics team remained undefeated with an impressive victory over No. 6 UCLA on Sunday in front of 4,709 fans at historic Pauley Pavilion.
The image of a UCLA gymnast quaking in her blue and gold leotard is a funny thought, especially after Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan said the Bruins have been eagerly pointing to Sunday's matchup all season. But Georgia's Courtney McCool is back, and after a 9.950 on beam last weekend against Florida, UCLA and the rest of the country have even more of a reason to fear the four-time defending Gym Dogs
The Gym Dogs came to "fight" Saturday. And boy did they ever. Sixteen scores of 9.9 or better, season-highs on all four events and personal bests galore all equaled a 198.200 for the Gym Dogs, as they posted their highest score in a decade, dismantled Florida (which scored a 196.650), and dismissed any notion that they weren't truly the No. 1 team in the country.
Georgia may have its answer for Tim Tebow. Grace Taylor, the Gym Dogs' three-event dynamo and all-around good person, is the consummate Christian and the epitome of both parts of the word "student-athlete." A health promotion major and aspiring missionary, last year's NCAA beam champ is so much more.
The Gym Dogs' climb back to the nation's No. 1 spot was officially completed Monday, as the switch to regional qualifying scores pushed them past Utah and to the top of the rankings. But, if you ask coach Suzanne Yoculan, that's not where they deserve to be.
The second-ranked Gym Dogs managed to avoid an upset and remain undefeated Friday in Fayetteville, charting a 196.925-196.425 victory over No. 7 Arkansas.
Call them world-beaters, overachievers or giant killers. Whatever you call them, make no doubt about it - Arkansas gymnastics has made huge strides this year, and the Gym Dogs are squarely in their sights.
Roses are red, Gym Dogs are too, I scored a 9.9 and I'm better than you. Georgia gymnastics already has its "All in for 10" slogan for its 2009 season, but, with as many flowers as the Gym Dogs rake in on a weekly basis, the above might as well be their mantra.
In just her second time competing on vault at the collegiate level Friday, freshman Gym Dog Kat Ding posted a 9.900, helping Georgia post a 196.975 en route to sweeping its tri-meet with Kentucky and Centenary.
Sophomore Gym Dog Cassidy McComb was the SEC's Freshman of the Year in 2008, and though she's struggled at times this season, coach Suzanne Yoculan said there are no thoughts of a sophomore slump.
Even with yet another makeshift lineup, the third-ranked Gym Dogs were able to pound No. 5 Auburn 197.250-195.925 Saturday, simultaneously posting the highest score by any team in the country this season.
Short Stack, Lil' Bit, and, yes, even Mighty Mouse - Hilary Mauro has heard 'em all. The Gym Dogs' pint-sized powerhouse stands at just 4-foot-8, but her gymnastics, and her heart, are much, much bigger.
Short and simple, the Gym Dogs underperformed Friday. A season-low of 195.000 was good enough for a good-sized victory against N.C. State in Raleigh, but a meet marred by five falls and a lack of execution left a lot to be desired.
During a three-meet stretch against Super Six-caliber teams, the Gym Dogs weren't short on motivation. The next three weeks, however, they'll largely have to look to themselves for inspiration.
Less than 11 months after tearing her Achilles, Gym Dog Courtney Kupets has officially announced her comeback. Kupets charted the second and third perfect 10s of her career Friday, helping the Gym Dogs handily dispatch rival Alabama, 197.175-196.275.
After watching tape of Utah late Sunday night, or early Monday morning, Gym Dogs associate head coach Jay Clark sent head coach Suzanne Yoculan an ominous e-mail: "We may lose tomorrow." The meet was even at 147.775 after the first three rotations, but the No. 4 Gym Dogs made Clark look bad Monday afternoon, topping rival Utah 197.150-196.725.
Talya Vexler knows it's not always about gymnastics, and, at least for one weekend, Georgia's Gym Dogs will too. After their road meet with LSU tonight, the Gym Dogs will return to Athens for a breast cancer weekend of sorts, hosting their first "Stiletto Race" Sunday afternoon before taking on Utah in their annual "Pink Out" meet Monday, both to raise money to fight the disease.
When you're a Gym Dog, the words "Suzanne's not happy" are the last ones you want to hear. Suzanne's not happy.
Whenever a Georgia coach has to evoke a Tim Tebow quote, it's probably not a good thing. Superman she's not, but after the Gym Dogs looked more like Clark Kent than the Man of Steel in their win over West Virginia Friday, head coach Suzanne Yoculan promised she'd have her squad back in championship form by the time upcoming meets with rivals Utah and Alabama roll around.
Gymnastics is supposed to be a sport of finely-tuned performances, perfected execution and refined elegance. It's supposed to be a very serious sport. Abby Stack didn't get the memo.
"The Creature" came to Stegeman Coliseum Sunday. Senior Gym Dog Abby Stack waddled onto the floor with her legs through the sleeves of a polka-dotted lime green sweatshirt and antennae on her head, helping the Gym Dogs kick off their annual Sneak-A-Peek exhibition.
When the four-time defending national champion Gym Dogs take the floor for their Sneak-A-Peek exhibition Sunday, it will begin the final season for a coach that has created a gymnastics juggernaut from nothing.
