The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: ILANA McQUINN Gym Dog Tiffany Tolnay goes vertical during her uneven bar performance at the meet against Kentucky Saturday. Tolnay received a 39.525 all-around score against the Wildcats. [Click to enlarge]

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the No. 1 Gym Dogs have yet to finalize their lineup, but one thing has remained constant of late - blowout wins.

The Gym Dogs (7-1, 5-0 SEC) returned home to Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday to a sellout crowd, a comfortable victory and a season-high team score in a 197.675-194.800 rout of Kentucky (1-6, 1-5).

Georgia notched season-high scores on vault (49.475) and bars (49.550) to take Kentucky out of the competition early, as the Wildcats recorded one score of 9.9 all afternoon.

Preventing the Gym Dogs from reaching the rarefied air of a 198.000, which the team has not accomplished in more than a calendar year, was an old nemesis - the beam.

Georgia's score in the third rotation was a 49.100, tied for the team's third highest this year, but a disappointment when compared to its early success on Saturday.

Head coach Suzanne Yoculan gathered the team together before the fourth rotation, floor exercise, to try to finish the afternoon on a high note.

"Their faces were so down, and they were just so disappointed because they know what they're capable of doing," Yoculan said. "They're just as frustrated as I am. I told them the event is over, and we'll figure it out Tuesday, but for now, let's have fun on floor."

The Gym Dogs responded, scoring 49.550 on the floor. The performance was highlighted by four routines of 9.9 or above, and a 9.875 in the first floor exercise of the year from senior Katie Heenan.

Junior Tiffany Tolnay tallied a 39.525 all-around score, but freshman Cassidy McComb stole the show with a 39.550, setting career-high marks on vault and bars.

"I wanted that vault so bad," McComb said of beginning her day with a personal-best 9.925. "It does help being up there and being up to my full potential today."

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