The Red and Black

Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: FRANNIE FABIAN Sophomore Grace Taylor (left) and freshman Cassidy McComb cheer after a meet against Iowa State at Stegeman Coliseum Friday. The Gym Dogs will compete in the SEC Championship at the Gwinnett Arena this Saturday. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: FRANNIE FABIAN Freshman Hilary Mauro performs her routine on the balance beam during a meet against Iowa State at Stegeman Coliseum Saturday. [Click to enlarge]

The Gym Dogs may be "Back 4 More" as far as national championships go, but this weekend, the three-time defending champs are also trying to make it one - in the form of reclaiming the SEC Championship that is the only hole in its résumé the past three years.

Last season, Florida claimed the conference title, and this season the Gators are the only team to outscore the top-ranked Gym Dogs (with a 197.925 compared to Georgia's 197.900).

"There's definitely a little more motivation. We need to get that back from Florida," sophomore Lauren Sessler said.

"[Florida] definitely has the potential and the quality of athletes to win the SEC Championship, there's no doubt about it. So does LSU. So does Alabama," coach Suzanne Yoculan said.

"But I think Florida and Georgia are probably deeper."

But the Gym Dogs know it's more than just another installment of the Georgia-Florida rivalry, and they are prepared to do what they do against the SEC competition. And that's win.

"Our focus on SECs is just as large as the NCAA focus," Yoculan said. "Right now it's the most important thing we're doing."

"We treat it just like any other championship meet," said senior Katie Heenan, who is set to become Georgia's all-time scorer with at least a 27.575 on the all-around. "While national titles are great, SECs are going to be awesome and the SEC title means just as much to us."

SECs are just an hour down State Road 316 in Duluth, but the road to a title won't be an easy one for Georgia.

The SEC boasts three of the top five teams in the country (Georgia, Florida, LSU) and three more in the top 15. And the Gym Dogs are coming off the most bizarre meet this season: a win over Iowa State with a series of freak falls and 10s from Heenan and Grace Taylor. Plus, the Gym Dogs will have to do it without two-time individual national champ Courtney Kupets.

"The meet Friday would have probably put us third or fourth in the SEC, and practice Monday was nothing to brag about," Yoculan said. "But Tuesday we were back on fire and back on top and we were practicing like a national championship team."

"I think that's over with," Taylor said of the up-and-down meet with Iowa State. "We're just ready to kick some butt."

Last week's meet excluded, the Gym Dogs have been at their best at home with their four best team scores coming from Stegeman Coliseum.

While Gwinnett isn't quite Athens, they're expecting quite a bit of the Bulldog faithful.

"Being in Duluth will really elevate our performances, there's no question about it," Yoculan said. "You put 10,000 people in there in red and black and this is the kind of team that's going to respond to that kind of fan support."

Taylor, fresh off the first 10 of her career on bars last weekend, will celebrate her 20th birthday Saturday. And her teammates have the perfect present in mind for the Aiken, SC native - just ask Yoculan.

"We're gonna win the SEC championship for her."

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