Georgia gymnastics coach Danna Durante had a forlorn look on her face as she and her Gymdogs watched the preparations for the announcement of Friday’s team placings in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.
Judging by the look on her face, Durante didn’t need, or want, any big proclamation of Georgia’s finish. Rightfully, too, as the Gymdogs finished a disappointing sixth in the evening session to miss the cut of the Super Six.
LSU won the evening session with 198.125, followed by Florida (197.7125) and Alabama (197.6), while Nebraska (197.2125), Michigan (196.4625) and Georgia (195.8) all failed to qualify.
The earlier session was won by defending champion Oklahoma with a 197.725. UCLA (197.5) and Utah (197.05) also advanced from the afternoon group. Failing to make the cut were Washington (196.5625), Denver (196.4750), and Oregon State (196.3625).
“This isn’t the way we wanted things to finish,” Durante said. “I am already thinking about what we take from this so we can improve next year, that is all you can do.”
What they needed Friday was a better performance overall. There wasn’t any single event that doomed the Gymdogs, although things certainly started poorly on the balance beam.
Georgia finished the event with just a 48.5, as Vivi Babalis (9.825) was the only gymnast to score higher than a 9.75.
That kind of score was well short of what Georgia needed to advance, something that was painfully clear when Florida opened with a 49.5125 on vault and Alabama opened with a 49.3875 on on the floor, and others weren’t far behind the leaders.
“We didn’t start well,” Durante said. “We never could get our momentum going.”
That Georgia would fail to qualify for the Super Six isn’t a surprise since the Gymdogs came into the competition ranked ninth.
But to eliminate themselves in the first rotation was disappointing.
Perhaps the only comfort the Gymdogs could take was even their best effort might not have been good enough anyway, considering how Florida, Alabama and LSU competed.
The three SEC teams outdistanced themselves from everyone else from the start.
The NCAAs typified Georgia’s up-and-down season. The Gymdogs won five in a row, but then finished only fourth at the SEC Championships when a slow start there put the team in a bind.
At the SECs the Gymdogs struggled on floor and scored 49.05 as the first event and never recovered.
That experience seemed to have taught the Gymdogs a lesson, as they used a strong start at regionals to help them qualify for the the NCAAs.
On Friday, it seemed the pressure of competing at the NCAAs and opening on beam was a combination too hard to overcome.
Georgia had a bye after beam to regroup, but the break did little to help. The Gymdogs posted scores in the 9.8s to start floor, but suffered a blow when Rachel Dickson fell on her last pass and scored 9.1875.
GiGi Marino led the team with 9.8875 as the highlight, but the team score was only 49.2250.
At the halfway mark, LSU led with 99.2750 followed by Florida (98.9375), Alabama (98.75), Nebraska (98.55), Michigan (98.1125) and Georgia (97.7250).
Georgia posted a 48.915 on vault, with Ashlyn Broussard scoring 9.825.
The Gymdogs finished their meet on bars, scoring 49.1625, led by 9.9s from Dickson and Rachel Schick.
Durante said she wanted to honor the seniors and their work, but judging from her tone she was ready to put the season, and Friday’s event, behind her.
“We have to improve from this, that is the only thing you can do,” she said. “I’m already thinking about that.”
About the Author
