ATHENS — Looking only at the Georgia gymnastics team’s 8-3 record, it is easy to think this might be a down year for what is arguably the most powerful and success gymnastics program in the nation. But a closer look reveals that the 2012 edition is not far from performing like some of its more decorated predecessors.
Georgia’s three losses this season were all on the road and came by the narrowest of margins at the hands of then-No. 1-ranked Utah, No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama.
For that reason, it is a determined and confident bunch of Bulldogs that enter the SEC gymnastics championships Saturday at Gwinnett Arena. Not only does No. 5 Georgia get another crack at two of the three teams it lost to, it gets them in the relative backyard environment that is Duluth.
“We’re confident; our kids are confident,” Georgia coach Jay Clark said. “This hasn’t been the most glamorous Georgia team compared to some in the past, but it has been a very consistent team from a mental standpoint. They’ve really been one of, if not the, most consistent teams in the country in terms of where they started the season and how they sort of steadily climbed throughout.”
This event usually comes down to a battle between national heavyweights Georgia and Alabama. The Gym Dogs have won 16 SEC championships, more than all the other teams combined. But Florida is the new major player in the mix. The Gators, who defeated Georgia 197.525-196.825 on Feb. 24 in Gainesville, have the nation’s top scoring average and are the team to beat.
“Florida has certainly got to be the favorite,” Clark said. “Nobody’s going to out-skill them. We feel like if we can execute what we do very well we’ll be in the mix. We should be right there with as good a chance as anybody to win it.”
Alabama beat Georgia by .15 on Jan. 13. The Dogs’ other loss was to Utah by .20 on Feb. 3.
Georgia defeated Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky and LSU in head-to-head matches during the season.
There is no secret where the Bulldogs need to shore up if they’re going to claim a 17th league title. Georgia ranks among the top three teams nationally in bars, beam and floor, but ranks ninth in vault.
“Handstands and landings. That’s what it’s always about,” said senior Kat Ding, a 2011 All-American and NCAA bars champion ranked No. 1 nationally in uneven bars. “It’s about execution. Perfect handstands and landings will get you the score. Having sticks makes a huge difference.”
Said Clark: “The difference between one and nine is not much. If we land, which is something we’ve been doing much better, we can stay close enough where that shouldn’t be a deciding factor.”
Ding has emerged as the star of the team. She won the all-around title for the fourth time this season with a 39.50 in the season’s final meet, a dominating win over No. 21 N.C. State. Noel Couch has competed in the all-around in a school-record 25 consecutive meets and set a career-high with a 39.55 on March 2 when UGA knocked off then-No. 3-UCLA.
“We feel good about what we’re going to do,” Clark said. “But you’ve got three of the top five teams in the country, five of the top 10 and six of the top 15. So no matter how you slice it, it’s up in the air really.”
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