Female athletes outperform their male counterparts in college

College athletes are still setting records and dispelling myths — in the classroom.

The NCAA’s latest graduation numbers show nearly four out of five student-athletes earn their diplomas on time, an all-time high, and federal statistics show athletes are still more likely to graduate on time than other students.

“The misconception is that NCAA student-athletes are not good students,” interim NCAA President Jim Isch said in a conference call Wednesday. “The truth, as [late NCAA President] Myles reminded people, is that they could perform in the classroom and they outperformed the general student body in almost every measure.”

NCAA officials believe the improving numbers can be attributed to stronger eligibility standards for incoming freshmen and a greater emphasis on academics during Brand’s tenure as president.

No surprise to us that female athletes outperformed their male counterparts, 88 percent to 72 percent.  The only women’s sport to score lower than 79 percent was bowling at 74 percent (better hit those books bowlers). Women’s basketball came in at 83 percent under NCAA guidelines.

The three biggest men’s sports — football, basketball and baseball — all failed to top 70 percent in the NCAA report (those players better hit the books as well).

Walter Harrison, chairman of the committee on academic performance, believes next year’s rate will show even more progress and he offers congratulations to all student-athletes for proving the critics wrong.

Kupets wins top female college athlete of the year

There’s been a lot of discussion around here about which Honda Award winner would garner the top female collegiate athlete award. Top contenders included Colorado’s Jenny Barringer, UConn’s Renee Montgomery and Washington’s Danielle Lawrie.

In the end, it was gymnast Courtney Kupets of Georgia who won the Honda-Broderick Cup, the top prize given to the nation’s top female college athlete.

She received the award Monday at Columbia University.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic achievement but also team contributions, scholastics and community involvement.

Kupets is the all-time NCAA leader with nine individual championships and was named SEC, AAI National Senior and NCAA Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year. …

A National Honor Society member, Kupets was chosen as ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-American and is a recipient of NCAA and SEC postgraduate scholarships. She is also a member of the Blue Key Honor Society and a recipient of the Richard B. Russell Student Leadership Award. She won UGA’s Marilyn Vincent Award as the senior female student-athlete with the highest GPA.

In addition to her athletic and academic achievements, Kupets has also worked with Special Olympians, participated in the “Do It For Broph” 5K Run/Walk and joined in the SEC “Together We Can” food drive.

Kupets is a Housing/Property Management major with a 3.8 GPA.

After missing the 2008 postseason with an Achilles injury, Kupets returned to lead Georgia to its fifth straight NCAA championship. The senior won national titles in the all-around, bars, beam and floor competition. Her four titles tied the record for a single national meet.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Kupets won the silver medal in the team all-around and captured individual bronze in the uneven bars. She’s also set to appear in the new ABC Family drama ‘Make it or Break it‘.

Kupets, of Athens, Ga., was among five finalists for the 33rd annual award. Softball great Lisa Fernandez presented her with the cup.

Congratulations Courtney – well deserved.

Honda Award Winners – Best Female Collegiate Athletes

For the 24th consecutive year, Honda has honored the most outstanding female collegiate athletes in the nation with the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.

Winners are selected in each of the 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports by a panel of more than 1,000 NCAA administrators.

Each year, one deserving athlete is also chosen as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year to receive the coveted Honda-Broderick Cup. This  winner will be announced June 22 in New York.

So, without further ado. The 2009 Honda Award Winners are (drum roll….)

Basketball: Renee Montgomery, UConn senior

Montgomery, a four-year starter as point guard for the Huskies, was the #4 draft WNBA pick this year, chosen by the Minnesota Lynx. A native of St. Albans, West Virginia, she captained her team to an undefeated season this year, culminating with the NCAA championship in which she scored 18 points in the final game.

Other nominees included Angel McCoughtry from the University of Louisville, teammate Maya Moore from the University of Connecticut and Courtney Paris from University of Oklahoma.

Cross-Country: Sally Kipyego,  Texas Tech University senior

Kipyego has been chosen for the third year in a row as the nation’s top collegiate female cross-country athlete. The senior, who  is majoring in nursing, finished her college cross-country career with one of her school’s most impressive athletic records ever. She went undefeated in her three years at Texas Tech and is the most decorated female student-athlete in NCAA Division I cross-country history.

Field Hockey: Susie Rowe, University of Maryland senior

A native of London, England, Terrapin co-captain Rowe is a three-time first-team All-American who led her team to its sixth National title this year (third on her watch), scoring the game’s winning goal to top off her 28-goal, 74-point season, both school records. She was also named the ACC Tournament MVP for the second time, making her only the fifth two-time winner in conference history, as well as ACC Defensive Player of Year.

Other nominees include Jen Long from Penn State, Lauren Pfeiffer from University of Iowa and Shannon Taylor from Syracuse.

Golf: Maria Hernandez, Purdue University senior

Ranked #7 in the nation, Hernandez won six of 12 tournaments this season, with a low round of 67 and a 72.8 stroke average for the season. She recorded a career low of 66 on three occasions, including in 2008 to earn the best third-round score in Big Ten Championships history.

Other nominees included Carlota Ciganda, a freshman at Arizona State University, as well as University of Southern California freshman Jennifer Song and sophomore Lizette Salas.

Gymnastics: Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia senior

Winner of both a Silver and Bronze Medal at the 2004 Olympics as well as the 2007 Honda Award, Kupets was also nominated in 2006.

Other nominees include Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Louisiana State University and Jessica Lopez from University of Denver.

Lacrosse: Hannah Nielse, Northwestern senior

The Australian helped lead her team to its fifth straight NCAA title. She had six assists in the 21-7 win over North Carolina in the championship game. She also led the nation with 142 points and 83 assists, breaking the previous NCAA record for assists in a season (69) that she set in 2007.

Other nominees for the award included Notre Dame’s Jillian Byers, North Carolina’s Amber Falcone and Maryland’s Caitlyn McFadden.

Soccer: Casey Nogueira, University of North Carolina junior

Nogueira resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 5′6″ forward scored two second-half goals to lead her Tar Heels to an upset win in last season’s NCAA Championship game, earning her NCAA Tournament offensive MVP honors. She led the nation last season with 58 points and 25 goals, seven of them game winners.

Other nominees included Kerri Hanks and Brittany Bock, both Notre Dame seniors; and Christina Di Martino, a senior at UCLA.

Softball: Danielle Lawrie, Washington junior

The Canadian helped the Huskies win their first national championship in June. Lawrie had a nation-leading 42 wins and 521 strikeouts. The 5-foot-7 right-hander redshirted during the 2008 season to play for her country at the Beijing Olympics, where Canada came in fourth.

The other three finalists were Florida’s Stacey Nelson, Arizona State’s Kaitlin Cochran and Northwestern’s Tammy Williams.

Swim/Dive:   Dana Vollmer, University of California senior

Vollmer, who transferred to Berkeley from the University of Florida, was named the 2009 NCAA Swimmer of the Year after claiming individual titles in both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events at the 2009 NCAA Championships and helping lead her team to its first ever National Championship.

Other nominees include Julia Smit, a junior at Stanford University; Rebecca Soni, a University of Southern California senior and Gemma Spofforth, a junior at the University of Florida.

Tennis: Mallory Cecil, Duke freshman

From Spartanburg, S.C., Cecil had a 32-4 record in leading Duke to the NCAA team title. She beat out three other finalists — Aurelija Miseviciute of Arkansas, Maria Mosolova of Northwestern and Laura Vallverdu of Miami.

Track & Field: Jenny Barringer, University of Colorado senior.

Barringer competed for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 Games in Beijing and finished ninth in the 3,000m steeplechase, setting an American record of 9 minutes, 22.26 seconds. She is a four-time All-American USTFCCCA and Big 12 Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, as well as a four-time Midwest Region Steeplechase Champion and three-time Big 12 Champion.

Other nominees included Sarah Bowman, a senior at the University of Tennessee, Tiffany Ofili, a senior at the University of Michigan and Blessing Okagbare, a junior at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Volleyball: Nicole Fawcett, Penn State senior

A 6′4″ left-side hitter, Fawcett is a native of Zanesfield, Ohio. She led the Lions last season to their second consecutive NCAA title, serving the championship point, and helped her team become the first-ever with a no-loss regular season record (96-0). The AVCA National Player of the Year, Fawcett was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and is a three-time AVCA First Team All-America selection.

Other nominees included Foluke Akinradewo, a senior at Stanford University (and last year’s Honda Sports Award winner), Christa Harmotto, a fellow Penn State senior and Honda Sports award nominee for the second straight year and Destinee Hooker, a junior at the University of Texas.

Past Honda-Broderick Cup Winners

Candace Parker		2007-08		University of Tennessee, Basketball
Sarah Pavan		2006-07		University of Nebraska, Volleyball
Christine Sinclair		2005-06		The University of Portland, Soccer
Ogonna Nnamani		2004-05		Stanford University, Volleyball
Tara Kirk		2003-04		Stanford University, Swimming & Diving
Natasha Watley		2002-03		University of California, Los Angeles, Softball
Angela Williams		2001-02		University of Southern California, Track & Field
Jackie Stiles		2000-01		Southwest Missouri State, Basketball
Cristina Teuscher		1999-00		Columbia University, Swimming & Diving
Misty May		1998-99		Long Beach State University, Volleyball
Chamique Holdsclaw		1997-98		University of Tennessee, Basketball
Cindy Daws		1996-97		University of Notre Dame, Soccer

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Congrats to new grad Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history having won nine U.S. championships, five World Championships, and two Olympic medals.

With her focus and dedication, it’s no surprise she’s a good student as well. Kwan attended Soleado Elementary School in Palos Verdes, California, but left public school to be homeschooled starting at the age of 13. After graduation from Rim of the World High School in 1998 (near the Lake Arrowhead ice rink where she trained), she attended UCLA for one year. In the fall of 2006 she transferred to the University of Denver to major in political science and minor in international studies.

In November 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named Michelle the first American public diplomacy envoy. Michelle travels around the world with State Department officials, visiting schools, clubs and community groups to speak about leadership and to engage her international peers in conversations about social and educational issues.

Michelle recently returned from the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where she and Rice represented the U.S. at the closing ceremonies.

According to DU, Kwan finished her studies mid-year but will be collecting her diploma this Saturday. Like many other colleges, the school has only one commencement ceremony per year. The University’s Undergraduate Commencement is scheduled for June 6, 2009, at 10 a.m.

Congratulations Michelle!

Wishing you continued success and lots of exciting opportunities in your future. If you run for president some day, I’ll vote for you.

Washington edges Florida to claim first NCAA softball title

Wow! What a dramatic series. I’ve been glued to the TV the last week watching some of the best college softball players in the country battle it out for the crown.

Last night, Kimi Pohlman raced home, giving Washington the decisive run in a 3-2 victory for its first NCAA softball championship.

Washington (51-12) kept the championship in the Pac-10 by keeping Florida from bringing the Southeastern Conference its first title. The Pac-10 has won 21 of the 27 Women’s College World Series titles, with Arizona State and Washington joining powerhouses UCLA (11 championships) and Arizona (eight) the past two years.

Huskies players tossed their gloves into the air and gathered in a huddle near home plate after Lawrie struck out Ali Gardiner to end the game. (The same Gardiner who hit a walk-off grand slam allowing the Gators to get into the final). The huddle of players soon fell over onto the ground after being handed the NCAA championship trophy.

Women’s College World Series: As good as it gets

The Women’s College World Series has been so full of great softball this year. If you haven’t been watching, you’re seriously missing out. So far the series has been a dazzling display of drama. A walk off grand-slam by a Florida senior who was 0-9 for the series to oust Alabama may have been the highlight.

If you didn’t catch it, let’s recap: With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Alabama held a 5-2 lead over top-seeded Florida. But with one swing of the bat, Ali Gardiner unloaded the bases for a walk-off grand slam, sending the Gators into the WCWS finals.

The Washington v. Georgia semi-final series was no less exciting. Despite two home runs and a WCWS record seven RBI from freshman Niki Williams, the Washington Huskies fell to Georgia, 9-8, in a wild World Series game Sunday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

The win by Georgia, which was facing elimination, forced a deciding game with Washington advancing to the championship series which starts tonight at 8:00 CT (ESPN).

Leading up to the finals, there were lots of memorable moments. Take Georgia’s relief pitcher Taylor Schlopy who homered twice in consecutive at-bats to help the team beat Michigan.  And how about UW pitcher Danielle Lawrie who threw a five-hitter and helped her team out on offense with a Grand Slam in the semis?

Now fighting for the championship are the Washington Huskies and the Florida Gators. Neither program has ever won a WCWS title, so it’ll be a first for either program.

The No. 1 ranked Gators have just three loses all season. The odds were completely against Alabama in the semi-final when they were faced with the challenge of having to beat them twice in one day to get into the championship. Having only dropped three games all season, it was highly unlikely that they were going to lose two in one day.

Last week, the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA)  announced the selection of  Washington’s Lawrie  as the recipient of the 8th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The Pac-10 leader in wins, ERA, strikeouts and shutouts, Washington’s Lawrie is also among the nation’s top three in all four categories.

Lawrie, a British Columbia native, is an international veteran having spent a year with the Canadian national team.  In the WCWS, she’ll square off against Stacey Nelson. Nelson confounds hitters with an array of pitches and leaves them guessing at which they can hit and which will result in little more than weak pop outs or ground outs.

Tune in tonight and stay on top of the complete schedule and results with the following links.

• 2009 bracket
• 2009 schedule and results
• NCAA tourney coverage

Pomp and Circumstance: Athletes Graduate

It’s that time of year. All across the country,  graduations are taking place.  But when they play “Pomp and Circumstance” and call the roll, there will be a number of no-shows at many of these graduation ceremonies.

Why miss graduation? Well, for student-athletes it can be a busy time of year. Some are participating in post-season play and others are transitioning into their professional careers.

Former Oklahoma women’s basketball stars Courtney and Ashley Paris are two who will not be donning a cap and gown this year. OU’s ceremony is Saturday and the sisters are due to start WNBA training camps on Sunday.

With the camps on the West Coast the two don’t want to travel so soon before practice starts. Courtney was a first-round draft pick of the Sacramento Monarchs and Ashley was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Courtney says she’s not happy about missing the graduation ceremony but the decision is best because of the short amount of time involved.

Other student-athletes are faced with similar dilemmas. Four University of Houston-Victoria softball players are choosing their jerseys over a cap and gown.

Sam Campagna, Lauren Garza, Lindsey Ferguson and Kristen Lindley will graduate on Saturday, but instead of attending their graduation, they’ll be playing in the NAIA National Softball Tournament in Decatur, Ala.

Similarly, there will be four no-shows at Mesa State College’s graduation. Seniors Meagan Hennessy, Jamie Prather, Kristen Silva and Jessica Rayman will be celebrating graduation on the diamond, preparing to play the second game of the NCAA Division II Super Regional 3 tournament, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Duke University’s official graduation ceremony was held last Sunday inside Wallace Wade Stadium, but seniors on the women’s lacrosse team were hosting the opening round of the NCAA Tournament (defeating Virginia 15-13 in overtime).  Luckily, Duke holds a special graduation ceremony for student athletes unable to attend the main graduation.

Former LSU women’s basketball standout Sylvia Fowles will return to campus to graduate this week, according to the Athletics Department. The former Olympic gold medalist, All-American, NCAA Defensive Player of the Year, Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, WNBA first-round draft pick and All-Rookie Team member, EuroLeague Center of the Year, who was two credits shy of graduation when she left school,  said the degree will be a crowning achievement on an already illustrious career.

So which schools do the best job of graduating female athletes? In general, female athletes graduate at a much higher rate than their male counterparts.

With this summer’s graduations of two former basketball players, Georgia coach Andy Landers’ 30-year streak is intact. Fifty-three of his 54 four-year letter winners will have graduated by August; the 54th will wrap up after a one-year internship ends in May 2010.

Lady Hardmon Grooms,  who played at Georgia from 1988-1992, wasn’t exactly on the college graduation fast track. But in August, after this summer’s internship, the former UGA basketball player will finish her long pursuit.

And 12 years after shedding her UGA uniform for those of professional teams around the world, Kedra Holland-Corn will finally get to wear her cap and gown.

Slow and steady, fast and furious, it doesn’t matter. UGA women are unbeaten in their graduation record.

The UConn Husky women’s basketball team also has a pretty good record. Just last month, the National Champions were recognized by the NCAA for top academic performance as a team.  And over the course of 24 seasons, Coach Geno Auriemma’s players have had a 100-percent graduation rate. Renee Montgomery, recently drafted by the Minnesota Lynx,  is among this year’s graduating seniors.  She became the first Husky to have her jersey retired before graduation.

Earlier this month the NCAA released its annual grades known as ”Academic Progress Rates,” a rolling four year measure of Division I athletes’ basic progress toward graduation.

APR scores are calculated by a point system that measures each athlete’s eligibility, retention and graduation in school. For falling below the 925 standard, programs can suffer immediate penalties ranging from loss of scholarships and practice time to a ban on postseason play.

Among the squads with a perfect APR score were Penn State’s women’s field hockey lacrosse, and tennis  teams. Only 7.2 percent of the nation’s 6,323 teams in the survey earned a four-year APR score of 1,000.

Congratulations to the Penn State women’s teams and good luck to all the graduates, even if you go pro in something other than sports!

NCAA rules: summer & vacation jobs

If you plan on getting a summer job, then be sure you know the NCAA Regulations regarding prospective student-athlete employment.

Listed below is some important information that all current and prospective student-athletes, alumni, athletics representatives, and fans should know.

For example, if you plan on getting a job (summer or otherwise) then you should know the NCAA Regulations regarding prospective student-athlete employment.The org has strict rules about the amount and source of employment income a student-athlete may receive during the academic year so read carefully.

Division 1
Non-athletics award winners

A college’s athletic department can hire you as long as the college did not award you an athletic scholarship or recruit you. However, you cannot start the job until you’ve completed your senior year of high school. To apply for the job, you must use the college’s regular employment procedures, such as a bulletin board listing or newspaper ad; and if you’re hired, you can be paid only at the job’s going rate for the actual work you do.

Athletics award winners

If you’re an athletics award winner, any department outside of intercollegiate athletics can hire you. One exception: you can be hired for college recreation programs only if intercollegiate coaches are not involved in hiring or supervising employees. Your employment must be arranged through the college’s normal employment procedures and cannot involve any members of the coaching staff. You must be compensated at the job’s going wage and for the actual work you do.

Employment at a sports camp or clinic

Schools recruiting you cannot hire you to work at their sports camps or clinics.

Division 2

Once you’ve started your ninth grade classes, a college cannot hire you to work at their sports camps or clinics. However, you can be hired once you complete your senior year of high school.

Division 3

Once you’ve started your ninth grade classes, a college cannot hire you to work at their sports camps or clinics. However, if you’ve graduated from high school and intend to enroll at a D-3 college, you can work at their sports camps or clinics, after you’ve accepted the school’s offer of admission.

Division 1, 2 and 3
Transportation to a summer job

A college cannot provide you with free transportation to and from a summer job, unless the college’s established policy is that all employees receive transportation.

Concessions

It’s against NCAA policy for a college to arrange for you to work at a concession to sell items associated with their camp.

Other

You may also be required to fill out a form stating whether a representative of the University’s athletic interests, such as alumni, fan or staff member, assisted you in securing employment. Be careful here – this could mean anyone who made any type of contribution to the Department of Athletics and Recreational Sports or booster club. If there’s ever a question, check with the Athletic Compliance Office.

Did You Know?

The NCAA stipulates that once a person becomes an “athletics representative” they are one forever, even if no longer contributing to or involved in the athletics programs. (13.02.12)

UConn women’s basketball champions visit White House

The benefits of being the best. Win a national championship and you, too, could go to the White House.

A championship ceremony at the White House is standard for many national sports teams. But shooting hoops with the president, now that’s something else entirely.

Moments after today’s event in front of the White House’s South Portico, President Barack Obama hustled the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team over to the outdoor half-court.

The president, a former high school player and avid fan who still plays pickup games, prevailed in a brief, impromptu game of P-I-G with a few of the players.

“He was pretty good from 17 feet,” said coach Geno Auriemma. “His shot’s a little unorthodox, but it goes in … He’s got a little bit of that swagger.”

Renee Montgomery, a senior guard, said Obama only missed one shot and that he sank a final fade-away shot from off the court.

After about 10 minutes, Obama walked back to the White House with his sleeves rolled up and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder.

Connecticut dominated women’s college basketball this season, going 39-0 and beating opponents by an average of better than 30 points. They capped the season earlier this month in St. Louis with a 76-54 victory over Louisville. It was Connecticut’s sixth national college championship and third perfect season.

The team gave Obama a basketball signed by the players and a Connecticut jersey emblazoned with “1″ and his name on the back.

“Number One — that’s what I’m talking about,” Obama joked. “I will wear it when I’m playing.”

The Commander in Chief also commended the young women for their off court excellence as well.  Maya Moore was chosen an academic All-American — an outgrowth of perhaps the program’s most impressive statistic, the NCAA recognized the top academic performance of the team which has enjoyed a 100% graduation rate in Auriemma’s 24 seasons.

Obama said that as the father of two young daughters, he especially appreciates the success of female athletes like the Connecticut team.

“My girls look at the TV when I’m watching ‘SportsCenter’ and they see women staring back,” Obama said of the ESPN program, a personal favorite. “That shows them that they can be champions, too.”

Gobama!

Coach Auriemma has a good chance of returning to the White House, along with some of the players from his teams. He has been named coach of Team USA and will be coaching the U.S. team in the 2012 Olympics.

So what about UConn?  Will the women’s team be back in Washington next year? Well, there’s a very good chance. The team lost just one key player, Renee Montgomery, and they have a top recruit coming in so beating them next year will be pretty tough!

Georgia Top Dawgs!

It was a perfect start and finish for Courtney Kupets, and a perfect ending to Suzanne Yoculan’s 26-year career at Georgia.The Gym Dogs sent out their retiring coach with a fifth straight national title and record 10th overall at the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Friday night.

“It really is a magical team that has so much fortitude and just love for the sport and passion, and they never quit,” Yoculan said. “I feel blessed, and I actually lived it every day being around them, and that’s the thing I’m going to miss the most.”

The Gym Dogs also are going to miss Kupets. The senior from Athens, Ga., who won her third all-around title in four years on Thursday, opened the evening with a 10 on the uneven bars and wrapped up her collegiate career with a 10 on the vault.

As Kupets stuck her final landing, Yoculan pumped her fist, let out a “Yes,” and raced to embrace the woman Alabama coach Sarah Patterson calls the “queen of college gymnastics.”

Tiffany Tolnay, a star in her own right who was overshadowed by Kupets here, followed with a 9.95 to give Georgia a season-high 49.625 in the event.

Georgia finished with a four-event score of 197.825, its second highest of the year and better than the 197.450 it posted at last year’s national meet. Alabama, which upset Georgia at the Southeastern Conference meet, was runner-up with a season-high 197.575.

“I told the ladies to go out there and have their best performance and if there is a better team out there, make them beat you,” Patterson said. “That’s exactly what we did. It’s just that Georgia was on.”

Utah, second the last three years, was third with 197.425. Florida (196.725), Arkansas (196.475) and LSU (196.375) followed as the SEC sent five of its seven gymnastics programs to the Super Six, an unprecedented feat for a conference.

Kupets, a 2004 Olympic medalist and the SEC Gymnast of the Year, recorded 10s seven times this season, with three of them coming in her last five events. She finished Thursday’s preliminary with a perfect score on the balance beam.

“Even if you didn’t know the score, you could feel the pressure and you had to go all-out,” she said. “That’s what I did, and it paid off.”

The Gym Dogs got off to a rough start Friday when leadoff gymnast Marcia Newby fell off the uneven bars and posted a 9.45. Newby ran back to her teammates saying, “Sorry, sorry, sorry.” Her mistake was all but forgotten a few minutes later.

After Kupets’ stuck her landing, her teammates and the Gym Dogs’ pom-pon-waving fans raised their hands, fingers pointed skyward, and chanted “10-10-10,” imploring the judges to reward her flawless routine. When the 10s went up, the fans started “woofing” in celebration.

If there was a lull in the Gym Dogs’ performance, it came on the beam. But they finished the event strong, with Kupets posting a 9.95 and Courtney McCool a 9.9.

“Just incredible fight, from the mistake on the first event and the kind of pressure we felt,” Yoculan said. “We battled back on the uneven bars. The balance beam — shaky, shaky, shaky and more shaky. A lot of people might have lost confidence in us after that, but this team never doubted themselves.”

The Gym Dogs exploded in the floor exercise, with no Gym Dog scoring lower than 9.9. Kupets — who else? — led the way with a 9.95.

After Georgia’s big finish on the vault, Alabama went into its final event, the floor, needing to score 49.75 to tie the Gym Dogs. The Tide scored 49.5.

“There was something special in the air when we went to floor and vault,” Yoculan said. “When Abby [Stack] started us with a 9.9 on floor, I knew that was it. It felt like it was going to be our meet at that point.”

So did Tolnay.

“Abby started us off on floor, and that builds momentum the next two rotations,” she said. “It was hit after hit after hit.”

Yoculan announced last year that this would be her last season in coaching. Though the gymnasts didn’t dwell on her pending retirement, Grace Taylor said she and her teammates were driven to give her the ultimate going-away present.

“We all wanted to send Suzanne back with something to remember,” Taylor said. “It was an amazing championship. It couldn’t get better than this. It was beautiful, and we’re so honored that we got to be part of this last year for her.”

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press)

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