Redemption complete -- Kept out of last year's Super Six by a tiebreaker that favored Utah, UCLA overpowered the Utes with a display of consistency during both teams's season opener Satruday night in Los Angeles. Here's that rundown and a look at Saturday's other results:
Arkansas vs. Arizona @ Arkansas: Arkansas 195.4, Arizona 192.65. Jaime Pisani, Casey Jo Magee and Sarah Nagashima swept the top three places in the all-around and each captured an individual event title as Arkansas cruised to victory over Arizona. Magee won vault (9.775), senior Amy DeFilippo bars (9.9), Nagashima beam (9.85) and Magee and all-around winner Pisani shared the floor title (9.85). Next week, Arkansas will attempt to best Florida, a team that lost to Oklahoma its season opener last night. (ArkansasRazorbacks.com)
Bowling Green State vs. Michigan and Iowa @ Michigan: Michigan 194.875, Iowa 193.2, Bowling Green State 189.925. Junior Kylee Botterman won the all-around (39.15) and uneven bars (9.9) while freshman Natalie Bielstein captured the titles on vault (9.875) and floor exercise (9.85). Iowa's Houry Gebeshian won beam (9.85). (MGoBlue.com)
UCLA vs. Utah @ UCLA: UCLA 196.6, Utah 195.125. UCLA must be thrilled to break 196 right out of the box, but more impressive is that the Bruins did not record a fall in all 24 routines performed. 2008 Canadian Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs won the all-around (39.375), followed by senior Anna Li (39.325). Sophomore Vanessa Zamarripa won vault (9.925) and tied Hopfner-Hibbs for the beam title (9.875), while Li won bars (9.95), and Hopfner-Hibbs took first on floor (9.925). Utah's Kyndal Robarts was the top all-arounder on a shaky Ute team that recorded several falls. The Utes, grown accustomed to relying on Ashley Postell, Kristina Baskett and Nina Kim to deliver clutch performances during the past few years, are now without their biggest stars. Obviously, the adjustment is going to take some time. (UCLABruins.com)
Georgia vs. Stanford @ Georgia: Georgia 195.15, Stanford 195.05. The Gym Dogs effectuated a victory in their season opener against Stanford, though the Cardinal took it down to the wire with them and the win was not sealed until Courtney McCool delivered a 9.925 on floor. "It took 10,000 people and our entire team to help me do that routine," McCool said after the meet. The difference between Utah and Georgia is that although the Gym Dogs are without their strongest performer from last year, Georgia still has two gymnasts who have won individual NCAA titles in McCool and Grace Taylor (though Taylor scored only a 9.150 on floor tonight.) Georgia's big recruit Shayla Worley made a lackluster collegiate debut, scoring 9.45 on bars, 9.825 on beam and a 9.1 on floor. Stanford senior Carly Janiga won the all-around (39.3), followed by Georgia's Cassidy McComb (38.675). But the individual titles were all Georgia -- senior Marcia Newby won vault (9.9), Gina Nuccio won bars (9.85), Taylor won beam (9.9) and McCool took the floor title.
In Georgia's defense, it is worth noting that the Gym Dogs did not have a stellar season opener in 2009 either, scoring 195.425 against West Virginia in what then-coach Suzanne Yoculan described as "an embarrassing competition." Georgia of course went on to win the 2009 NCAA Championship. (Georgiadogs.com)
Minnesota vs. Denver @ Minnesota: Denver 195.575, Minnesota 193.375. Minnesota senior Alexis Russell, the only Gopher to compete on all four events, won the all-around and also had the high score on bars (9.875). Denver's Kelly Hannigan won vault (9.85), trailed by 2008 Olympian Sasha Artemev's wife Brianna Springer, now competing as Brianna Artemev (9.825). DU's Ellen McCarthy and Lauren Garan tied for the highest score on beam (9.85). Minnesota freshman Janell Campbell scored 9.9 to win floor. (GopherSports.com)
New Hampshire vs. Rutgers @ Rutgers: New Hampshire, 189.725, Rutgers 188.925. UH pulled out a win despite having to count a 7.65 on bars and captured the top three places on every event except floor exercise. Rutgers's Laura Severino and Jenna Zito shared the all-around title (37.8). (UNHWildcats.com)
S.E. Missouri vs. Illinois-Chicago @ Illinois-Chicago: S.E. Missouri 190.275, Illinois-Chicago 186.4. S.E. Missouri's Rikara Turner and freshman Jordan Salsberg went 1-2 in the all-around. (GoSoutheast.com
Texas Woman's vs. Kentucky @ Kentucky: Kentucky 194.850, Texas Woman's 187.250. Kentucky swept all events and junior Andrea Mitchell won the all-around (38.8). Kentucky will be at the Lady Luck Invitational next Friday, facing off against LSU and Arizona State. (UKAthletics.com)
Here's a look at what's happening Sunday night:
Jan. 10:
Ball State University vs. Western Michigan @ Western Michigan
UC Davis vs. Cal State Fullerton, San Jose State and Wisconsin-Whitewater @ UC Davis
Central Michigan vs. Illinois State @ Illinois State
Wisconsin-Lacrosse vs. Northern Illinois @ Northern Illinois
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