It was a rare Sunday afternoon meet in Stegeman Coliseum, and the #9 Georgia GymDogs made it memorable, narrowly defeating the 10th ranked Kentucky Wildcats with a team score of 197.200 to 197.150.
The victory was particularly meaningful for the GymDogs, as it marked their fourth consecutive home win—a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2017. This milestone underscores the Red and Black’s growing confidence and consistent performance throughout the season.
The beam rotation again emerged as a highlight of the competition. The ‘Dawgs delivered an impressive 49.475 score, which stands as their second-highest beam effort this season, just a fraction behind their previous top score of 49.550 set during last week’s meet at Missouri. Sophomore Lily Smith was once again instrumental in this success, tying her career-high with a phenomenal 9.950 score to secure the event title. Junior Ja’ Free Scott also had quite an evening on the beam, matching her personal best with a 9.900 score and finishing tied for third place.
Holly Snyder made her mark on the uneven bars, earning a stellar 9.925 score that not only helped her share the event title but also set a new season-best (and tied her career-best) performance.
The floor exercise again proved friendly for the GymDogs. Freshman Nyla Aquino and Lily Smith both achieved impressive 9.925 scores, finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the event. Smith’s performance in the final, anchor spot was particularly crucial, as her floor routine ultimately helped clinch the team victory. The team’s total floor score of 49.450 matched their season-best.
Perhaps most impressive is that the Red and Black again found themselves heading to the final rotation needing a consistent, top shelf performance across the lineup and got just that. This squad is putting up new personal and season-best scores weekly and winning close meets against elite competition, something we have not always been able to say about the GymDogs in recent years.
Looking ahead, the Classic City Canines are set to travel to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers on Friday, March 7, at 8:00 p.m. ET. The meet will be streamed on SECN+, giving fans an opportunity to witness what promises to be another exciting competition. Until later…
Go ‘Dawgs!!!