Balance Beam Key To Gym Dogs' Climb

Just two meets into the season, Georgia has jumped in the national rankings with its high marks on the most concentration-driven event. The Gym Dogs’ consistently high scores on the balance beam have been a strength so far this season, cracking the 49-point plateau in both meets this year. “Balance beam, you’d think it’s about balance, but it’s not,” Georgia junior Christa Tanella said. No. 6-ranked Georgia, which started the season ranked ninth, travels to No. 20 Auburn for an 8 p.m. It is the Gym Dogs’ second straight road trip after going to defending national champion Alabama last week. “There’s no secret to beam except for hard work and putting in enough numbers to have the confidence you can do it,” Georgia junior Shayla Worley said. “That’s one of the events where confidence is most important. As a team, we’re more mature and more experienced in our thinking on every event.

Georgia has averaged 49.125 on beam in its first two meets, which ranks third in the nation. Worley is ranked second in the nation individually at 9.913. She has the single-highest beam score in the nation with a 9.95 at Alabama last weekend. “Beam is probably where we have the most competitive situation in the gym,” Georgia coach Jay Clark said. “It sort of emerged as an event where we have real depth and not just bodies over there. We have people who can push the others to get better. It’s a competitive situation and that makes the difference. Worley and Tanella have been two of the top performers on the event after being two of the most inconsistent last season. Tanella has hit 9.85 and 9.8 in the first two meets. Worley has recorded scores of 9.875 and 9.95 in the first two weeks. “The performances have been very consistent so far,” Clark said.

“Shayla’s not a surprise to me. She’s performed like that all fall and she’s shown the capability to do that the whole time she’s been here. With Christa, we’ve had to work very hard to get her to show any kind of consistency in the gym. Georgia has not only posted consistent scores, but it’s avoided major mistakes. No Gym Dog has fallen off of the beam in competition and they have scored exactly 49.125 in both meets. “The balance beam is probably the most mentally challenging event we do,” Tanella said. “You’ve only got four inches of beam. Things can mess with your head if everything’s not right. But if we can just get our head right and continue to have the confidence that we can do it, we’ll have a very strong beam team at the end. Georgia performed well on the beam in probably the most hostile environment it will face all season — Tuscaloosa, Ala. In the final rotation of the night, the Gym Dogs produced big scores and nearly rallied to steal the meet from the Crimson Tide.

Georgia counted 9.8s from Noel Couch, freshman Sarah Persinger and Tanella, along with a 9.775 from Kat Ding and the 9.95 from Worley. The Gym Dogs finished just 0.15 points behind the Crimson Tide. “Before the meet, we were talking amongst ourselves saying, ‘Who cares what colors these people are wearing, There’s 13,000 people out there watching us compete,’ ” Worley said. “I love being out in front of a crowd. I don’t care what color shirt they’re wearing. I just like to kind of show off in front of people. WHERE: Auburn Arena, Auburn Ala. SEASON AT A GLANCE: Georgia has averaged 196.425 in its first two meets and scored 196.325 last week at Alabama . Auburn opened the season by finishing third at the Cancun Classic and lost last week at LSU. Petrina Yokay won the all-around title at the Cancun Classic. Georgia — Shayla Worley hit a career-high 9.95 on beam last week which is the highest score in the country so far this season. Cat Hires hit a career-high 9.9 on vault at Alabama last week. NOTEWORTHY: Noel Couch has competed in all-around 16 straight meets. She has been Georgia ’s only all-around competitor in both meets so far this season. Georgia ’s 196.325 was the second-highest road score in the nation last week, trailing UCLA’s 196.675 score at California . Auburn Arena opened in fall, 2010 and Georgia has never competed there. Georgia has scored at least 49.0 or higher on vault, bars and beam in the first two meets of the season for the first time in program history. Auburn finished two places ahead of LSU at the Cancun Classic but lost in their dual a week later. Auburn senior Leah Vining is from Woodstock . Georgia ’s Shayla Worley and Auburn ’s Abbey Habicht both trained at Orlando, Fla., Metro.

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