Georgia’s Courtney Kupets
© Scott Bruhn, Nebraska Media Relations

LINCOLN, Neb., April 16, 2009 – 2004 Olympic team silver-medalist Courtney Kupets, a senior at the University of Georgia, won her third career NCAA all-around title at the 2009 National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships at the University of Nebraska’s Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb. Six teams, the top three from each of today’s prelim sessions, advanced to the Super Six (team) finals on April 17 at 6 p.m. CT. The NCAA Championships conclude with the individual event finals on April 18 at 6 p.m. CT. Fans can watch live streaming of the NCAA Championships at www.ncaa.com.

Georgia (197.450), the University of Florida (196.375) and Louisiana State University (196.325) advanced to the Super Six finals from the first session, with the University of Alabama (197.025), University of Arkansas (196.950) and the University of Utah (196.625) qualifying from the second session. Utah and UCLA and both posted scores of 196.625, but Utah was awarded the final spot in the Super Six finals due to a tiebreaker.

Kupets earned a score of 39.800 to win her third NCAA all-around crown in as many tries. She won the all-around in 2006-07, but missed the 2008 NCAA Championships with a torn Achilles tendon. She qualified for all four individual event finals with a 10.0 on balance beam, a 9.950 on both uneven bars and floor exercise, and a 9.900 on vault.

Utah’s Kristina Baskett finished second in the all-around with a 39.600, followed by UCLA’s Vanessa Zamarripa in third at 39.575. Baskett qualified for the event finals on vault, uneven bars and balance beam, with Zamarripa advancing on vault, balance beam and floor exercise.

The top four individuals, plus ties, on each event in each prelim session qualified for the individual event finals. A complete list of qualifiers is below.

Tickets are available by phone at 1-800-8BIGRED (1-800-824-4733) or 402-472-3111, or online at www.huskers.com. Single-session tickets are $12 per adult for reserved seating, $9 per adult for general admission for Friday’s Super Six finals and $10 per adult for general admission for Saturday’s individual event finals. Single-session tickets are $5 for youth/senior citizen, and admission is free for children younger than 2 years old.

2009 National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships
University of Nebraska
Bob Devaney Sports Center
Lincoln, Neb.

Day one of three

All-around finals (top 10 only)
1. Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia, 39.800
2. Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, 39.600
3. Vanessa Zamarripa, University of California – Los Angeles, 39.575
4. Michelle Stout, University of Arkansas, 39.525
4. Ariana Berlin, University of California – Los Angeles, 39.525
6. Tiffany Tolnay, University of Georgia, 39.500
7. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, University of California – Los Angeles, 39.475
8. Ricki Lebegern, University of Alabama, 39.450
8. Ashley Priess, University of Alabama, 39.450
8. Maranda Smith, University of Florida, 39.450

Session 1

    Team prelims (top three advance)
    1. University of Georgia, 197.45
    2. University of Florida, 196.375
    3. Louisiana State University, 196.30
    4. Stanford University, 196.225
    5. Pennsylvania State University, 196.10
    5. University of Oklahoma, 195.825

    Vault qualifiers
    1. Susan Jackson, Louisiana State University, 9.95
    1. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Louisiana State University, 9.95
    3. Tiffany Tolnay, University of Georgia, 9.925
    4. Maranda Smith, University of Florida, 9.90
    4. Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia, 9.90
    4. Staci Schwitkis, Louisiana State University, 9.90
    4. Whitney Bencsko, Pennsylvania State University, 9.90
    4. Jessica Lopez, Denver University, 9.90
    4. Sarah Shire, University of Missouri, 9.90

    Uneven bars qualifiers
    1. Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia, 9.95
    2. Grace Taylor, University of Georgia, 9.90
    2. Carly Janiga, Stanford University, 9.90
    4. Melanie Sinclair, University of Florida, 9.875
    4. Alicia Goodwin, University of Florida, 9.875
    4. Kathryn Ding, University of Georgia, 9.875
    4. Summer Hubbard, Louisiana State University, 9.875
    4. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Louisiana State University, 9.875
    4. Alexandra Brockway, Pennsylvania State University, 9.875
    4. Nicole Ourada, Stanford University, 9.875

    Balance beam qualifiers
    1. Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia, 10.0
    2. Grace Taylor, University of Georgia, 9.95
    2. Courtney McCool, University of Georgia, 9.95
    4. Megan Ferguson, University of Oklahoma, 9.90

    Floor exercise qualifiers
    1. Courtney Kupets, University of Georgia, 9.95
    2. Tiffany Tolnay, University of Georgia, 9.90
    2. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Louisiana State University, 9.90
    4. Corey Hartung, University of Florida, 9.875
    4. Brandi Personett, Pennsylvania State University, 9.875

Session 2

    Team prelims (top three advance)
    1. University of Alabama, 197.025
    2. University of Arkansas, 196.950
    3. University of Utah, 196.625
    3. University of California – Los Angeles, 196.625
    5. Oregon State University, 195.350
    6. University of Illinois, 195.050

    Vault qualifiers
    1. Michelle Stout, University of Arkansas, 9.975
    2. Mandi Rodriguez, Oregon State University, 9.950
    2. Vanessa Zamarripa, University of California – Los Angeles, 9.950
    2. Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, 9.950

    Uneven bars qualifiers
    1. Ashley Priess, University of Alabama, 9.900
    1. Ariana Berlin, University of California – Los Angeles, 9.900
    1. Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, 9.900
    4. Morgan Dennis, University of Alabama, 9.875
    4. Michelle Stout, University of Arkansas, 9.875
    4. Elise Wheeler, Southern Utah University, 9.875

    Balance beam qualifiers
    1. Ricki Lebegern, University of Alabama, 9.900
    1. Ashley Priess, University of Alabama, 9.900
    1. Alex LaChance, University of Arkansas, 9.900
    1. Sarah Nagashima, University of Arkansas, 9.900
    1. Melissa Fernandez, University of Illinois, 9.900
    1. Vanessa Zamarripa, University of California – Los Angeles, 9.900
    1. Kristina Baskett, University of Utah, 9.900
    1. Elise Wheeler, Southern Utah University, 9.900

    Floor exercise qualifiers
    1. Daria Bijak, University of Utah, 9.900
    2. Mandi Rodriguez, Oregon State Unviersity, 9.875
    2. Vanessa Zamarripa, University of California – Los Angeles, 9.875
    2. Brittani McCullough, University of California – Los Angeles, 9.875
    2. Kylee Botterman, University of Michigan, 9.875