LINCOLN, Neb. — 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 consecutive national title and record 10th overall at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships on Friday night.
Kupets, who won her third all-around title in four years 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, easily beating the 197.450 it posted at last year’s national meet. Alabama, which upset Georgia at the Southeastern Conference meet, was runner-up with 197.575. Utah, national runner-up 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.
Sanderson takes job at Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Cael Sanderson was to coach wrestling at Penn State after three successful seasons at Iowa State.
The Cyclones won Big 12 titles all three years under Sanderson and finished in the top five in each of the last three NCAA championships.
Sanderson, 29, is an Olympic gold medalist and four-time NCAA champion.
Penn State slipped to 17th at nationals this season under Troy Sunderland after a third-place finish in 2008.
Sunderland resigned two weeks ago after 11 seasons at the helm at his alma mater.
Footnotes.
Arkansas junior forward Michael Washington, who averaged 15.5 points per game this season and led the SEC in rebounds at 9.8, made himself available for the NBA draft without signing with an agent.
• Nevada freshman Ahyaro Phillips has been dismissed from the basketball team after his second arrest in a year, this time for having a handgun on school property. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds this season.
