Florida Gators
NCAA Individual Event Finals
Florida's Thompson Competes in NCAA Floor Final
Sunday, April 22, 2001 | Gymnastics
University of Florida junior Hilary Thompson took 13th Saturday in the NCAA Floor Exercise final with a mark of 9.338. The NCAA Individual Event Finals, contested Saturday in front of a Stegeman Coliseum crowd of 5,526, completed the three-day NCAA Gymnastics Championships event held at the University of Georgia. UCLA senior Mohini Bhardwaj claimed the floor title with a mark of 9.963.
A fall on the final tumbling pass of an otherwise strong floor routine affected her final mark. It was only the second fall Thompson had recorded on the floor exercise during her collegiate career. She posted the Gator season-high mark of 9.975 for floor on March 2.
"I wish I could get a re-do," Thompson said with a smile. "I don't know what happened. It was an awesome routine right up to the last pass. It wasn't like I didn't have enough energy at the end, but I guess it didn't go the right way tonight. I felt like it was one of my best routines of the year. But it's okay – I'm over it already. I will have something to work for next year."
"It was a great routine other than the end," UF Head Coach Judi Markell said. "That fall was very uncharacteristic of Hilary. The rest of the routine was great – one of the best of the season."
Other event winners Saturday evening included Georgia freshman Cory Fritzinger claiming the vault title with an average of 9.8810. Competition for the NCAA Individual Vault Final differs than the regular season format where the gymnasts are required to compete only one vault. In the NCAA Vault Final, the qualifying gymnasts are required to compete two different vaults and the average of the two scores are used to rank the gymnasts. Utah's Theresa Kulikowski, who shared the balance beam title as a freshman in 1999, claimed sole possession of the crown with her beam mark of 9.938. UCLA's Yvonne Tousek was the uneven bars winner with her score of 9.9375.
All gymnasts that competed in Saturday's event finals were named to the All-America first team. This was Thompson's first All-America honor of her career. Florida freshman Kara Waterhouse also earned a spot on the All-America second team for the all-around and balance beam based on her finishes in Thursday's team qualifying competition.
NCAA Individual Event Finals
April 21, 2001
Stegeman Coliseum
Athens, Ga.
| Vault | |||||
| Place | Name | School | Vault 1 | Vault 2 | Average |
| 1 | Cory Fritzinger | Georgia | 9.887 | 9.875 | 9.8810 |
| 2 | Katrina Severin | Oregon State | 9.925 | 9.812 | 9.8685 |
| 3 | Janessa Grieco | Michigan | 9.85 | 9.862 | 9.8565 |
| 4 | Kristin Parker | UCLA | 9.825 | 9.838 | 9.8315 |
| 5 | Marline Stephens | Georgia | 9.85 | 9.75 | 9.8000 |
| 6 | Lara Degenhardt | Oregon State | 9.75 | 9.80 | 9.7750 |
| 7 | Suzanne Sears | Georgia | 9.662 | 9.75 | 9.7060 |
| 8 | Gina Bruce | Nebraska | 9.85 | 9.438 | 9.6440 |
| 9 | Karina Senior | Michigan | 9.213 | 9.713 | 9.4630 |
| Uneven Bars | |||
| Place | Name | School | Score |
| 1 | Yvonne Tousek | UCLA | 9.938 |
| 2 | Onnie Willis | UCLA | 9.912 |
| 3 | Elise Ray | Michigan | 9.900 |
| 3 | Theresa Kulikowski | Utah | 9.900 |
| 5 | Mohini Bhardwaj | UCLA | 9.887 |
| 6 | Tami Harris | Nebraska | 9.850 |
| 6 | Alecia Ingram | Nebraska | 9.850 |
| 6 | Doni Thompson | UCLA | 9.850 |
| 6 | Natalie Barrington | Alabama | 9.850 |
| 10 | Jamie Dantzscher | UCLA | 9.787 |
| 11 | Kathleen Shrieves | Georgia | 2.000 |
| Balance Beam | |||
| Place | Name | School | Score |
| 1 | Theresa Kulikowski | Utah | 9.938 |
| 2 | Lindsay Wing | Stanford | 9.925 |
| 3 | Kristen Maloney | UCLA | 9.900 |
| 3 | Melissa Vituj | Utah | 9.900 |
| 5 | Kristin Sterner | Alabama | 9.863 |
| 6 | Elise Ray | Michigan | 9.838 |
| 6 | Lissy Smith | Alabama | 9.838 |
| 6 | Theresa Wolf | Utah | 9.838 |
| 9 | Cory Fritzinger | Georgia | 9.812 |
| 10 | Yvonne Tousek | UCLA | 9.750 |
| 11 | Onnie Willis | UCLA | 9.688 |
| 12 | Shannon Bowles | Utah | 9.262 |
| Floor Exercise | |||
| Place | Name | School | Score |
| 1 | Mohini Bhardwaj | UCLA | 9.963 |
| 2 | Jamie Dantzscher | UCLA | 9.950 |
| 3 | Suzanne Sears | Georgia | 9.925 |
| 4 | Jill Fisher | Maryland | 9.912 |
| 5 | Onnie Willis | UCLA | 9.900 |
| 6 | Jeana Rice | Alabama | 9.887 |
| 6 | Nicki Arnstad | Louisiana State | 9.887 |
| 8 | Elise Ray | Michigan | 9.863 |
| 8 | Marline Stephens | Georgia | 9.863 |
| 8 | Melissa Vituj | Utah | 9.863 |
| 11 | Lise Leveille | Stanford | 9.850 |
| 12 | Cory Fritzinger | Georgia | 9.375 |
| 13 | Hilary Thompson | Florida | 9.338 |
