Florida Gators
NCAA Individual Event Finals
Four UF Gymnasts Compete in NCAA Event Finals
Sunday, April 18, 2004 | Gymnastics
University of Florida junior Erinn Dooley tied for fourth overall in the NCAA vault competition to lead the Gator event finalists Saturday evening in front of a Pauley Pavilion crowd of 4,373. A total of four Gators competed Saturday evening, with two appearing in the vault final and three in the balance beam final.
Dooley shared fourth in the final vault standings with LSU's April Burkholder with a two-vault average of 9.875. UF freshman Chantelle Tousek also received a NCAA plaque with her eighth place vault finish at 9.7483. The NCAA vault finals differ from the format that was used during the regular season. Instead of one vault, the gymnasts are required to perform two different vaults during the NCAA vault final. The average of the two vaults is used for the final ranking of the vault competitors.
Dooley performed two 10.0 value vaults Saturday, earning a 9.90 for her Yurchenko layout with a full twist and a 9.85 for her Yurchenko with a half twist. Dooley competed both vaults during the course of the season and has performed the Yurchenko layout with a full twist during the last month of the season. Tousek opened competition with a Yurchenko with a half twist, which received a 9.8375 and then earned a 9.65 for her Yurchenko layout. Alabama's Ashley Miles claimed her second consecutive vault title with her average of 9.9438.
Dooley also appeared in the balance beam final, taking ninth at 9.7875.
"Being in the event finals was definitely exciting. It is the icing on the cake after the team competition. It was a little rushed since I had to do vault and beam, but it certainly kept the adrenaline going, which was good for me because you are definitely a little tired on the third day.
I was happy with my vaults – I haven't competed the (Yurchenko) half for awhile so to come out and nail both vaults felt good," she said. "My beam was pretty solid. My dismount was a little short – I went aggressive as I could. I went out there and hit it as best I could today."
Two Gators added difficulty to their balance beam routines for Saturday's final. Junior Orley Szmuch nailed her triple series consisting of a layout, layout, back handspring, but landed her double-back dismount a little low. She took 10th at 9.75. Freshman Samantha Lutz added an E-level skill, a wolf jump with a full turn, a skill she last performed at last spring's Junior Olympic competition. Lutz had to check her balance on the skill, hurting her otherwise solid routine which placed 11th at 9.7375.
"I thought I had it for a second (the wolf full). I kind of got excited and stood up at the end and had the wobble," Lutz said. "We just decided to do something fun for the finals. It was fun to try something different for the meet, especially with it being the final night of nationals. I had nothing to lose."
Lutz enjoyed her first experience in the NCAA Event Finals.
"It is different from the team competition because everyone is watching and it is quiet because you are the only one performing," she said. "But I felt very calm and composed. It was a lot of fun – it was exciting."
UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn was pleased with the performances of her Gators Saturday evening.
"I think they did a great job. Finals is always a difficult night for most people and especially for our gymnasts because they have been practicing or competing for four consecutive days. They were a little bit tired, but I was impressed with how they fought through," Faehn said. "I was impressed with Erinn to come out and finish fourth on vault. Everyone that has advanced to the event finals are exceptional competitors. Just to be in this field is an honor because it is the best of the best. Everyone hit – we had a few mistakes on beam but they all did respectable routines. Chantelle received a trophy for her finish, which is great for a freshman competing in her first event final. I was proud of them."
Arizona State's Ashley Kelly took the balance beam crown at 9.95. Miles shared her second title of the evening with North Carolina's Courtney Bumpers at 9.9375. Michigan's Elise Ray took the uneven bars crown at 9.975.
| NCAA Individual Event Final Results | |||||
| Vault | V1 | V2 | Avg. | Rank | |
| Ashley Miles | Alabama | 9.975 | 9.9125 | 9.9438 | 1 |
| Annabeth Eberle | Utah | 9.9 | 9.9375 | 9.9188 | 2 |
| Natalie Foley | Stanford | 9.875 | 9.9125 | 9.8938 | 3 |
| Erinn Dooley | Florida | 9.9 | 9.85 | 9.875 | 4 |
| April Burkholder | LSU | 9.8625 | 9.8875 | 9.875 | 4 |
| Janet Anson | Iowa State | 9.8 | 9.8875 | 9.8375 | 6 |
| Tiffany Willin | Oklahoma | 9.800 | 9.825 | 9.8125 | 7 |
| Chantelle Tousek | Florida | 9.8375 | 9.65 | 9.7438 | 8 |
| Kate Richardson | UCLA | 9.95 | 9.225 | 9.5875 | 9 |
| Uneven Bars | Score | Rank | |
| Elise Ray | Michigan | 9.975 | 1 |
| Kristen Maloney | UCLA | 9.9375 | 2 |
| Kate Richardson | UCLA | 9.9 | 3 |
| Nicolle Ford | Utah | 9.8875 | 4 |
| Jeanette Antolin | UCLA | 9.8875 | 4 |
| Ashley Miles | Alabama | 9.875 | 6 |
| Erin LaBarr | Oklahoma | 9.875 | 6 |
| Cory Fritzinger | Georgia | 9.85 | 8 |
| Caroline Fluhrer | Stanford | 9.825 | 9 |
| Natalie Foley | Stanford | 9.8125 | 10 |
| Libby Landgraf | Nebraska | 9.75 | 11 |
| Jamie Dantzscher | UCLA | 9.7375 | 12 |
| Jeana Rice | Alabama | 9.2625 | 13 |
| Balance Beam | Score | Rank | |
| Ashley Kelly | ASU | 9.95 | 1 |
| Jeana Rice | Alabama | 9.9125 | 2 |
| Elise Ray | Michigan | 9.9 | 3 |
| Kristi Esposito | Nebraska | 9.9 | 3 |
| Yvonne Tousek | UCLA | 9.875 | 5 |
| Lindsay Wing | Stanford | 9.85 | 6 |
| Lindsey Bruck | Michigan | 9.85 | 6 |
| April Burkholder | LSU | 9.8375 | 8 |
| Erinn Dooley | Florida | 9.7875 | 9 |
| Orley Szmuch | Florida | 9.75 | 10 |
| Samantha Lutz | Florida | 9.7375 | 11 |
| Nicolle Ford | Utah | 9.675 | 12 |
| Floor Exercise | Score | Rank | |
| Courtney Bumpers | North Carolina | 9.9375 | 1 |
| Ashley Miles | Alabama | 9.9375 | 1 |
| Melissa Vituj | Utah | 9.9 | 3 |
| Jeanette Antolin | UCLA | 9.9 | 3 |
| Alexis Maday | Iowa | 9.8875 | 5 |
| Caroline Fluhrer | Stanford | 9.8875 | 5 |
| Alexis Brion | Alabama | 9.8875 | 5 |
| Chelsa Byrd | Georgia | 9.875 | 8 |
| Natalie Foley | Stanford | 9.85 | 9 |
