Georgia women's gymnastics championships: A complete history

The Georgia women's gymnastics team has won a record 10 NCAA national championships, including a streak of five titles in a row between 2005-2009. The Bulldogs have produced the AAI Award winner three times with another nine recipients of the Honda Award, given annually to the best female athlete in each of 12 NCAA sports.

Here's everything you need to know about the Georgia women's gymnastics dynasty, including season-by-season records, individual career records, award winners and breakdowns of every one of the Bulldogs' championships.

Georgia gymnastics quick facts

Here is some key information to know about the program, updated through the end of the 2020 season:

Current coach: Courtney Kupets Carter (34-33; 3+ seasons)
Location: Athens, Georgia
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum
All-time record: 1,101-309-10
NCAA championships: 10 (1987, 1989, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
SEC championships: 16 (1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008)

Georgia women's gymnastics statistical leaders

Here are the statistical leaders in Georgia women's gymnastics history. Stats are updated through the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.

Perfect 10s*:

1.  Hope Spivey (1991-94) : 24 — 17 floor, 7 vault
2.  Kim Arnold (1995-98): 21 — 14 vault, 6 floor, 1 balance beam
3.  Karin Lichey (1996-99): 21 — 9 uneven bars, 8 vault, 3 floor, 1 balance beam
4.  Leah Brown (1994-97): 17 — 14 vault, 3 floor
5.  Courtney Kupets (2006-09): 8 — 3 uneven bars, 2 balance beam, 2 vault, 1 floor

* — Georgia has 160 perfect 10s in program history

Total points :

1. Katie Heenan (2005-08): 2,322.1688 — 236 routines
2. Cory Fritzinger (2001-04): 2,222.4615 — 227 routines
3. Tiffany Tolnay (2006-09): 2,181.0938 — 222 routines
4. Courtney Kupets (2006-09): 2,114.4251 — 214 routines
5. Kim Arnold (1995-98): 1,954.6875 —199 routines

Vault points: 

1. Chelsa Byrd (2001-04): 623.081 — 63 routines
2. Brandie Jay (2013-16): 622.5833 — 63 routines
3. Katie Heenan (2005-08): 602.5563 — 61 routines
4. Cory Fritzinger (2001-04): 598.3125 — 61 routines
5. Cat Hires (2011-14): 579.5 — 59 routines

Bar points

1. Katie Heenan (2005-08): 627.3 — 64 routines
2. Cory Fritzinger (2001-04): 599.362 — 61 routines
3. Brittany Rogers (2013-16): 592.0375 —60 routines
4. Chelsea Davis (2012-15): 581.125 — 60 routines
5. Courtney Kupets (2006-09): 565.7875 — 57 routines

Beam points

1. Katie Heenan (2005-08): 598.9375 — 61 routines
2. Cory Fritzinger (2001-04): 586.212 — 60 routines
3. Grace Taylor (2007-10): 561.5 — 57 routines
4. Tiffany Tolnay (2006-09): 559.675 — 57 routines
5. Courtney Kupets (2006-09): 551.4 — 56 routines

Floor points

1. Brandie Jay (2013-16): 588.8375 — 60 routines
2. Cassidy McComb (2008-11): 567.9625 — 58 routines
3. Kim Arnold (1995-98): 561.475 —57 routines
4. Michelle Emmons (2002-05): 550.9 — 56 routines
5. Hope Spivey (1991-94): 533.5750— 54 routines

Single meet all-around

1. Karin Lichey (1996): 40.0
2. Courtney Kupets (2009): 39.9
3. Karin Lichey (1998): 39.875
4. Karin Lichey (1999) and Courtney Kupets (2009): 39.85

NCAA records: 

• Georgia holds the most team (10) and individual (42) championships in NCAA gymnastics history.
• Lucy Wener earned the first perfect 10 in NCAA gymnastics championship history. It came on uneven bars during the 1989 individual event finals.
  • Georgia leads all programs with 17 perfect 10s at the NCAA championship final site.
• Georgia owns the highest team score on uneven bars with a cumulative 49.75 in 1993.
• Courtney Kupets ranks first with nine individual titles. 
  • She won four in 2009, earning the highest all-around score at a championship with a 39.9.
  • Kupets is also the first gymnast to win all titles in all four events and the all-around championship.

Honors/Awards

AAI American Award (3)
Kim Arnold, 1998
Jenni Beathard, 1999
Courtney Kupets, 2009

Honda Award (9)
Lucy Wener, 1989
Hope Spivey, 1991
Heather Stepp, 1992
Kim Arnold, 1997
Kim Arnold, 1998 
Karin Lichey, 1999 
Courtney Kupets, 2007 
Katie Heenan, 2008
Courtney Kupets, 2009

National Coach of the Year (5)
Suzanne Yoculan, 1987
Suzanne Yoculan, 1993
Suzanne Yoculan, 1999
Suzanne Yoculan, 2006
Suzanne Yoculan, 2008

NCAA Silver Anniversary Award (1)
Kathy McMinn, 2009

SEC Gymnast of the Year (7)
Heather Stepp, 1993
Hope Spivey, 1994
Kim Arnold, 1998
Karin Lichey, 1999
Chelsa Byrd, 2003
Katie Heenan, 2007
Courtney Kupets, 2009

SEC Event Specialist of the Year (2)
Lindsey Cheek, 2014
Sabrina Vega, 2019

Georgia women's gymnastics stats, records

Here are some of the most impressive stats and records from Georgia's dynasty.

• With its 2009 national championship, Georgia broke a tie with Utah for the most team titles by a single program (10). 
  • The Bulldogs also own the record for the most individual championships with 42.
• The 2009 team title was Georgia's fifth consecutive championship, a streak that began in 2005.
  • The run matched Utah's streak between 1982 and 1986 for the longest streak in NCAA gymnastics history.
    • Georgia snapped the Utes' streak in 1987 by winning its first title.
• During the Bulldogs' latest championship run, the team had a record of 163-10-1 across all competitions. 
• Georgia has completed four perfect seasons, the most recent coming in 2006.
• All 10 of UGA's team titles came under coach Suzanne Yoculan (1984-2009).
  • Yoculan led Georgia to 26 NCAA championship appearances in 26 seasons, earning 24 top-5 finishes.
    • Yoculan was named National Coach of the Year five times.
• Georgia owns 34 appearances at the final site of the NCAA championship. Only UCLA, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma have more.
  • In those appearances, UGA owns the most perfect 10s recorded with 17. Alabama is the next closest with nine.
• The Bulldogs hold the SEC record for team championships with 16, six more than the next closest program.
  • Georgia's last SEC title came in 2008.
• UGA's 1997 team score of 198.375 remains the SEC championship record. 
  • The Bulldogs also have the second-best team score in conference history and three of the top five since 1981. 

Georgia women's gymnastics season records

Here's how Georgia women's gymnastics has finished each season.

Georgia women's gymnastics championship breakdowns 

1987

NCAA tournament
Regional
Florida 187.900
Georgia 186.700
West Virginia 182.300
Maryland 181.800
Kentucky 180.050
William & Mary 174.350
Towson 173.150
Championship
Georgia 187.900
Utah 187.550
UCLA 187.000
Alabama 186.600
Arizona State 184.000
Florida 183.800
LSU 181.500
Ohio State 180.200
Washington 179.850
Nebraska 179.500
Arizona 179.450
Oregon State 174.500

Georgia won its first national championship after placing ninth, seventh and fourth in its first three NCAA championship appearances. The Bulldogs snapped reigning champion Utah's streak of five consecutive titles on the Utes' home floor no less. Despite Utah placing higher in three of four categories, Georgia edged the hosts by almost a full point on the beam, the deciding factor between first and second place in Salt Lake City's Jon M. Huntsman Center. In addition to the team's national championship, Lucy Wener won her second straight individual title on uneven bars.

1989

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 193.200
Florida 191.050
Maryland 186.150
Towson 185.050
at Kentucky 182.800
NC State 182.300
West Virginia 181.550
Championship
Georgia 192.650
UCLA 192.600
Alabama 192.100
Nebraska 190.800
Utah 190.200
Cal State Fullerton 189.450
Arizona State 187.900
Oregon State 187.900
Oklahoma 187.050
Florida 187.000
Arizona 186.500
Ohio State 186.400

After a fifth-place finish in 1988, Georgia returned to the center of the podium for the second time in three years, capturing a title on their home floor in Athens, Georgia. Runner-up UCLA had higher scores on vault and floor, but the Bulldogs made up on the difference on beam and bars, winning the team title by five hundreths of a point. Lucy Wener won her third individual title on bars, making history with the first ever perfect 10 in NCAA championship history. Corrine Wright — a four-time, first team All-American — won the all-around title as well as another on the floor. 

1993

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 197.500
Florida 194.300
NC State 191.000
Kentucky 190.800
Towson 190.500
West Virginia 190.025
George Washington 189.350
Preliminaries
Georgia 196.400
Alabama 195.275
UCLA 194.125
Oregon State 193.425
Michigan 193.125
Florida 192.950
Championship
Georgia 198.000
Alabama 196.825
Utah 195.825
UCLA 194.925
Auburn 194.725
Arizona 194.075

Georgia's third national championship was the culmination of a perfect season for the Bulldogs: A 32-0 record capped by a near-sweep at the NCAA championships in the inaugural year of the Super Six. UGA became the first team to record a cumulative score of 198 as it finished first on vault, bars and floor — more than a full point clear from the rest of the championship field. Georgia set a NCAA record with a 49.75 team score on bars, a record that remains intact. Individually, Agina Simpkins won the title on bars while Heather Stepp finished first on floor and vault.

1998

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 198.575
Florida 197.075
NC State 195.125
West Virginia 194.800
Kentucky 192.150
George Washington 191.150
Maryland 190.100
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.825
Alabama 196.475
Arizona State 195.450
Michigan 195.425
NC State 194.125
BYU 193.400
Championship
Georgia 197.725
Florida 196.350
Alabama 196.300
Utah 196.025
UCLA 195.750
Arizona State 195.450

Georgia, fresh off of back-to-back 30-win seasons and a pair of third place finishes, would not be denied again in 1998. The Bulldogs ran the table, going 35-0 to capture a national championship in Pauley Pavilion. UGA rolled in the Super Six, finishing first in three events and second in another. With a final score of 197.725, the Bulldogs had pulled off the largest margin of victory in 13 years. Five-time All-American Kim Arnold capped her career with a second straight all-around championship in addition to sharing the beam title with Jenni Beathard. Karin Lichey, another five-time All-American, won the individual title on the floor.

1999

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 197.375
Florida 195.225
Utah State 194.575
Denver 194.200
Minnesota 194.200
Iowa State 194.175
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.025
Michigan 196.575
Nebraska 196.225
Utah 195.475
Penn State 194.775
Florida 194.000
Championship
Georgia 196.850
Michigan W 196.550
Alabama W 195.950
Arizona State W 195.900
UCLA W 195.850
Nebraska W 194.800

Coming off a 35-0 season, the defending champions were not ready to relinquish the throne quite yet. Georgia reeled off a second perfect season, going 32-0 to repeat as national champions, the first back-to-back titles in program history. The Bulldogs won all 15 of their competitions, a streak that began the year prior and would reach 29 before a loss. A fifth-place result on the uneven bars kept the results close, but UGA topped the standings in the vault, beam and floor categories  to edge Michigan for the title, 196.850-196.550.

2005

Kelsey Ericksen cheers for her teammates as UGA wins the first of five consecutive national championships.

NCAA tournament
Regional
Florida 196.575
Georgia 195.150
Denver 194.075
North Carolina 194.075
West Virginia 193.675
NC State 193.575
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.350
UCLA 197.025
Alabama 197.000
Florida 196.225
Iowa State 195.975
BYU 194.625
Championship
Georgia 197.825
Alabama 197.400
Utah 197.275
UCLA 197.150
Michigan 196.575
Nebraska 196.425

A six-year hiatus between titles was Bulldogs' longest drought under coach Suzanne Yoculan. But Georgia made its return to the top at Auburn's Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum in 2005. For the first time in program history, no gymnast scored lower than a 9.8 in any event. However, UGA did not win any of the four categories outright, resulting in the top four teams of the Super Six finishing .675 points apart. 

2006

Katie Heenan completes her floor routine. UGA finished first on floor, bars and vault in 2006.

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 197.425
Nebraska 196.350
Missouri 195.325
North Carolina 194.300
NC State 193.925
West Virginia 193.925
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.275
Iowa State 196.250
Florida 196.225
Arizona State 195.575
Oregon State 195.150
Arkansas 194.375
Championship
Georgia 197.750
Utah 196.800
Alabama 196.725
Florida 196.275
Nebraska 196.175
Iowa State 195.125

Georgia's 2006 national championship signified the program's second time winning back-to-back titles. It was also the fourth perfect season in UGA gymnastics history. The Bulldogs cruised in the Super Six, finishing first on vault, bars and floor while taking second on the beam. UGA was .126 points away from sweeping the championship, finishing with a final score of 197.750, just under a point ahead of runner-up Utah's 196.800 score. Individually, freshman Courtney Kupets won titles on the bars and beam, as well as a third for her all-around score of 39.750.

2007

Georgia placed first on floor in 2007 to secure its third straight championship.

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 197.275
Denver 195.825
Penn State 195.775
BYU 193.300
Minnesota 192.900
Utah State 192.525
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.700
Florida 197.400
Nebraska 196.625
Oklahoma 196.250
Alabama 196.125
Oregon State 195.100
Championship
Georgia 197.850
Utah 197.250
Florida 197.225
UCLA 196.925
Stanford 196.825
Nebraska 195.975

Georgia extended its title defense in 2007, becoming the first team to win three consecutive NCAA championships since Utah won five in a row between 1982-86. The Bulldogs finished with a score of 197.850 after placing first on vault, bars and floor for a second straight year. Utah finished second after scoring 197.125 points for the competition. Courtney Kupets defended her all-around title while adding a vault championship as a sophomore.

2008

Courtney McCool competes on the uneven bars. McCool won an individual title on the floor in 2008.

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 197.775
Denver 195.775
Penn State 195.700
Auburn 195.150
BYU 194.325
Iowa State 194.200
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.625
Utah196.950
Stanford 196.900
UCLA 196.725
Michigan 196.075
Denver 194.200
Championship
Georgia 197.450
Utah 197.125
Stanford 196.750
Florida 196.700
LSU 196.350
Alabama 196.125

The Bulldogs' championship streak reached four years in 2008 as Georgia tied Utah for the most team titles by a single program. UGA won the 2008 title on its home floor, the second time the program clinched a championship in Athens. The Bulldogs finished first on bars and beam while taking second on the floor and third on vault for a final score of 197.450. Junior Courtney Kupets did not defend her all-around title due to injury. However, Courtney McCool (floor) and Grace Taylor (beam) won individual titles for UGA.

Georgia's senior class — Audrey Bowers, Nikki Childs, Megan Dowlen and Katie Heenan — finished as the winningest group in program history with four NCAA titles, 3 SEC titles and a 131-9-1 record.

2009

Tiffany Tolnay competes on vault at the 2009 NCAA Championships

NCAA tournament
Regional
Georgia 197.700
Penn State 195.800
Nebraska 195.450
West Virginia 194.225
North Carolina 194.125
NC State 193.800
Preliminaries
Georgia 197.450
Florida 196.375
LSU 196.300
Stanford 196.225
Penn State 196.100
Oklahoma 195.825
Championship
Georgia 197.825
Alabama 197.575
Utah 197.425
Florida 196.725
Arkansas 196.475
LSU 196.375

Georgia became the first gymnastics program to win double-digit national titles, breaking a tie with Utah for the most championships by a single team while sending retiring coach Suzanne Yoculan out on top.The Bulldogs scored 197.825 points as a team, with first-place finishes on vault, bars and floor and a second-place finish on the beam.

After missing the 2008 competition with an injury, Courtney Kupets had a historic performance in her final meet. The senior scored a NCAA championship record 39.9 for her third all-around title while winning the individual championships for bars, beam and floor. Kupets became the first gymnast to win titles in all four events in addition to the all-around title. Her nine individual championships remain the NCAA record.