Home advantage? Everything’s at stake for UGA gymnastics in NCAA matchups

Georgia gymnastics has lived the latter half its season on the road, and things won’t be too different at the NCAA regionals, even though the competition is on their home turf.

The GymDogs may feel like they’re playing away at first in Stegeman Coliseum, but once the gymnasts step onto the floor and see the overwhelming crowd, any feel of a neutral-site meet will vanish. It will turn into home again.

“I know people say that it can’t be a home meet, but it’ll be amazing to have it in Athens,” junior Rachel Dickson said. “We will have a lot more fans and we know what the arena looks like. It’s going to be super fun with this crowd.”

No. 2 seed Georgia is set to host NCAA regionals for the first time since 2016 in a three-day event due to the tournament’s altered format. Georgia is one of nine teams to compete in Athens from April 4-6, and the regional features four teamsthe GymDogs previously faced this season: No. 1 seed Oklahoma, Kentucky, Iowa State and Missouri.

In previous years, there were six regionals — with six teams each — and the path to qualifying for nationals was fairly simple: place in the top one-third and all was well. It becomes significantly more stringent now that nine teams are placed in four regionals — the top two teams from Friday advance to a quad meet Saturday in order to qualify.

That adds more challenge for Georgia, which is used to competing once per week. Having to compete on consecutive days seems draining on the body, and the GymDogs are aware of those consequences.

But they’re prepared for it. The team often participates in an intrasquad meet before each competition.

“The biggest point in it is less people qualify,” Georgia head coach Courtney Kupets Carter said. “You’re going up against tougher teams at the very beginning. This is great for us with our freshman situation, but the hardest part is maintaining our bodies while on these harder surfaces.”

Georgia is a regional host for the first time since 2016, and it’s a familiar experience for lone senior Sydney Snead and a newer experience for the nine freshmen on the roster.

For the returners, they don’t have to search far for an unforgettable moment. It was last season at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa when Georgia was a No. 3 seed, and Dickson said the team was doubted in that moment. Georgia was as low as No. 20 in the national rankings at one point, so it made sense.

Sabrina Vega was the final competitor for Georgia and had to record a 9.875 as the anchor on beam. She did it, and third-seeded Georgia leaped over Michigan to advance and achieve the season goal.

Freshman Rachael Lukacs has a Georgia-related memory from Penn State. She went to the Nittany Lions’ regional to watch her former teammate at North Stars, Alicia Boren, compete for Florida as a freshman. Lukacs was focused on Georgia, from afar and became emotional when the GymDogs qualified.

“I was screaming in the stands, and everybody started looking at me because nothing was happening on the floor,” Lukacs said. “I was crying, ‘but Georgia just qualified for nationals, so it’s OK.’”

After a 197 at an SEC championship meet that involved many “jitters,” the gymnasts said, this Georgia team will try to make its own memory.

There will be two off days (Wednesday and Thursday) before competition, then it’s the meet where everything is at stake. Being in Athens will help.

“I have to channel nerves into adrenaline and build on that toward my gymnastics,” Lukacs said. “It’s going to be fun, though, and that place is going to be packed.”

This story was originally published April 3, 2019 at 1:00 AM.