How do 4 freshmen GymDogs fit into squad? Breaking down what each brings to Georgia
Georgia’s 2020 freshman class is vastly different than last season’s. Gone is a situation where nearly the entire roster is comprised of first-year gymnasts — and that brings head coach Courtney Kupets Carter some relief.
Rightfully so. There’s a heavier weight toward the experienced athletes to mentor the younger ones in the group.
Four gymnasts comprise this group, not nine. Each of them have potential to be significantly influential in the GymDogs’ quest toward another run at national championships, and that could happen immediately.
Three freshmen — Haley De Jong, Amanda Cashman and Soraya Hawthorne — can develop into all-around competitors and might be seen on multiple events as soon as the season opener on Jan. 3. The latest addition to the group, Loulie Hattaway, is a bar specialist with a southern drawl from rural Georgia.
Kupets Carter has a lot of anticipation for her newcomers, and has used the “dominant” term to describe some in the group. They’ll blend in with a group of seven sophomores (Sami Davis and Alexa Al-Hameed no longer competing), two juniors and two seniors to round out the GymDogs’ roster.
“I’m really excited about this group,” Kupets Carter said. “There are a couple of aspects to each of them that I like.”
Three freshmen competed in two events to open the season in Kissimmee, Fla. Georgia won the quad meet with a 195.100 final score — the second-lowest total under Kupets Carter, topping only the first meet of her head-coaching career (194.525 vs. Alabama on Jan. 12, 2018).
Georgia opens its home slate on Friday against LSU (7:30 p.m., SEC Network).
Let’s break down what each freshman brings into Athens.
HALEY DE JONG, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Club team: Flicka Gymnastics
Accomplishments: Uneven bars champion at the 2018 Pacific Rim Championships, member of the Canadian Senior National Team since 2017
Where can she contribute?: Mainly on bars and beam, working on vault. She features the same vault as senior Rachel Dickson, an Omelianchik (Yurchenko half on front pike). Dickson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury prior to the Critique Classic Invitational, so competition could elevate for a vacancy in the GymDogs’ vault rotation.
Scores in season-opener: 9.650 on uneven bars, 9.825 on balance beam
Fun fact: De Jong is one of two Canadians on the GymDogs’ roster. Megan Roberts, also a highly-touted prospect, hails from Toronto.
Kupets Carter’s analysis: She’s a competitor, understands the sport and even college gymnastics more than I anticipated, despite being from Canada. She has come in and blown me away. She did get to try her floor routine, but she would stay with those passes or move to her triple-full. She wasn’t very confident in it, but she’s beautiful with it and has a multitude of areas she can excel in.
AMANDA CASHMAN, Belle Mead, N.J.
Club team: Arena Gymnastics
Accomplishments: Averaged around a 38 all-around score in her junior olympic career, placed first on floor in the 2016 Nastia Liukin Cup.
Scores in season-opener: 9.650 on vault, 9.700 on uneven bars
Fun fact: Cashman has two nicknames — “Mands” and “Cash.” She was formerly committed to Utah before pledging to Georgia on Dec. 19, 2018.
Kupets Carter’s analysis: She’s more of a vault and floor specialist, but is competing bars in the gym. We need to clean that up to get those scores she’s consistently capable of. She’s someone who can do all four events, and will do different ones every single year.
SORAYA HAWTHORNE, Memphis, Tenn.
Club team: Gymstars Gymnastics
Accomplishments: 2018 National Vault Champion; fifth all-around, once scored a perfect 10 on vault
Where can she contribute?: Mainly on vault and floor, working on bars and beam. Features multiple routines with a 10.0 start value.
Scores in season-opener: 9.875 on vault, 9.875 on floor
Fun fact: There’s a skill called the “Hawthorne” in the USA Junior Olympics Code of Points, named after the Memphis native.
Kupets Carter’s analysis: Soraya Hawthorne is an absolute dynamo. She is lights out when she goes out there. She has a lot of difficulty and we are being smart with her on what she can start to compete. She has a double-pike, front one-and-a-half and double-tuck routine on floor is fairly simple for her. She has done a double-double at JOs and while at Georgia, but she needs more experience and learn how to land properly. We’re excited to see her be a fan favorite. She has a bubbly personality and really engages you and pulls you into her performance.
LOULIE HATTAWAY, Blakely, Ga.
Club team: Tift Gymnastics
Accomplishments: Her career-best at the J.O. level is a 9.6 on bars.
Scores in season-opener: 9.750 as an anchor on uneven bars
Fun fact: Hattaway mentioned in her team-issued introductory video that her favorite food is Mexican. Her small town has two restaurants, the other being a Sonic.
Kupets Carter’s analysis: Loulie is a bar specialist. It’s about getting her confident. She hits her routines and does a great job, but she’s not fully consistent. We need to build that before she can get out in competition.
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 4:21 PM with the headline "How do 4 freshmen GymDogs fit into squad? Breaking down what each brings to Georgia."