Their personalities shine on the floor. Meet 3 gymnasts who are keys to GymDogs success

Marissa Oakley’s confident side isn’t the easiest to see. At any given moment, however, it’s ready to erupt.

Nothing felt better than being back inside the GymDogs’ home arena Sunday. An assemblage of alumni returned to reflect on the program’s past and present while giving the team pointers ahead of competition. Ahead of a meet that was televised on ESPN, Oakley found solace in the hours leading up to the event.

“I feel like the whole team came in with such calm confidence,” Oakley said. “That carried us through.”

Added senior Sabrina Vega: “(Oakley) needs that even-keeled tone.”

At home, Georgia had the advantage of competing in Olympic order, which meant Oakley could perform on uneven bars and balance beam in succession.

She scored a 9.925 on bars and followed it with a 9.900 on beam as Georgia (5-4, 1-1 SEC) beat Auburn 197.425-196.350. The GymDogs posted their highest score of the season at only the fifth meet of the 2020 campaign, and Oakley’s season-high scores served as a swing of momentum toward a strong team performance.

“Every high score, we want to build off of each other,” Vega said. “We have been working with her on those individual successes to build confidence.”

That dominant version of Oakley began to show on bars. She landed her dismount and a large Super Bowl Sunday crowd roared while her teammates’ arms shot up in celebration. A seemingly-unshakeable smile appeared on Oakley’s face while the GymDogs mobbed her, flashing 10 fingers and chanting for a perfect score.

Such a celebration did work once as Oakley notched a perfect 10 during last season’s NCAA regionals, but this attempt fell narrowly short. A 9.925 tied a season-high on the event, however, matching the score on Jan. 20 vs. Iowa State. It also provided a good omen for balance beam, too, as Oakley has created a trend of those results carrying over.

Oakley checked the first box, but then had to have a quick switch in demeanor as the GymDogs continued events.

“You have to be very calm,” Oakley said. “It’s a matter of being excited for a minute because I was very happy with my bars, then moving on. I have to focus on the here and now.”

As head coach Courtney Kupets Carter indicated, Oakley remained warm and fully ready with the opportunity to compete in back-to-back events. A few moments later, the GymDogs saw the results as Oakley stuck her side-aerial dismount. She pumped her fist, her teammates mobbed Oakley once more and a 9.900 capped off the junior’s best meet of the season.

Oakley scored a 9.850 on beam against Iowa State, a score just below her Auburn showing. When Oakley does execute her two events, however, it bodes well for Georgia to post a high score. She fell on both events against LSU and averaged a 9.075 while scoring a 9.750 and 9.825 at the Metroplex Challenge.

The next step for Oakley is consistency. She’s been battling through a shoulder injury, which appeared during fall practices. Oakley seemed to brush it off, however, and feels healthy with two-thirds of the season remaining.

After a duo of strong routines, Georgia hopes to see more of the same. Kupets Carter wants the junior to become more vocal and show more confidence.

But if staying quiet and allowing the dominance to appear at meets results in scores around 9.900, Georgia and Oakley would be more than pleased.

“Her personality is a bit quieter, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have something to say,” Kupets Carter said. “We constantly try to build them up for who they are and their uniqueness brings the best out of our team.”

ENTER CASHMAN

Freshman Amanda Cashman’s arrival on floor routine began at the Metroplex Challenge. Kupets Carter raced to the judge’s table to ask for a lineup change, because fellow freshman Soraya Hawthorne dealt with cramps.

Cashman, also known as “Ca$h” with the signature touch of a dollar sign, stood in the corner for a last-minute pep talk from her head coach. That’s all it took for the first-year gymnast who performed well in a pinch during the podium meet.

Little did Georgia know, however, that Cashman would only top it against Auburn. Hawthorne returned, but Cashman filled in for sophomore Mikayla Magee (ankle), who was also held out of the vault lineup. Cashman dazzled with a 9.925 to spark the GymDogs’ run to a season-high 49.600 on floor routine and served as the first of five scores over 9.900 on the event.

Cashman, with a 9.800 on Jan. 25, averages a 9.8625 on the event through two appearances. That’s not too bad of a start. Georgia might have the itch to let Cashman compete on floor again, even if it’s not filling in for an injured teammate.

“I want my decision to be hard,” Kupets Carter said. “It’s about what they do consistently. It becomes about what they do in the gym, their mentality, how they jump back from mistakes and also their scores. It’ll be a fun couple weeks ahead.”

POWER OF POSITIVITY

When Rachael Lukacs has a routine that doesn’t meet her lofty standards (in practice or competition), it’s fairly easy to tell. She won’t say much, might look down toward the ground and think about how mistakes could’ve been avoided.

“I am one to get very hard on myself,” Lukacs said. “I’m a perfectionist.”

The search for consistent confidence has been one of the sophomore’s biggest battles. One of those answers might come from her blue water bottle that she uses to hydrate during warmups and competition. Directly below the mouthpiece, a strip of athletic tape is placed around the bottle and reads “Positive Patty Juice.”

Lukacs’ idea started after facing frustrations on uneven bars. She has performed well on the event in training, but the scores in competition hadn’t translated to her liking. Lukacs felt the need for a differing mental approach, and the water bottle’s message carried that vow.

“Each time I drink it, there’s going to be this positivity flowing through my body,” Lukacs said. “I’ve worked on it and I feel like I’m closer. I look at the water bottle and say ‘OK, I’m good.’”

Lukacs saw the benefits of it with a 9.850 on uneven bars during the Metroplex Challenge, and used it again as a calming mechanism on Sunday afternoon. She fell on the balance beam and posted a 9.175 on the event. Her so-called juice allowed her to recover and record a 9.900 on floor and regain the usual ferocity that Lukacs carries to her four events.

And much of that confidence can be found with a plastic water bottle and athletic tape.

“I take a sip of it to calm things down and remind myself I can’t complain,” Lukacs said. “Life is good.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Their personalities shine on the floor. Meet 3 gymnasts who are keys to GymDogs success."