Courtney Kupets
Encyclopedia
Courtney Anne Kupets is an American
gymnast
. She is best known for her 2003 and 2004 all-around national championships (with Carly Patterson
as co-champion in 2004); her membership on the 2002 and 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
and 2004 Olympic teams; and her individual bronze medal on the uneven bars
at the 2004 Olympics.
During her elite career, Kupets resided in Gaithersburg
, Maryland
and trained at Hill's Gymnastics, former gym of Olympians Dominique Dawes
and Elise Ray
, for 35 hours each week. She Graduated from the University of Georgia
, where her older sister, Ashley Kupets, was a former gymnast. Her father was a college football
player at Indiana State University and her younger brother Chris recently became a college basketball player at University of Utah
. Her older brother Mark lives in the Washington, DC area.
While the uneven bars is considered to be Kupets' best apparatus, she excels on the other events as well. During her elite career, her balance beam
routine was valued at a 10.0 start value, the same as her bars routine. Her lowest-valued skill was her Podkopayeva vault
, which had a 9.7. start value under the 2001-2005 Code of Points
. Kupet's floor exercise
routine was valued at a 9.9 usually - until 2004, where she had a 9.8 Start Value routine. She also had a reputation as one of the USA's most versatile tumblers, performing, at various points in her career, the double layout, triple twist, double Arabian, double front, double pike and various combination tumbling passes.
In her first year as a senior competitor, 2002, Kupets placed a close second in the American Cup competition, behind Olympian Tasha Schwikert
, and placed eighth at Nationals. Nonetheless, her selection to the US team for the 2002 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
in Debrecen
, Hungary
was seen as a surprise by many. At Worlds, Kupets passed all other competitors, including five-time defending champion Svetlana Khorkina
, to win the uneven bars event, making her only the second American woman ever to achieve the feat.
In 2003, Kupets won the US Classic and became the U.S. national champion for the first time. She was named to the US team for the 2003 World Championships
in Anaheim, California
. At Worlds, Kupets competed well in the team qualifying round, contributing to the USA's high placement and qualifying to the all-around and uneven bars final. However, during a practice session before the team finals, Kupets tore her left Achilles' tendon on a double Arabian somersault and was forced to withdraw from the event, returning home to Maryland immediately for emergency surgery. The US team went on to win the World Championships; Kupets was still considered a member of the squad and received credit and a medal for her contributions in the preliminaries.
In 2004, Kupets was named the co-national champion with Patterson in Nashville
, Tennessee
. A few weeks later, Kupets placed highest overall at the U.S. Olympic trials, earning a spot on the Olympic team.
in Athens
, Greece
, Kupets won a silver medal with her fellow U.S. team members in the team all-around competition. It had originally been decided that she would compete on each of the events aside from vault; however, after a leg injury (later discovered to be a stress fracture in her hip) caused her to be suddenly withdrawn from beam, her position was given to veteran teammate Mohini Bhardwaj
. Kupets therefore competed only on bars and floor. She received the team's highest score on uneven bars with a 9.662 out of a 10.0 start value — putting the U.S. team temporarily ahead of eventual winner Romania
in the standings — but also received the lowest on floor exercise with a 9.187 after faltering on a dance combination while trying to turn on the opposite leg she normally performs the skill with.
Kupets competed in the individual all-around at the Olympics after placing 4th overall (37.937) in the qualifying round on the first day of competition, when the team qualifications also took place. In the all-around itself, Kupets under-performed somewhat, perhaps because of her injury. She finished 9th overall in the all-around with a score of 37.112, a little over one point behind the winner, Patterson, who scored a 38.387. A highlight was her close save on beam, where a wobble after a jump saw her very nearly fall, but she regained her composure. Nevertheless, she incurred a hefty deduction, scoring less than 9 for the routine. This, as well as a step out of bounds on the floor exercise, where she scored only 9.237, prevented her from challenging for medals. As usual, her highest scoring event was the bars, where she received a 9.625; Kupets also scored a 9.275 on the vault (out of a 9.7) after taking a step with her landing. Although she had not been expected to medal after her injury, Kupets said after the event that she was happy she had competed regardless.
Kupets won the bronze medal in the individual uneven bars competition with a score of 9.637, behind Émilie Lepennec of France
(9.687) and fellow American gymnast Terin Humphrey
(9.662). Kupets also finished 5th in the individual balance beam competition with a score of 9.375 out of a 9.8. She did not qualify to compete in the individual floor exercise and vault competitions.
er T.J. Maxx
.
In 2005 she joined the gymnastics team at the University of Georgia
on full athletic scholarship. Kupets had a very successful first season with UGA, contributing to the team's first-place finish at the 2006 NCAA National Championships and winning the all-around, bars and beam titles at the same meet. She has debuted some new skills in NCAA, including a new double layout dismount off of bars. She also joined the Alpha Omicron Pi
sorority.
During the 2007 season, she received a 10.00 on the uneven bars while competing against the University of Alabama. It was the first 10.00 on the bars for Georgia since 2002 and the first 10.00 of Kupets' career. Her bar routine now features a toe-on Tkatchev (Ray) to immediate bail and is considered one of the most difficult bar routines ever attempted in NCAA competition. Kupets tied teammate Katie Heenan
for the all around title at the 2007 SEC Championships with a total of 39.600. Kupets earned the vault and bars titles with scores of 9.975 and 9.925 respectively. Despite numerous individual successes, the Gym Dogs were unable to capture their fourth-consecutive conference crown, losing to Florida
. After this disappointment, Kupets led her team to the North Central Regional Title and was able to capture the All Around title despite having to deal with the distraction of her older sister tearing her Achilles tendon during the warm up for floor exercise, ending her career. As the winners of the regional, the Georgia team qualified again to Nationals.
Two weeks later, the Gym Dogs competed in the afternoon preliminary session against Florida. They defeated Florida in a surprising upset due to recent Gym Dog injuries and the overwhelming notion that Florida would easily walk away with the NCAA Championship after a consistent season. Kupets scored a 39.75 on day 1, scoring a 9.9 on beam and 9.95's on bars, floor and vault. This score held as the top all around total in the meet and earned Kupets her second consecutive NCAA All Around Title. Ashley Postell
of Utah was once again the runner up. The Gym Dogs dominated the Super 6 finals, scoring a 197.85 and earning the team their third-consecutive NCAA Team Championship and 8th National Championship overall. Kupets ended her weekend by earning the NCAA Individual Vault title. She accomplished this by successfully competing a Yurchenko Full as her second vault, which she was unable to practice all year due to a foot injury. This marks Kupets' fifth individual NCAA title and seventh overall. Kupets rounded out her weekend by nabbing three more medals- silver on bars and floor, and a bronze on beam. Kupets was the only gymnast to medal on each of the four individual events.
Kupets tore her right Achilles tendon on floor exercise during a meet against Arkansas in March 2008, the second such injury she has suffered in her career. She was out for the remainder of the season, which saw her Gym Dogs win their fourth consecutive NCAA title.
The 2009 season got off to a fantastic start for Kupets, who was named SEC Gymnast of the week the first four weeks of the season and won the all-around for seven straight meets. Against Alabama Kupets had perhaps the best meet of her regular-season collegiate career, recording a then career-best 39.825 to win the all-around and achieving perfect 10.00 scores on uneven bars and on beam. After failing to win the all-around for the first time all season against Arkansas, Kupets returned to form and was named SEC Gymnast of the Week for the fourth time in the 2009 season after Georgia's home meet against Florida, in which she scored the first perfect 10.00 of her career on floor en route to once again winning the all-around title with another then career-best of 39.850. Though the Gym Dogs faltered at the SECs and suffered their only defeat of the season, Kupets again claimed the all-around title and was named SEC Gymnast of the Year. She led the Gym Dogs to a win at Regionals with another all-around win and a 10.00 on vault, giving her 10.00s on every apparatus in the 2009 season. At the NCAA championships, she became national all-around champion for a record-tying third time, earning a 10.00 on beam en route to defeating runner-up Kristina Baskett of Utah with a 39.800, thus winning the all-around in all but one 2009 meet. The night afterward, Kupets played a central role in helping the Georgia team win their fifth consecutive and tenth overall NCAA championship, posting a career-best 39.900, with 10.00s on the uneven bars and vault bringing her 10.00 season total to seven, and her career total to eight. At the individual event finals, she won the bars and beam titles (beating fellow Gym Dog, 2004 Olympic Teammate, and best friend, Courtney McCool on beam), tied to win floor, and placed third in vault, giving her a new NCAA record of an unprecedented nine individual NCAA titles to end her college career. Kupets is the only NCAA gymnast ever to win the all-around and every individual event. On June 22, 2009 Kupets was awarded the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is given to the top female college athlete.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
. She is best known for her 2003 and 2004 all-around national championships (with Carly Patterson
Carly Patterson
Carly Rae Patterson is an American singer and former gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame...
as co-champion in 2004); her membership on the 2002 and 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 37th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Anaheim, California, United States, in 2003.Tie-breakers were not used at this competition...
and 2004 Olympic teams; and her individual bronze medal on the uneven bars
Uneven bars (gymnastics)
The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. It is used only by female gymnasts. It is made of a steel frame. The bars are made of fiberglass with wood coating, or less commonly wood. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is UB or AB, and the...
at the 2004 Olympics.
During her elite career, Kupets resided in Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and trained at Hill's Gymnastics, former gym of Olympians Dominique Dawes
Dominique Dawes
Dominique Margaux Dawes is a retired United States artistic gymnast. She was 10-year member of the U.S. national gymnastics team, the 1994 U.S. all-around senior National Champion, a three-time Olympian, a World Championships silver medalist and a member of the gold-medal winning "Magnificent...
and Elise Ray
Elise Ray
Mary Elise Ray is an American gymnast who represented the United States at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the 1999 World Championships.-Biography and early career:...
, for 35 hours each week. She Graduated from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, where her older sister, Ashley Kupets, was a former gymnast. Her father was a college football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player at Indiana State University and her younger brother Chris recently became a college basketball player at University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. Her older brother Mark lives in the Washington, DC area.
While the uneven bars is considered to be Kupets' best apparatus, she excels on the other events as well. During her elite career, her balance beam
Balance beam (gymnastics)
The balance beam is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes referred to as simply "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is BB....
routine was valued at a 10.0 start value, the same as her bars routine. Her lowest-valued skill was her Podkopayeva vault
Vault (gymnastics)
The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...
, which had a 9.7. start value under the 2001-2005 Code of Points
Code of Points (artistic gymnastics)
A Code of Points is a rulebook that defines the scoring system for each level of competition in gymnastics. There is no unified, international code of points; every oversight organization—such as FIG , NCAA Gymnastics, and most national gymnastics federations—designs and employs its own unique Code...
. Kupet's floor exercise
Floor (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring...
routine was valued at a 9.9 usually - until 2004, where she had a 9.8 Start Value routine. She also had a reputation as one of the USA's most versatile tumblers, performing, at various points in her career, the double layout, triple twist, double Arabian, double front, double pike and various combination tumbling passes.
Early gymnastics history
Kupets began competing in gymnastics in 1989, earned a place on the TOPS developmental team in 1994, and tested elite in 1999. One of the first gyms she trained at as an elite gymnast was Richmond Olympiad Gymnastics Academy in Richmond, Virginia along with her older sister. At her first US National Championships, in 1999, she placed eighth in the junior division and became a member of the national team.In her first year as a senior competitor, 2002, Kupets placed a close second in the American Cup competition, behind Olympian Tasha Schwikert
Tasha Schwikert
Tasha Schwikert Warren is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, a World Gymnastics Championships team gold medalist, the 2001 and 2002 U.S...
, and placed eighth at Nationals. Nonetheless, her selection to the US team for the 2002 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2002 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 36th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Debrecen, Hungary, in 2002 at Főnix Hall.The team and all-around events were not contested at the 2002 Worlds. The format was similar to that of the 1992 Worlds, with medals being awarded for the individual WAG and MAG apparatus...
in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
was seen as a surprise by many. At Worlds, Kupets passed all other competitors, including five-time defending champion Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Vasilyevna Khorkina is a popular Russian gymnast and seven-time Olympic medalist, who is now a deputy at the Russian State Duma. With an unprecedented nine gold, eight silver, and three bronze World Championships medals, she is one of the most successful female gymnasts of her era and has...
, to win the uneven bars event, making her only the second American woman ever to achieve the feat.
In 2003, Kupets won the US Classic and became the U.S. national champion for the first time. She was named to the US team for the 2003 World Championships
2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 37th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Anaheim, California, United States, in 2003.Tie-breakers were not used at this competition...
in Anaheim, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. At Worlds, Kupets competed well in the team qualifying round, contributing to the USA's high placement and qualifying to the all-around and uneven bars final. However, during a practice session before the team finals, Kupets tore her left Achilles' tendon on a double Arabian somersault and was forced to withdraw from the event, returning home to Maryland immediately for emergency surgery. The US team went on to win the World Championships; Kupets was still considered a member of the squad and received credit and a medal for her contributions in the preliminaries.
In 2004, Kupets was named the co-national champion with Patterson in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. A few weeks later, Kupets placed highest overall at the U.S. Olympic trials, earning a spot on the Olympic team.
2004 Olympic Games
At the OlympicsGymnastics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, three disciplines of gymnastics were contested: artistic gymnastics , rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Kupets won a silver medal with her fellow U.S. team members in the team all-around competition. It had originally been decided that she would compete on each of the events aside from vault; however, after a leg injury (later discovered to be a stress fracture in her hip) caused her to be suddenly withdrawn from beam, her position was given to veteran teammate Mohini Bhardwaj
Mohini Bhardwaj
Mohini Bhardwaj is a retired American gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World Championships and earned a team silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
. Kupets therefore competed only on bars and floor. She received the team's highest score on uneven bars with a 9.662 out of a 10.0 start value — putting the U.S. team temporarily ahead of eventual winner Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
in the standings — but also received the lowest on floor exercise with a 9.187 after faltering on a dance combination while trying to turn on the opposite leg she normally performs the skill with.
Kupets competed in the individual all-around at the Olympics after placing 4th overall (37.937) in the qualifying round on the first day of competition, when the team qualifications also took place. In the all-around itself, Kupets under-performed somewhat, perhaps because of her injury. She finished 9th overall in the all-around with a score of 37.112, a little over one point behind the winner, Patterson, who scored a 38.387. A highlight was her close save on beam, where a wobble after a jump saw her very nearly fall, but she regained her composure. Nevertheless, she incurred a hefty deduction, scoring less than 9 for the routine. This, as well as a step out of bounds on the floor exercise, where she scored only 9.237, prevented her from challenging for medals. As usual, her highest scoring event was the bars, where she received a 9.625; Kupets also scored a 9.275 on the vault (out of a 9.7) after taking a step with her landing. Although she had not been expected to medal after her injury, Kupets said after the event that she was happy she had competed regardless.
Kupets won the bronze medal in the individual uneven bars competition with a score of 9.637, behind Émilie Lepennec of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(9.687) and fellow American gymnast Terin Humphrey
Terin Humphrey
Terin Marie Humphrey is a United States gymnast. She was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team in Athens, Greece where she helped the team to a silver medal. This was the best ever result achieved by an American Olympic gymnastics team away from home. Her teammates were Mohini Bhardwaj, Annia...
(9.662). Kupets also finished 5th in the individual balance beam competition with a score of 9.375 out of a 9.8. She did not qualify to compete in the individual floor exercise and vault competitions.
Post-Olympics and NCAA career
After returning from Athens, Kupets quit elite level gymnastics and traveled across the United States with other gymnasts on an exhibition tour sponsored by retailRetail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
er T.J. Maxx
T.J. Maxx
T.J. Maxx, sometimes referred to as TJ's or the Maxx, is an American department store chain owned by TJX Companies. With more than 900 stores T.J. Maxx is a major clothes retailer in the United States, whilst also operating stores in a number of other countries.-History:In 1976, T.J...
.
In 2005 she joined the gymnastics team at the University of Georgia
Georgia Gym Dogs
The Georgia Gym Dogs women's gymnastics team represents the University of Georgia and competes in the Southeastern Conference . The Gym Dogs compete in Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia and compete in NCAA Division I...
on full athletic scholarship. Kupets had a very successful first season with UGA, contributing to the team's first-place finish at the 2006 NCAA National Championships and winning the all-around, bars and beam titles at the same meet. She has debuted some new skills in NCAA, including a new double layout dismount off of bars. She also joined the Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus...
sorority.
During the 2007 season, she received a 10.00 on the uneven bars while competing against the University of Alabama. It was the first 10.00 on the bars for Georgia since 2002 and the first 10.00 of Kupets' career. Her bar routine now features a toe-on Tkatchev (Ray) to immediate bail and is considered one of the most difficult bar routines ever attempted in NCAA competition. Kupets tied teammate Katie Heenan
Katie Heenan
Katherine "Katie" Elaine Heenan, , is a seven time national gymnast, and four time team NCAA champion, with the Georgia Gym Dogs.- Early life :...
for the all around title at the 2007 SEC Championships with a total of 39.600. Kupets earned the vault and bars titles with scores of 9.975 and 9.925 respectively. Despite numerous individual successes, the Gym Dogs were unable to capture their fourth-consecutive conference crown, losing to Florida
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
. After this disappointment, Kupets led her team to the North Central Regional Title and was able to capture the All Around title despite having to deal with the distraction of her older sister tearing her Achilles tendon during the warm up for floor exercise, ending her career. As the winners of the regional, the Georgia team qualified again to Nationals.
Two weeks later, the Gym Dogs competed in the afternoon preliminary session against Florida. They defeated Florida in a surprising upset due to recent Gym Dog injuries and the overwhelming notion that Florida would easily walk away with the NCAA Championship after a consistent season. Kupets scored a 39.75 on day 1, scoring a 9.9 on beam and 9.95's on bars, floor and vault. This score held as the top all around total in the meet and earned Kupets her second consecutive NCAA All Around Title. Ashley Postell
Ashley Postell
Ashley Postell is an American artistic gymnast. Postell was a member of the United States National Gymnastics Team from 1997 - 2004...
of Utah was once again the runner up. The Gym Dogs dominated the Super 6 finals, scoring a 197.85 and earning the team their third-consecutive NCAA Team Championship and 8th National Championship overall. Kupets ended her weekend by earning the NCAA Individual Vault title. She accomplished this by successfully competing a Yurchenko Full as her second vault, which she was unable to practice all year due to a foot injury. This marks Kupets' fifth individual NCAA title and seventh overall. Kupets rounded out her weekend by nabbing three more medals- silver on bars and floor, and a bronze on beam. Kupets was the only gymnast to medal on each of the four individual events.
Kupets tore her right Achilles tendon on floor exercise during a meet against Arkansas in March 2008, the second such injury she has suffered in her career. She was out for the remainder of the season, which saw her Gym Dogs win their fourth consecutive NCAA title.
The 2009 season got off to a fantastic start for Kupets, who was named SEC Gymnast of the week the first four weeks of the season and won the all-around for seven straight meets. Against Alabama Kupets had perhaps the best meet of her regular-season collegiate career, recording a then career-best 39.825 to win the all-around and achieving perfect 10.00 scores on uneven bars and on beam. After failing to win the all-around for the first time all season against Arkansas, Kupets returned to form and was named SEC Gymnast of the Week for the fourth time in the 2009 season after Georgia's home meet against Florida, in which she scored the first perfect 10.00 of her career on floor en route to once again winning the all-around title with another then career-best of 39.850. Though the Gym Dogs faltered at the SECs and suffered their only defeat of the season, Kupets again claimed the all-around title and was named SEC Gymnast of the Year. She led the Gym Dogs to a win at Regionals with another all-around win and a 10.00 on vault, giving her 10.00s on every apparatus in the 2009 season. At the NCAA championships, she became national all-around champion for a record-tying third time, earning a 10.00 on beam en route to defeating runner-up Kristina Baskett of Utah with a 39.800, thus winning the all-around in all but one 2009 meet. The night afterward, Kupets played a central role in helping the Georgia team win their fifth consecutive and tenth overall NCAA championship, posting a career-best 39.900, with 10.00s on the uneven bars and vault bringing her 10.00 season total to seven, and her career total to eight. At the individual event finals, she won the bars and beam titles (beating fellow Gym Dog, 2004 Olympic Teammate, and best friend, Courtney McCool on beam), tied to win floor, and placed third in vault, giving her a new NCAA record of an unprecedented nine individual NCAA titles to end her college career. Kupets is the only NCAA gymnast ever to win the all-around and every individual event. On June 22, 2009 Kupets was awarded the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is given to the top female college athlete.