Even with yet another makeshift lineup, the third-ranked Gym Dogs were able to pound No. 5 Auburn 197.250-195.925 Saturday, simultaneously posting the highest score by any team in the country this season.

After freshman Gina Nuccio hyperextended her knee in warm-ups, classmate Kat Ding was suddenly slotted for three events.

“After beam I was shaking like a maniac,” Ding said. “I couldn’t stop shaking.”

With Nuccio watching from the sidelines on crutches, Ding, visibly nervous, had mixed results. She charted a personal-best 9.850 on bars, but took a big step on her vault landing and had several wobbles on beam, scoring 9.725 and 9.650, respectively.

Ding has competed on bars in all of the Gym Dogs’ meets this year, but made her Georgia debut on vault and beam.

“It’s intimidating coming in here as a freshman with some of the upperclassmen that we have on our team,” head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “And she needs more experience, that’s all.”

Injury after injury has plagued Nuccio since she came to Athens in the fall, whether it’s been a heart condition, a back, an ankle, or now a knee.

Though she said this one, which came when she stiff-legged a landing on vault, doesn’t seem to be anything too serious, Ding expressed a desire to carry some of the load for her classmate.

“Sometimes I wish it was me instead of her,” Ding said. “She just bounces back from one injury and then has another one. And I feel so bad. I don’t wish it badly, but I wish it was on me instead of her.”