Arkansas Defeats Auburn in Front of Sellout Crowd
The No. 4 Gymbacks kept their hot start to the season going on Friday as they took down the Auburn Tigers 197.225-196.675 at Barnhill Arena.
The win was Arkansas’ first home victory over the Tigers since 2018. With their third score over 197 for the third consecutive week, it’s just the second time in history Arkansas has recorded back-to-back-to-back 197+ scores, the last in 2021, also under head coach Jordyn Wieber.
The Hogs outscored the Tigers on bars and floor, and eight Gymbacks posted top three finishes, including a three-way tie for the bars title for Reese Drotar, Maddie Jones and Cally Swaney. Lauren Williams also earned her second floor title of the year with a score of 9.950.
The meet was a capacity crowd of 7,147, which matches the Barnhill Arena program record attendance set last season against LSU.
Vault
Cami Weaver continued to show her steadiness on vault in the lead-off position as she scored a 9.850 to begin the meet. Leah Smith and Makie Sedlacek delivered scores of 9.875 and 9.850, respectively, to pace the Hogs midway through the lineup. Frankie Price put up a clean Yurchenko full in the fifth position for a 9.875, and Williams closed the rotation with a 9.775 for her Yurchenko 1.5. Arkansas concluded vault with a 49.225 score.
Bars
Swaney had a smooth start to the bars rotation and capped her routine with a stuck double layout dismount, which earned a 9.900, a new career high. Her fellow sophomores Jaime Pratt and Reese Drotar kept the momentum going with scores of 9.875 and 9.900, and bars veteran Jensen Scalzo added a 9.825. Following a 9.675 score, Jones came in clutch with a beautiful bars routine and stuck the dismount for another 9.900, which brought the Hogs’ bars total to 49.400, a season high.
Beam
Junior Kalyxta Gamiao maintained her consistency and calm demeanor as Arkansas’ beam lead-off and shined with a 9.850 to start. Jones followed with a 9.875 in her third beam appearance ever, continuing to cement her place in the event lineup. Williams went up third and earned a 9.775, and graduate transfer Sirena Linton put down another solid routine for a 9.825 in the fifth spot. Freshman Priscilla Park concluded the rotation with a 9.775, and Arkansas finished with a 49.125 on beam.
Floor
The Barnhill Arena floor party did not disappoint yet again on Friday, and the first half of the lineup got better as it went on. Gamiao led off with a 9.850, freshman Hailey Klein followed with a career-high 9.875, and Jones was steady in the third spot with a big 9.900 score, her second of the night. Smith went up fourth and scored a 9.825. Williams delivered yet another show-stopping routine in the fifth position with a huge 9.950, her second of the season. Price finished the rotation with a 9.900, which meant Arkansas’ lowest score of the rotation was a 9.825. The Gymbacks’ event total was 49.475, their second-highest mark this season.
Up Next
The Hogs hit the road for four meets, the first of the road trip at LSU on Friday, Feb. 2. The contest is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
More Information
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