Gymnastics

Arkansas Faces Kentucky In Final SEC Meet

March 1, 2017

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas gymnastics team travels to Kentucky for its final SEC dual meet of the season on Friday night at 6 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The meet will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus.

Arkansas (2-6, 2-4 SEC) has dual meet wins over No. 5 Alabama and No. 17 Auburn and enters the weekend with a regional qualifying score of 195.535 and a season-high score of 196.375, set during the win at Auburn.

Braie Speed tied for second on uneven bars and vault, scoring a season-best 9.875 on bars, while Heather Elswick tied for second on floor exercise with a season-best 9.875 in a 195.550-185.275 loss to Michigan State this past weekend.

Jessica Yamzon has won two individual all-around titles and ranks ninth in the SEC in the all-around (38.985) and tied for 23rd on balance beam (9.820). She scored a career-best 39.300 in the all-around against Florida on Feb. 18.

Samantha Nelson has two scores of 9.900 and ranks in the top 30 on floor exercise (9.825) and balance beam (9.815), while Speed ranks in the top 30 on vault (9.825) and uneven bars (9.805).

Arkansas has won the last three meetings against Kentucky (9-3-1, 2-3 SEC) and will be seeking its first win in Lexington since 2011.

The Wildcats are tied for No. 11 in the nation with a regional qualifying score of 196.535. They scored a school-record 197.475 in the program’s first-ever win over Alabama earlier this season. Mollie Korth ranks fourth in the SEC in the all-around (39.365) and fifth on uneven bars (9.880).

Notable

  • Arkansas is 23-5 all-time against Kentucky, including 5-2 in meets held in Lexington.
  • Arkansas tied the school record with a 197.225 in a 197.225-196.700 win over Kentucky last season.
  • Four different gymnasts have combined for six scores of 9.900 this season:
    • Amanda Wellick (Vault at UCLA)
    • Sydney McGlone (Vault vs. Missouri, Balance Beam at Georgia)
    • Samantha Nelson (Balance Beam at Auburn, Floor Exercise vs. Florida)
    • Hailey Garner (Uneven Bars vs. LSU)
  • Six different gymnasts have won individual titles this season across six different meets and four different events:
    • Amanda Wellick (Vault at UCLA)
    • Jessica Yamzon (Balance Beam vs. Missouri, All-Around vs. Alabama, All-Around at Auburn)
    • Sydney McGlone (Balance Beam at Georgia, Vault vs. Alabama)
    • Braie Speed (Vault vs. Alabama)
    • Samantha Nelson (Balance Beam at Auburn
    • Hailey Garner (Uneven Bars vs. LSU)
  • Jessica Yamzon ranks ninth in the SEC in the all-around (38.985) and tied for 23rd on balance beam (9.820).
  • Samantha Nelson is tied for 23rd in the SEC on floor exercise (9.825) and tied for 26th on balance beam (9.815). Braie Speed is tied for 23rd in the SEC on vault (9.825) and tied for 28th on uneven bars (9.805).
  • Arkansas ranks 20th in the nation on balance beam (48.980).
  • Arkansas ranks seventh in the SEC and ninth in the nation in attendance with an average crowd of 4,058 and a large crowd of 5,456 for the meet vs. Alabama on Jan. 27.
  • Arkansas ranks 10th in the nation in strength of schedule, according to RoadToNationals.com.

Quotable – Head Coach Mark Cook

“This is our last SEC meet before the SEC Championship, so it’s important for us to go to Kentucky and compete hard, and we’ll see what happens.”

“I couldn’t ask this team to be any more mature and positive than they have been in the face of adversity this season. It’s a growing experience. It’s something that you’re tested with in life. They’re growing up fast, and I’m really proud of them.”

Looking Ahead

Arkansas returns home for a Senior Night tri-meet against San Jose State and Centenary on March 10. Arkansas will also compete at the SEC Championship on March 18 in Jacksonville and host an NCAA Regional on April 1 in Barnhill Arena.

Single-meet tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth 17 and under. Admission is also free for UA students with ID. Tickets are also available for the NCAA Regional that Arkansas will be hosting in Barnhill Arena on April 1. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth and UA students.

Fans can purchase tickets online or by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS or 479-575-5151.

For more information on Arkansas gymnastics, follow @RazorbackGym on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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