Arkansas Falls in University Park Regional Final
Despite a valiant effort and excellent performances on beam and floor, the No, 16 Gymbacks just couldn’t muster up enough of a comeback to finish in the top two in the University Park regional final on Saturday, bringing their season to an end.
Arkansas posted a final score of 197.375, fourth of four. No. 9 Kentucky came in third with a mark of 197.625, and No. 8 Michigan State and No. 1 LSU advanced to next month’s NCAA Championships with scores of 198.000 and 198.050, respectively.
The night was highlighted by freshman Joscelyn Roberson’s all-around score of 39.625, a new personal best. It also bested her Arkansas freshman all-around record, which she set just two days prior at the regional semifinal. She collected three scores of 9.925+ on the night, including a career high 9.925 on bars.
The Gymbacks’ best two events of the night were beam and floor, where they scored 49.400 and 49.500. Across the events, Arkansas recorded a combined four scores of 9.9+.
While the team’s season is done, the Gymbacks will still have representation at the national championships later this month with individual competitors. Both Maddie Jones and Joscelyn Roberson have unofficially punched their tickets, Jones on bars and Roberson all-around. Individual competitors are determined after the regional semifinal rounds and spots are awarded to individuals with the highest event scores on non-advancing teams. Individual qualifiers will be announced Monday.
Beam
Arkansas started its night on beam and got off to a solid start with scores of 9.850 and 9.875 from Kalyxta Gamiao, Mati Waligora and Priscilla Park, all with stuck dismounts. Junior Cally Swaney added a 9.800 in the fourth spot, and redshirt junior Cami Weaver kept the momentum going with a 9.850. Roberson came up to anchor and absolutely nailed her routine, earning a 10 from one of the four judges, and got a final tally of 9.950. Arkansas finished beam with a score of 49.400.
Floor
Despite being down a key piece of their floor lineup in Frankie Price, the Gymbacks still had a very impressive rotation with a 49.500, matching their regional record on the event. Back-to-back 9.850s from Gamiao and Hailey Klein paced the Hogs nicely. Following a 9.625 from freshman Ja’Leigh Lang, Maddie Jones shined with another big performance and earned a 9.950. Graduate Mati Waligora supplied a 9.900 at the five spot, and Roberson anchored the floor lineup for the first time ever with a big 9.950.
Vault
Weaver and Lang both stuck their Yurchenko fulls in the first two spots on vault and earned marks of 9.875 and 9.900. Sophomore Dakota Essenpries and Klein both got matching 9.825s for their Yurchenko 1.5s up third and fourth, and Roberson put down a 9.800 next. Grad student Kaity Ewald made her Arkansas vault debut as the anchor in relief of Price and got a 9.800 for her front pike half vault, a great performance on another 10.0 start value for the Gymbacks. Arkansas finished vault with a 49.225.
Bars
Roberson led off bars with her best routine yet as a Gymback on the event, drilling her dismount and earning a career high 9.925. Swaney went next for Arkansas and got a 9.800 in the second spot. Ewald then got a 9.775 up third, her collegiate finale. Jones delivered another beautiful bar routine in the fifth position and stuck her double layout perfectly. She earned a 9.950 for the second time in as many meets. Arkansas dropped its final score of the lineup and concluded bars with a 49.200.
More Information
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