Arkansas Hosts Women’s Empowerment Night on Friday
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas gymnastics team is slated to host the second-ever Women’s Empowerment Night on Friday. The No. 6 Gymbacks host the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide in an SEC showdown starting at 7 p.m.
The gymnasts for both teams will be honoring women who have empowered them by proudly wearing their names on specially made women’s empowerment shirts. Some of the women being honored include Serena Williams, Katherine Johnson, Princess Diana and Billie Jean King. Arkansas will also be celebrating four empowering women in particular in seniors Sydney Laird, Sarah Shaffer, Sophia Carter and Maggie O’Hara.
Carter Nominated for AAI Award
As a freshman, Sophia Carter set the program record on the beam with a 9.975 against Georgia and she still stands as the only athlete in program history to record a 9.975 twice on the same event. As a Razorback, Carter has earned 24 career titles, 10 on the balance beam and 14 on the floor. She came to Arkansas in the fall of 2017 as the first Gymback to hail from Missouri and will graduate from the University of Arkansas in May of 2021 with her bachelor’s degree Kinesiology: Exercise Science with a minor in Medical Humanities. Carter will graduate as a two-time SEC Specialist of the Week and two-time, All-SEC Selection. She was an NCAA event finalist n beam in 2019 and was named a WGCA Regular-Season All-American on floor in both 2019 and 2020.
Hambrick Breaks All-Around Record Against the Tigers
Kennedy Hambrick became Arkansas’ all-time, all-around leader with an impressive final score of 39.750. She swept the event titles on the night, with a 9.975 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.950 on beam and 9.950 on floor. Hambrick’s career-high on vault also tied the program record on vault, as she joins Jaime Pisani and Kat Grable in the record books. She also set a career-high on beam (9.950) and matched the highest score on beam by a junior in Arkansas history.
Record-Setting Team Score in Win vs Mizzou
It was a historic night in Barnhill Arena for the University of Arkansas gymnastics team. The Gymbacks scored a program-record 197.350 in their win over No. 25 Missouri (197.350-196.850). Arkansas put together a beam lineup that posted not just a season-high 49.400, but also tied for the third-best team score in program history. Arkansas posted a season-best 49.575 on the floor, their performance ranks second all-time on floor in Arkansas history and is the highest event score in the nation this season. Arkansas is looking to build off its record-setting win against the Tigers last week (Feb. 19) and on their hunt for a third score of 197 or better this season.
The Scout and Series
Arkansas is looking for its third SEC win of the season after already outscoring Georgia and Mizzou, the three SEC wins would be the most since 2016 for the Razorbacks. The Gymbacks’ last win came the last two teams faced off in Fayetteville (2017), when Arkansas’ 195.825 was enough to outscore the Crimson Tide, 195.325. Last season, Arkansas visited Tuscaloosa and after Alabama was forced to count a fall on beam in the third rotation, the Gymbacks trailed only 147.100-147.050. Arkansas started strong on beam, but Alabama finished with a 49.525 on floor to secure the win (196.625-196.100). The Crimson Tide holds the advantage in the all-time series having won 37 of the 43 meetings.
Alabama (5-1) heads to Fayetteville for their final road trip of the regular season, coming off a 197-725-197.325 win over LSU at home (Feb. 19). The Tide’s team total was its highest since scoring 197.825 against Florida on Feb. 3, 2017. The Crimson Tide posted a season-best 49.450 on vault, with five scores of 9.850 or higher. Luisa Blanco won SEC Gymnast of the Week for her 39.825 all-around performance, scoring 9.925 or better on every apparatus.
Blanco and Kennedy Hambrick now have the second and third highest AA performances in the nation this season – the top three all belong to SEC gymnasts.
Friday night’s meet will be available on the SEC Network+ and will air via tape delay on ESPNU on Saturday, Feb 27th at 9:30 a.m and 9:30 p.m.
ESPNU Links | AM Showing | PM Showing
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