Gymbacks Host Tide in Top 20 Showdown

The No. 16 Razorbacks return to Bud Walton Arena for the first time in three weeks on Friday as they welcome the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide to town.

Friday’s meet is a crucial contest for both teams as they aim to finish as at least the eighth-ranked squad in the conference and earn the final spot at the SEC Championships in Birmingham on March 22.

Arkansas’ series with Alabama is the longest in program history at 57 total meetings. Since 2003, the Gymbacks have defeated the Crimson Tide just five times, the last in Fayetteville in 2017. The two teams are incredibly close-matched, with less than a tenth separating their NQS on three of four events and overall. Alabama has the upper hand on bars with an NQS of 49.225 to Arkansas’ 49.160, but Arkansas has the advantage on vault, beam and floor.

The Gymbacks are coming off three wins at the Metroplex Challenge last week and are currently 7-6 overall, 2-3 in the SEC. The Crimson Tide is winless in conference competition at 0-6 and is 3-6 overall.

Friday is Arkansas’ second annual Compete for a Cause meet, in which each athlete chooses a topic important to them to represent. It is also Alumni Night at Bud Walton Arena, celebrating all past Gymbacks. Below is the list of causes each Gymback has picked to bring awareness to, along with corresponding color. The team encourages fans to pick their own cause and to wear its color.

• Chandler Buntin: Stroke Awareness, Red
• Reese Drotar: Brain Cancer Awareness, Grey
• Grace Drexler: Prostate Cancer Awareness, Light Blue
• Kaity Ewald: Leukemia Awareness, Orange
• Dakota Essenpries: Foster Care Awareness, Blue
• Kalyxta Gamiao: Mental Health Awareness, Lime Green
• Maddie Jones: CTE Awareness, Lime Green
• Hailey Klein: Diabetes Awareness, Blue
• Ja’Leigh Lang: Stomach Cancer Awareness, Periwinkle
• Priscilla Park: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Awareness, Purple
• Frankie Price: Motorcycle Safety Awareness, Orange
• Joscelyn Roberson: Suicide Awareness, Teal/Purple
• Sadie Smith: Breast Cancer Awareness, Pink
• Leah Smith: Breast Cancer Awareness, Pink
• Cally Swaney: Alzheimer’s Awareness, Purple
• Mati Waligora: Lymphoma Awareness, Lime Green
• Cami Weaver: Ovarian Cancer Awareness, Teal
• Julianna Weeks: Alzheimer’s Awareness, Purple
• Lauren Williams: Neurofibromatosis Awareness, Lime Green

Doors open at 5:00 p.m., team intros are set for 6:15 and first vault is at 6:30. Tickets are available online, by phone or in person via Razorback Ticket Center. The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network with Samantha Peszek and John Roethlisberger on the call and Taylor Davis sideline reporting.

Numbers to Know:

Alabama (NQS and ranking | Top ind. NQS)

• VT: 49.155, 13th | Lilly Hudson, 9.880
• UB: 49.225, 12th | Ryan Fuller, 9.865
• BB: 48.910, 28th | Chloe LaCoursiere, 9.835
• FX: 49.360, 9th | Gabby Gladieux, 9.930
• AA: 196.690, 17th | Lilly Hudson, 39.375

Arkansas

• VT: 49.190, T-9th | Joscelyn Roberson, 9.850
• UB: 49.160, T-17th | Maddie Jones, 9.865
• BB: 49.065, 18th | Joscelyn Roberson, 9.900
• FX: 49.395, 8th | Frankie Price, 9.905
• AA: 196.175, 16th | Joscelyn Roberson, 39.380
• More Information

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