Gymbacks Place Seventh, Get Three Podium Finishes at SEC Championships
Arkansas gymnastics started its postseason on Saturday afternoon with the SEC Championships and came in seventh of nine with a score of 196.975.
Florida took the team title with a score of 198.175. Oklahoma took second (198.150), LSU took third (197.950) and Alabama rounded out the top four (197.475). Georgia and Missouri came in fifth and sixth with scores of 197.450 and 197.075, respectively, and Kentucky (196.925) and Auburn (195.300) came in eighth and ninth.
Sophomore Joscelyn Roberson shined in her first-ever SEC Championships with an all-around score of 39.575. It was the best mark of the afternoon session and held on for sixth place overall. She also earned a share of the beam silver medal with a score of 9.950, the highest individual finish for a Gymback at SEC Championships since Sophia Carter tied for second on floor in 2021.
Senior Morgan Price was Arkansas’ third podium finish of the day as she earned a 9.925 on vault, good for third place outright at her-first ever SECs.
Freshman Allison Cucci also had a great day, as she scored a 39.500 all-around, which was good for ninth place and the best for any freshman in either session.
Arkansas’ team score of 196.975 is the second highest ever at an SECs, and the second-best under head coach Jordyn Wieber. The Gymbacks got an impressive 49.350 on beam, which also marks the second-highest beam score at an SECs in program history.
Vault
Following a 9.675 from Weaver, Jocelyn Roberson got the Gymbacks back on track with a solid vault in the second position that went 9.850. Allison Cucci vaulted Arkansas’ first Yurchenko 1.5 of the day and had just a slight hop on the landing for a 9.800. Hailey Klein also did a 1.5 next and went 9.750 for the Gymbacks in the fourth spot. Williams was up fifth for Arkansas and scored 9.825. Morgan Price then came to anchor and delivered a 9.925 for the Gymbacks, which brought their vault total to 49.150.
Bars
A rotation off didn’t slow Roberson down as she dialed up a big 9.875 for the Gymbacks on bars in the lead-off spot. Following a 9.675 from Klein, Leah Smith righted the ship with another 9.875 for Arkansas midway through the lineup. Cucci followed with a 9.850, and Morgan Price closed it out with a 9.750. The Gymbacks concluded bars with a 49.125.
Beam
Priscilla Park and Klein opened the beam rotation with matching 9.850s, and Weaver earned a 9.800 in the third spot. Cucci continued her hot streak on the day with a big routine that went 9.900, complete with a stick. After a 9.750 from Morgan Price, Roberson anchored and delivered her usual business on beam for a 9.950 – with a 10 from one judge – a new Arkansas individual SEC Championships best on the event. The Gymbacks concluded the rotation with a 49.350 on beam, the second highest score ever on the event for the team at SEC Championships.
Floor
Klein and Cucci were the first two in the floor lineup for Arkansas and scored 9.825 and 9.850, respectively, to conclude their all-around days. Smith got a 9.900 next to keep the floor party going strong, and Frankie Price followed with a 9.875. Williams got a 9.750 in the fifth position, and Roberson closed it out strongly with a 9.900. The Gymbacks ended up earning a 49.350 on floor.
Up Next
The Gymbacks will learn their official regional seeding and placement on Monday, March 23 during the NCAA Gymnastics Selection show at noon. Regionals will take place April 2-5, with LSU (Baton Rouge), Kentucky (Lexington), Arizona State (Tempe) and Oregon State (Corvallis) serving as host sites.
More Information
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