Gymbacks Post Program High Regional Score, Fall Short in Semifinals
While Arkansas’ season came to an end as a team on Thursday night, the Hogs went out on a high note as they posted a 197.275, the program’s best-ever regional score.
The Razorbacks came in third behind No. 1 Oklahoma (197.924) and No. 16 Ohio State (197.350) and fell just short of their third consecutive regional final.
In addition to the new best team score, Arkansas also had a new regional floor high of 49.500. The Hogs finished in second among the four teams on both floor and bars (49.350).
Graduate transfer Norah Flatley competed all-around and posted a score of 39.525, second-best in the session and third-best on the day. Her mark of 9.950 on beam was the highest of the evening session and tied for second across both semifinals.
Redshirt freshman Frankie Price took the top spot in the session and on the day on floor with a stellar routine that scored 9.950. She finished in a three-way tie for the regional title, Arkansas’ first share of one since 2018, and first on floor since 2014.
Freshman Lauren Williams had a standout day in her first NCAA appearance, with matching 9.900s on vault and floor, which tied for third and fifth in the session, respectively. Fellow freshman Reese Drotar rounded out top three finishes of the session for Arkansas with a 9.925 on bars, which tied for third.
Bars
Arkansas got off to a strong start on bars thanks to a solid lead-off routine from freshman Cally Swaney that scored 9.875, which matches her personal high. Junior Jensen Scalzo delivered calm consistency as always and added a 9.825 for the Hogs in the second spot. Drotar came up third and sailed through her routine, hitting each piece of her routine well and stuck the double layout dismount for a 9.925. Following a fall, freshman Jaime Pratt stayed cool for the Gymbacks and put them back on track with a 9.800, which brought up Flatley as the anchor. She scored a 9.875 to finish the rotation at 49.350 for Arkansas.
Beam
Sophomore Kalyxta Gamiao kicked off beam for the Gymbacks with a 9.775 and brought up senior Kiara Gianfagna for her final routine in the second spot. She cruised through it and stuck her dismount for a big 9.875 score that paced the Gymbacks. Arkansas had a fall in the third spot, but redshirt freshman Cami Weaver recovered for the Hogs in a big way. She added an excellent routine, complete with a stick, and dialed up a 9.900. Williams added a 9.700 next, and Flatley anchored. She put together a stunner of a beam routine, sealed with a stick, and scored a 9.950 to push Arkansas to a 49.200 on the event.
Floor
Arkansas got the floor party going with a bang as sophomore Maddie Jones continued to prove her strength as a lead-off with a score of 9.900. Senior Maddie Hickey posted a 9.875 in her final routine as a Gymback, complete with a stuck third tumbling pass. In fourth, Flatley added a 9.875, and Williams shined at fifth with a score of 9.900, her eighth mark of 9.900 or above all season. Price was next to close things out, and delivered a monster routine full of flash that went 9.950, which would hold as the highest score of the day and closed the Hogs out with a new regional high of 49.500.
Vault
The Gymbacks started vault with a pair of 9.850 scores on Weaver and Price’s Yurchenko fulls and a 9.825 for Flatley’s. Sophomore Leah Smith returned to the vault lineup for the first time since March 5 and scored a 9.800 for her full in the fourth spot. Arkansas’ two Yurchenko 1.5 vaults, from sophomore Makie Sedlacek and freshman Lauren Williams, were up next. Sedlacek scored a 9.800, and Williams added a 9.900 with just a small step on the landing. Arkansas finished the night with a 49.225 on vault.
Up Next
Arkansas will learn the fates of its potential individual national qualifiers once regional competition in Norman wraps up on Saturday night. The top all-arounder and top event scores from non-advancing teams advance to nationals, which will take place on April 14 in Fort Worth, Texas.
More Information
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