Gymbacks Set New Team, Vault and Floor Records in 198.100 Victory Over Huskers
For the third time in the 2024 season, the No. 12 Gymbacks set a new program score record, this time by nearly half a point with a huge 198.100-197.375 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night.
En route to the huge team score, Arkansas also got program records in the opening and closing rotations, a 49.550 on vault and 49.725 on floor. The Gymbacks are one of 12 teams to score 198+ this season, and nine of the top 10 scores all time have now come in head coach Jordyn Wieber’s tenure.
Arkansas concludes the regular season with an 8-6-1 record, the most regular season victories for the program since 2012 and tied for third-most ever.
The Gymbacks swept the event titles on the night, with Hailey Klein, Reese Drotar and Maddie Jones all scoring 9.975s on vault, bars, and floor, respectively. Each ties the Arkansas program record and Klein’s mark on vault is the best-ever by an Arkansas freshman on vault. Cally Swaney registered a 9.900 on beam, part of a four-way tie for first on the event.
Vault
Arkansas’ vault rotation got stronger and stronger as it went on, with Leah Smith and Frankie Price setting the tone with matching 9.900s in the second and third spots. Dakota Essenpries was up fourth and did the best vault of her rookie career, a 9.875. Klein then went up and delivered a stuck cold Yurchenko 1.5 that earned a 10 from one judge, ultimately a 9.975 that tied the school record. Lauren Williams closed the rotation with a 9.900 to seal the program-best 49.550.
Bars
The Gymbacks didn’t slow down a bit on bars. Leah Smith cracked the lineup for the first time this season and delivered a solid routine at lead-off, sealed with a stick and a new career high of 9.925. Jaime Pratt went 9.850 in the second spot, which brought up classmate Reese Drotar at third. She had a lights out routine that earned a 10 from one judge, and matched a school record untouched since 2018 with a 9.975. Jensen Scalzo had a great showing on Senior Night with a 9.900, and Jones wrapped things up with a 9.875 for a final bars score of 9.875.
Beam
Kalyxta Gamiao and Jones both earned 9.825s in the first and second spots for the Razorbacks, and Swaney was extremely solid up third with a 9.900, a season best for her. Weaver got a 9.875 in the fourth position, and after a balance check from Klein in fifth, grad transfer fifth year Sirena Linton came to anchor. She had a great routine that scored 9.875, capped with an emotional stuck dismount in her regular season finale as a Gymback. Arkansas finished beam with a 49.300.
Floor
The Gymbacks only needed a 49.300 on floor to set another program record, and they went well above that with a program best 49.725 on the event. It started with matching 9.900s from Gamiao and Klein, a new career high for Gamiao. Jones was up third and had a near-flawless routine for Arkansas’ third 9.975 of the night. The powerhouse trio of Smith, Williams and Price got back-to-back-to-back 9.950s, which pushed Arkansas far into team high score territory and sealed the historic 198+ in Bud Walton Arena.
Up Next
The Gymbacks head to the 2024 SEC Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans, La. on Saturday, March 23. As of Friday evening, Arkansas would be seeded fifth and would compete in the afternoon session. The action will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
More Information
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