No. 5 Arkansas Returns to Barnhill Against No. 25 Missouri
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas gymnastics team will honor “Legends and Heroes Among Us,” this Friday (Feb. 19) when it hosts the No. 25 Missouri Tigers inside Barnhill Arena.
Arkansas is welcoming all Gymback alumni and Arkansas legends back to Barnhill Arena on Friday. The team will also be recognizing frontline heroes, who have served the community throughout the pandemic.
Arkansas enters the week ranked No. 5 in the all-around by Road to Nationals, and although the Gymbacks dropped to No. 5 on both beam and floor, they improved on vault and bars to No. 8 and No. 12, respectively.
Last Time Out
The Gymbacks came out strong in Lexington, registering a season-best 49.275 on vault and a 49.375 on the uneven bars, tying the team’s season high. A less than average floor and beam rotation gave Kentucky enough leverage to take the lead and come out with the home win, 197.000-196.675. Many Gymbacks still had impressive performances throughout the night, including Kennedy Hambrick who scored career-highs on both vault (9.925) and floor (9.950).
The Scout and Series
Mizzou makes the short bus ride to Barnhill Arena, coming off a 196.175-196.100 win over No. 19 Auburn last week. The Tigers trailed 97.925-97.800 at the halfway mark but used a season-high of 49.250 on beam and 49.125 on floor to pull out the victory. The Tigers are ranked 25th by Road to Nationals in week six. By event, they rank 39th on vault, 23rd on bars, 35th on beam and 19th on floor. Missouri’s highest team score of the season came in its win over Auburn last week, their highest road score is 194.800 (at Florida on Jan. 29).
The Gymbacks and Tigers have been facing off since the inaugural season in 2003 with Arkansas leading the all-time series, 15-10. The two teams first met as regional foes and then as SEC opponents when Missouri joined the conference in 2013. Arkansas is aiming for its third consecutive win against Missouri after the Gymbacks visited Columbia last season and secured the first SEC win of the Jordyn Wieber era, 196.025-195.075. It has been four years since the Tigers came to Fayetteville, and Arkansas will be competing for its first home win versus Missouri since 2015 (195.825-195.275).
Ticket Sales Closed For 2021 Gymnastics Season
Per Arkansas Department of Health guidelines, Barnhill Arena will feature reduced capacity based upon current state Phase II social distancing standards. As of present, due to an overwhelming turn out from our dedicated season ticket holders, we have reached the allowed capacity via ticket sales. Tickets are no longer available on a single-meet basis.
For fans coming to the meet, please make sure to read our “Before You Go” guide to ensure you are up to date on all the new protocols and precautions put in place to keep our fans, coaches, student-athletes and staff safe this season.
Friday night’s meet will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Hogs on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).
