Top-15 Match-Up on Deck for Gymbacks’ Women’s Empowerment Night
Two of the toughest gymnastics teams in the country will face off on Friday as No. 14 Arkansas hosts No. 10 Kentucky at Barnhill Arena.
The turnaround has been quick for the Gymbacks, who last saw action against SEMO in a rare Sunday meet after both teams had to make schedule adjustments due to inclement weather. But the team has adjusted prepare for the Wildcats.
“Not a ton of days in the gym, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” head coach Jordyn Wieber said. “It was overall really productive and the message is very similar week to week: How can we get a little bit better, how can we improve on half-tenths, how can we get a little more consistent? So practice has been great and I’m really looking forward to a great match-up with Kentucky on Friday night.”
Both the Hogs and Wildcats are coming off of wins last weekend, Arkansas against SEMO and Kentucky came out on top in a quad meet in Lexington over Illinois, Georgia and Central Michigan.
Kentucky earned a score of 197.450 in the outing and improved its overall ranking to No. 10 and average score to 196.750. The Wildcats’ strongest event currently is vault, in which they are ranked fifth, only behind SEC opponent Florida at No. 4. Kentucky is also ranked just inside the top 10 on bars and floor, and the team has the country’s No. 6 all-arounder in Raena Worley.
Arkansas bests Kentucky on beam, as the Gymbacks came in at No. 9 this week, with an average score of 49.244. That average is boosted by the mark of 49.475 that Arkansas posted at Florida on Jan. 28, a new program record. Of the top 10 teams in the country on the event, SEC teams take six of the spots.
Friday’s meeting will be the 38th meeting between the two teams, and while Arkansas mostly dominated the series in its first 10 years, the tide began to turn in 2014. Since then, the Gymbacks are 5-10 against Kentucky, 24-13 overall.
Friday will also serve as the third-annual Women’s Empowerment Meet for the Arkansas program, a tradition started in the first year of Coach Wieber’s tenure in 2020. Additionally, the team will honor the women who built the program into what it is today with Alumni Night.
This year’s iteration of the Women’s Empowerment Meet also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was enacted in 1972.
“We’ve done the Women’s Empowerment theme the past two years, it’s something that I’m really passionate about, something that our team has really jumped on board for, and it’s really an opportunity for us to celebrate empowering women, both in the community and in the world who have paved the way for our athletes and women today to be able to do what we do,” Wieber said. “We’ve come so far in reaching toward equality between men and women in sport. We’re still not fully there and we’re still striving toward that, but I think it’s great to highlight that and to highlight what our athletes are doing here at Arkansas, both in the gymnastics program and in all of sports here on campus.”
The Gymbacks are also hoping to build off the momentum on campus that started with the men’s basketball team’s defeat of No. 1 Auburn on Tuesday and are aiming to see a record student section crowd.
The first 300 students into the building on Friday will get a free Razorback Gymnastics t-shirt and food from Jimmy John’s.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the meet, with team intros set for 6:45 and action at 7:00.
Tickets are still available online HERE. The meet will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and live stats will be provided.
Last Time Out
The Gymbacks had to make some changes to their schedule as winter weather ripped through the northwest Arkansas area last week, but still found a way to compete, hold the team’s first-ever Equality Night and came away with a win. Arkansas got the team win over SEMO 197.050-194.150, and a highlight of the day was the all-around victory from freshman Leah Smith, her first at Arkansas. She recorded new personal bests on vault (9.850) and floor (9.875) and matched her high on bars (9.850) and finished with a total score of 39.425, which is Arkansas’ highest all-around score for a freshman since Kennedy Hambrick in 2020, and its first all-around victory for a rookie since Kiara Gianfagna in 2020.Hambrick earned first place on vault (9.925), beam (9.975) and floor (9.950), all of which were season highs and a new career high on beam. Sixth-year Gymback Sarah Shaffer claimed the top spot on bars with a 9.925, which ties her personal best.
Up Next
With the Tigers’ meets against Missouri and Arkansas postponed earlier in the season, LSU joined forces with the Gymbacks to make a previously scheduled dual a tri-meet, which is now set for Sunday, Feb. 20 in Columbia against Arkansas, Missouri and LSU. The action is set for noon CT.
More Information
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).
