Razorbacks Get Highest Ranked Win in Eight Years, Set New Floor Record Against Kentucky
The No. 16 Gymbacks were clearly happy to be home on Friday night as they took down the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats 197.400-197.150 at Barnhill Arena.
The victory was Arkansas’ highest-ranked and first in a regular season over Kentucky since 2016 and marked the fifth 197+ score so far for Razorbacks, which matches a single season record set in 2021. The final of 197.400 ties for the fourth-highest score ever.
Arkansas outscored the Wildcats on every event but beam and set a new program record of 49.675 on floor, upending the previous high of 49.575 earned in 2015. Four Gymbacks got at least a share of an event title: Cami Weaver and Lauren Williams on vault (9.925), Maddie Jones on bars (9.950) and Frankie Price on floor (9.975).
Price’s mark of 9.975 on floor matches her career high and the program record. Two other gymnasts have scored 9.975 on floor in Katherine Grable and Jaime Pisani, but Price is the first to do so twice.
Vault
Vault got off to a hot start as Weaver stuck her Yurchenko full and earned a personal best 9.925 in the lead-off position. Leah Smith followed with a 9.900, complete with a stick, to keep the momentum going. Price scored 9.825 in the third spot and freshman Hailey Klein matched it up fifth. Williams delivered a clean Yurchenko 1.5 as the anchor that scored 9.925, capping the rotation at 49.400, Arkansas’ second-highest vault tally of the season.
Bars
The sophomore trio of Cally Swaney, Jaime Pratt and Reese Drotar paced the Hogs nicely midway through the bars lineup with scores of 9.850, 9.825 and 9.825, respectively. Senior Jensen Scalzo showed poise and maturity up fourth and earned a 9.900, and freshman Priscilla Park showed no rookie jitters in fifth with a 9.850. Jones was the anchor and came through with a lights-out performance that went 9.950, a new season high and a match for her career high. The Gymbacks finished bars with a 49.375.
Beam
Junior Kalyxta Gamiao led the Hogs off wonderfully on beam as always and posted a solid 9.800 to get the rotation going. Jones fought through some balance checks in the second spot and scored 9.675, but Swaney recovered well from the Hogs and posted a 9.850 up third. Weaver then added a 9.800 for a solid score in the fourth spot. Klein and grad transfer Sirena Linton fought through their routines for marks of 9.725 and 9.775 up fifth and sixth, respectively, and Arkansas posted a score of 48.950 on beam.
Floor
The Gymback floor party brought down the house yet again, and the rotation begun with a huge routine from Gamiao that went 9.875, a new career high. Klein matched her score in the second spot, which also tied her personal best. Jones had a stunning routine up third that went 9.950, a new career high. That left Smith, Williams and Price left and each had stellar showings that got even better as they went: Smith with a 9.925, Williams with a 9.950 and Price with a 9.975. The performances were more than enough to get the win and a new floor record: 49.675.
Up Next
Arkansas has eight days off before traveling to Columbia, Mo. on Sunday, March 3 for an SEC dual with the Tigers at 5 p.m. CT. The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
More Information
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