Arkansas makes history with win over Kentucky
The 4,248 fans at
Barnhill Arena on Friday night and the many more watching at home
witnessed the Arkansas gymnastics team tie its best performance in
program history.
The Razorbacks scored a 197.225 to match the
program's all-time record in a meet, and defeated No. 23 Kentucky - who
scored a 196.700 - in the process. In all, four Arkansas gymnasts set
career highs and seven tied a career best on an apparatus.
Two
of those tied career-bests were from Amanda Wellick, including her
score on floor exercise; the final routine of the evening. As the
anchor of the lineup, Wellick needed a 9.950 to reach the hallowed
number for the Razorbacks, and she hit it right on the head. She also
equaled a 9.900 on uneven bars from the 2014 NCAA Regional.
Speaking
of bars, Braie Speed and Erin Freier each set career-highs with
9.925's, while Stephani Canizaro with a 9.875 and Keara Glover with a
9.850 from the leadoff spot. Paige Zaziski scored a season-best 9.925,
falling just shy of her career number of 9.950. Arkansas finished with
a 49.550 for the event, good enough for the team's best score on the
apparatus in Barnhill history and second-highest score by an SEC team
this season.
On beam, the Razorbacks posted a 49.325, which
marks the team's second-best score on the apparatus in Barnhill
history. Samantha Nelson set a career high with a 9.900, while Sydnie
Dillard tied her season high of 9.875. Mia Bargiacchi, in her first
career event as a, scored a 9.800 on the beam. To end the night on
floor, Arkansas put forward a lineup of only five that needed to reach
a 49.350 to tie the record. Going into Wellick's routine, the
Razorbacks needed a 9.950 and the junior all-arounder didn't
disappoint. Tying her career high, she notched that number to give to
put the cherry on top of the 197.225 that tied the program's highest
overall team score, set on Jan. 20, 2012 against LSU.
In the
all-around, Amanda Wellick set a career high with 39.600, to defeat
Kentucky's Sidney Dukes and Katie Stuart - who each scored a 39.325 -
to take home the title.
GYM QUOTES
"The team had a
meeting this week and we came to the conclusion that we needed to step
things up and correct our common mistakes. Tonight the girls came in
and changed their mindset. It was good to see the team take a step in
the right direction. They earned this score tonight." - Head coach Mark
Cook
"It was really great tonight to be back in Barnhill. I just
wanted to go up and do the best I could for my team. I focused in on my
details and did what I had to do to help bring home the win." - Junior
Amanda Wellick
UP NEXT
Arkansas is right back on the road
to face No. 12 Missouri on Friday, March 4 in Colombia. It will be the
Razorbacks' final road meet of the season, as well as their last SEC
dual meet. Competition begins at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC
Network +.
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