Arkansas Gymnastics Continues Blowing Up School Records
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When Oklahoma came to Fayetteville this past Sunday, it was easy for fans to see that despite Arkansas improving by a full point this year in gymnastics, the Razorbacks probably need another year to grow to the level needed to compete with the No. 1 Sooners.
So, Jordyn Wieber's team did it in six days. The only way to compete with the Sooners over the next few weeks as the run to the national championship begins is to be able to score in the 198 range, something Arkansas has never done that Oklahoma has accomplished on 11 of its last 12 meets.
Fittingly, in a year that has seen the Razorbacks plow through school records, another fell Friday night at Bud Walton Arena. For the first time ever, Arkansas found itself overcoming season-long demons to finally break the 198 barrier, defeating Nebraska 198.100-197.375.
It was the perfect send-off for seniors Emma Kelly, Sirena Linton and Jensen Scalzo. While the score will be dropped when calculating the team's national qualifying score, it did remove a 197.150 from the season opener against Georgia to allow the 197.650 from two weeks ago at Missouri to be added into the team's average instead.
The good news for Arkansas is it raises the team's average to 197.445. The bad news is it won't be quite enough to raise the Razorbacks into the Top 4 in the SEC to secure a spot in the second session of the conference championship meet and it also won't raise them from their current No. 12 position in the national rankings.
While the streak of meets without breaking 198 finally ended, the program stigma of never achieving a perfect 10 will continue, but not from a lack of opportunity. Six Razorbacks gave the judges full reason to flash double digits on the board, including three consecutive 9.95s to close the meet.
The night began with a program record 49.550 on bars. Arkansas was able to drop a 9.850 and ride the strength of a 9.975 by freshman Hailey Klein.
The focus and domination continued on bars, which has been an achilles heel throughout much of the season. The Razorbacks set a season high with a 49.525 as this time it was sophomore Reese Drotar who flirted with perfection with a 9.975, allowing Arkansas to drop a 9.8.
Beam turned out to be the Razorbacks' only weak point. After a night of pounding the scoreboard with 9.9s, Arkansas only managed one, a 9.900 by sophomore Cally Swaney.
But that set the table for the Razorbacks' strongest event – floor exercise – and they flexed hard. Arkansas dropped a 9.900 and only had one score that counted below a 9.975.
Leah Smith, Lauren Williams, and Frankie Price each ripped off 9.95s in response to a 9.975 by Maddie Jones. That run allowed the Razorbacks to shatter the team record on floor set in the previous meet against Oklahoma by closing the season with a 49.725.
The win gives Arkansas a winning record despite more than half their schedule being made up against teams in the Top 7, including a pair of meets against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 7 Alabama. Ten of the 14 opponents were Top 21 or better.
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