Big score at UIC
CHICAGO – Two days after knocking off No. 1 Florida at home in Barnhill Arena, Arkansas’ 15th-ranked gymnastics team recorded a season-high road score with Sunday’s win at No. 45 Illinois-Chicago.
Junior All-American Jaime Pisani tied the school record on floor, and Arkansas recorded top 10 team totals on vault and floor in the 196.50-193.775 victory.
The Razorbacks beat the No. 1 Gators in Fayetteville on Friday, 196.70-196.10.
Arkansas has won six of its last seven to improve to 6-3. Friday’s win over Florida gave the Razorbacks a 5-1 mark in the Southeastern Conference and a share of the regular-season championship.
"I thought we did an outstanding job," co-head coach Rene Cook said. "We were very enthusiastic and we had a lot of energy, which was nice to see after just competing on Friday. We knew we had to do well here. We had good intensity and worked the whole meet. We were 25-for-25 (hitting routines and not counting a fall)."
On Sunday, Arkansas’ 49.325 on vault tied for fifth-best team score in school history while the 49.325 on floor tied for ninth-best. Pisani tied the school record with a 9.95 on floor.
"We still have two meets before the SEC meet and we need similar performances to get to where we want to be," Cook said. "We’re finally starting to click."
Pisani won the all-around with a 39.35, floor with her 9.95 and vault with a 9.90. Jordan Salsberg and Katherine Grable tied for the beam title with a 9.85, and Michelle Stout won bars with a 9.775.
"Jaime and Katherine were awesome," Cook said. "Jordan struggled in warm-ups, but she turned it around and hit some great routines."
In the first rotation, Arkansas had a 48.75 on bars while UIC had a 48.60 on vault. Arkansas’ score is its third-best of the year.
The Razorbacks were led by Stout with the 9.775. Pisani, Mariah Howdeshell and Shelby Salmon had a 9.75 each, followed by Genny Salvatore with a 9.725 and Salsberg a 9.70.
UIC was led on vault by Chantel Turk with a 9.85.
In the second rotation, Arkansas had a season-high 49.325 on vault while UIC had a 48.375 on bars. Arkansas’ total ties for the fifth-best mark in school history.
Pisani had a 9.90, Grable and Salsberg a 9.875, Stout a 9.825, Kelci Lewis a 9.85 and Scarlett Williams a 9.70.
The Flames were led on bars by Andrea Skala with a 9.75.
Through two events, Arkansas led the meet 98.075-96.975.
In the third rotation, Arkansas scored a 49.325 on floor. UIC had a 47.975 on beam. Arkansas’ total ties for ninth-best in school history.
After three events, Arkansas led 147.40-144.95.
For the Razorbacks, Pisani had the 9.95, Grable a 9.925, Lewis a 9.875, Salsberg a 9.80, Bailee Zumwalde a 9.775 and Bartlett a 9.625.
In the final rotation, Arkansas had a 49.10 on beam, matching the season high set against Florida.
Salsberg and Grable had a 9.85, Howdeshell and Bartlett a 9.825, and Pisani and Williams a 9.75.
Lewis set season highs and matched her career highs on both vault and floor, and Salsberg set career highs on vault and beam.
Arkansas closes its home schedule on Friday at home at 7 p.m. in Barnhill Arena against West Virginia.
A tape-delay broadcast of Friday’s win over No. 1 Florida airs on March 3 at 8 p.m. (central) on Comcast Sports Southeast. CSS is not available in Northwest Arkansas but is available to subscribers in Central Arkansas on Channel 23.
Meet Results
No. 15 Arkansas 196.50No. 45 Illinois-Chicago 193.775
Feb. 27, Chicago, Ill.
ROTATION I
ArkansasBars: 48.75Jordan Salsberg 9.70, Genny Salvatore 9.725, Shelby Salmon 9.75, Mariah Howdeshell 9.75, Jaime Pisani 9.75, Michelle Stout 9.775
UICVault: 48.60Catherine Dion 9.725, Emily Lawrence 9.50, Sarah Murray 9.775, Cynthia Lemieux-Guillen 9.525, Andrea Skala 9.725, Chantel Turk 9.85
ROTATION II
ArkansasVault: 49.325Kelci Lewis 9.85, Jordan Salsberg 9.875, Scarlett Williams 9.70, Katherine Grable 9.875, Jaime Pisani 9.90, Michelle Stout 9.825
UICBars: 48.375Karen Morales 9.65, Erin Duggan 9.475, Rachel Montoya 9.675, Chantel Turk 9.725, Andrea Skala 9.75, Cynthia Lemieux-Guillen 9.575
ROTATION III
ArkansasFloor: 49.325Bailee Zumwalde 9.775, Stacy Bartlett 9.625, Jordan Salsberg 9.80, Kelci Lewis 9.875, Katherine Grable 9.925, Jaime Pisani 9.95
UICBeam: 47.975Rachel Montoya 9.675, Erin Duggan 8.95, Emily Lawrence 9.675, Andrea Skala 9.625, Cynthia Lemieux-Guillen 9.275, Catherine Dion 9.725
ROTATION IV
ArkansasBeam: 49.10Scarlett Williams 9.75, Jaime Pisani 9.75, Jordan Salsberg 9.85, Mariah Howdeshell 9.825, Katherine Grable 9.85, Stacy Bartlett 9.825
UICFloor: 48.825Christine Girard 9.10, Catherine Dion 9.70, Andrea Skala 9.75, Cynthia Lemieux-Guillen 9.725, Chantel Turk 9.80,Sarah Murray 9.85
Download: UIC_ARK.pdf
