No. 14 Arkansas third at biggest quad in program history

Jump to agate FAYETTEVILLE – The 14th-ranked University of Arkansas gymnastics team recorded its second-best score of the season and rocked the meet with a 195.625 finishing third in one of the toughest quad meets in program history. Arkansas was solid from the first vault to the last floor routine hanging on with a 9.875 from freshman Samantha Cortez to edge No. 14 Oregon State who posted a 195.550 and avenge an earlier season loss to the Beavers. Fifth-ranked UCLA edged No. 3 Nebraska 196.850-196.625 winning the meet in the final rotation. “It was awesome,” said co-head coach Rene Cook. “There was a lot of energy in the gym tonight. All three of these teams could be at the National Championships and Nebraska and UCLA will vie for the title. We told the team it would take everything we had from the first vault to the last floor routine and it did.” Gym’Back sophomore Cassie Drew was Arkansas top all-arounder finished fifth overall with a season-best 39.100 in just her second four-event meet of the year. Junior Dana McQuillin was sixth overall with a 38.825. “We knew coming into the meet that we didn’t have to be perfect,” said Drew. “we just had to have fun and do our jobs. We did that tonight. Quads have great energy and it showed tonight.” Arkansas scored a season-best 49.275 on beam, just 0.1 shy of the school record. Freshman Emily Peacock lead off tying her season-best with a 9.850 setting the tone on the event. Drew answered tying her career-best with a 9.90 as Arkansas held a slim lead over the Beavers at that point in the meet. Junior Hannah McLeod tied her career-best with a 9.875 and the Gym’Backs seemed to be on a roll. “This meet was very good for us,” said McLeod. “It gives us a lot of confidence going into SECs and post-season. On the beam, you just have to treat it like it’s a line on the floor.” McQuillin added a season-best 9.850 followed by junior Katie Hardman’s 9.80 giving Arkansas its season-best mark. Arkansas held a .125 lead over Oregon State going into the final rotation. The lead grew more and more slim over the Beavers as they were hitting their routines on the beam. A 9.925 and a pair of 9.875s helped OSU close the gap but Cortez’s 9.875 in the final floor routine sealed Arkansas’ third-place finish. The Lady Razorbacks travel to Duluth, Ga., for the Southeastern Conference Championships in the Gwinnette Center March 26. For more information about Arkansas gymnastics log on to LADYBACKS.COM.No. 14 Arkansas hosts Quad MeetBarnhill ArenaSaturday, March 19, 2005No. 3 Nebraska, No. 5 UCLA, No. 12 Oregon State, No. 14 ArkansasUCLA 196.850Nebraska 196.625Arkansas 195.625Oregon State 195.550ROTATION 1ARKANSAS (Vault): 48.700 (Cassie Drew 9.725, Dana McQuillin 9.700, Hannah McLeod 9.625, Mallory Machnik 9.850, Samantha Cortez 8.925, Audra Loveless 9.800).UCLA (Bars): 48.925 (Ashley Peckett 9.700, Courtney Walker 9.125, Kristen Maloney 9.80, Jordan Schwikert 9.850, Lindsey Vanden Eykel 9.725, Tasha Schwikert 9.850).NEBRASKA (Beam): 49.025 (Michele Zabawa 9.725, Stephanie Carter 9.750, Jamie Saas 9.800, Emily Parsons 9.250, Richelle Simpson 9.90, Kristi Esposito 9.850).OREGON STATE (Floor): 48.300 (Megan Devencenzi 9.750, Chrissy Lamun 9.70, Heather Justus 9.50, Heidi Goehring 9.725, Angela Morales 9.625, Therese Videan 9.275).ROTATION 2ARKANSAS (Bars): 48.725 (Dana McQuillin 9.650, Rachel Barnett 9.700, Cassie Drew 9.750, Katie Hardman 9.70, Melissa Leigh 9.800, Emily Peacock 9.775).UCLA (Beam): 49.200 (Christie Tedmon 9.725, Lindsey Vanden Eykel 9.700, Jordan Schwikert 9.875, Kate Richardson 9.925, Tasha Schwikert 9.800, Kristen Maloney 9.875).NEBRASKA (Floor): 49.450 (Kristi Esposito 9.850, Jamie Saas 9.825, Brittney Williams 9.80, Stephanie Carter 9.825, Emily Parsons 9.50, Richelle Simpson 10.00).OREGON STATE (Vault): 49.075 (Therese Videan 9.700, Angela Morales 9.775, Heather Justus 9.90, Daylee Ingalls 9.80, Yuki Lamb 9.900, Megan Devencenzi 9.575).ROTATION 3ARKANSAS (Beam): 49.275 (Emily Peacock 9.850, Rachel Barnett 9.225, Cassie Drew 9.90, Hannah McLeod 9.850, Dana McQuillin 9.850, Katie Hardman 9.800).UCLA (Floor): 49.275 (Christie Tedmon 9.400, Ashley Peckett 9.75, Jordan Schwikert 9.875, Kate Richardson 9.775, Tasha Schwikert 9.975, Kristen Maloney 9.950).NEBRASKA (Vault): 49.100 Brittney Williams 9.626, Desire Sniatynski 9.700, Michele Zabawa 9.800, Stephanie Carter 9.875, Emily Parsons 9.875, Richelle Simpson 9.850).OREGON STATE (Bars): 48.975 (Daylee Ingalls 9.65, Chelsea Plourde 9.750, Heidi Goehring 9.775, Lindsay Nelson 9.80, Therese Videan 9.800, Chrissy Lamun 9.85).ROTATION 4ARKANSAS (Floor): 48.925 (Rachel Barnett 9.750, Audra Loveless 9.800, Dana McQuillin 9.700, Cassie Drew 9.725, Mallory Machnik 9.775, Samantha Cortez 9.875).UCLA (Vault): 49.450 (Christie Tedmon 9.175, Ashley Peckett 9.775, Kate Richardson 9.850, Jordan Schwikert 9.90, Tasha Schwikert9.950, Kristen Maloney 9.975).NEBRASKA (Bars): 49.050 (Emily Parsons 9.750, Brittney Williams 9.80, Richelle Simpson 9.725, Michele Zabawa 9.850, Kristi Esposito 9.800, Desire Sniatynski 9.850).OREGON STATE (Beam): 49.299 (Angela Morales 9.800, Courtney Dennison 9.800, Heidi Goehring 9.850, Daylee Ingalls x9.750, Chrissy Lamun 9.825, Chelsea Plourde 9.925).