No. 15 Gym'Backs travel to SEC Championships in Duluth Ga.

DULUTH, Ga. – The 15th-ranked University of Arkansas gymnastics team finds themselves in Duluth, Ga., Friday on the eve of the Southeastern Conference Championships Friday preparing for one of the biggest meets in the country this week. “We’re excited to get to SECs,” co-head coach Rene Cook said. “The last home meet got us in a championship frame of mind.” “The SEC Championship is the biggest meet of the season thus far,” echoed co-head coach Mark Cook. “This is the premier conference for women’s gymnastics and we’re excited to be a part of it. WE can’t wait to see how we’ve improved as a team from last year.” Arkansas attended a media luncheon Friday afternoon where team’s drew for the rotation order. The Gym’Backs learned they would start with bye number one then move to vault and follow Olympic order. Arkansas moves from the vault to bye number two, then on to bars and beam followed by the final bye. Arkansas finishes on floor. “We got a pretty good draw,” said Rene Cook. “We really follow the traditional order and it will be familiar but it really doesn’t matter what order we go in. We know we just have to control the things we can. We need to hit our routines and take care of business.” Arkansas finished tied for sixth in the inaugural season in 2003 and was the sole sixth-place finisher last year. This year, the Gym’Backs enter the meet fifth overall in the league standings and hope to improve on their SEC Championship finish. “I have to keep reminding myself that last year we were 25th in the country,” said Mark Cook. “Now, we’re 15th and improving. It’s really amazing how far we’ve come but we want so much more for the program. We see show much potential in the team and we want to keep moving in the right direction. Success at the SEC Championships is the next step for us.” Arkansas returns to Fayetteville Sunday morning and awaits word of their NCAA Regional placement in the postseason. For more information about Arkansas gymnastics log on to LADYBACKS.COM.