Razorbacks Maintain Top-10 Ranking Into Week Four

January 22, 2018

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas gymnastics team held steady in the top 10 in the Road To Nationals weekly rankings, maintaining the No. 10 spot for the second-straight week with an average of 196.008.

The Razorbacks posted a 196.150 in a close loss at Missouri last Friday, after scoring a 196.525 a week before against Kentucky, marking its highest scores in back-to-back meets since Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, 2017.

It’s high scoring balance beam squad ranks fourth in the nation with an average score of 49.200 through three meets this season. The Razorbacks have three athletes ranked in the top 60 in the event, led by Freshman Sophia Carter who is tied for 24th with an average of 9.867. Senior Amanda Wellick and sophomore Jessica Yamzon are tied for 41st while sophomore Michaela Burton is ranked 54th.

Ranking 11th as Arkansas’ second best event, the Razorbacks average a score of 49.025 through three weeks on vault. Senior Braie Speed leads all Razorbacks on the event, and is tied for 20th in the nation with an average of 9.867. Speed led all athletes, winning the event title, at Missouri last Friday scoring a 9.900, her highest since the 2017 NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Junior Sydney McGlone ranks 27th, while Wellick comes in at No. 54 to round out the top 60.

Arkansas has matchups with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Alabama, No. 11 Georgia, and No. 13 Denver left this season, along with the Mardi Gras Invitational meet in St. Louis that includes rematches against No. 2 LSU and No. 17 Missouri on Feb. 16, 2018.

The Razorbacks began the year as the preseason 19th-ranked team, and moved up to No. 11 following its week one score of 195.350 at LSU. It’s the first time the Razorbacks have been in the top 10 in back-to-back weeks since Feb. 22 and 29, 2016, when Arkansas came in at No. 9 in both week’s rankings.

Back at home in Barnhill Arena, the 10th-ranked Razorbacks host the 11th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs for a Southeastern Conference bout beginning at 6 p.m. this Friday. The meet will be aired live of the SEC Network, while tickets for the meet can be purchased here.

For more information on Razorback gymnastics, including in-meet updates, follow @Razorbackgym on Twitter.