Razorbacks to sign autographs at mall
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas gymnastics team will be at the Northwest Arkansas Mall on Sunday to meet with fans and sign autographs.
The Razorbacks are ranked No. 8 in the nation entering the 2010 season, which begins on Jan. 9 with a 7 p.m. home meet against No. 20 Arizona.
The entire team will attend Sunday’s autograph session, which is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Items available to have signed include schedule cards and schedule posters, but fans may bring other items as well.
The 2010 roster includes four returning All-Americans — senior Casey Jo Magee, the 2009 Southeastern Conference beam champion, and the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional beam and floor champion; senior Sarah Nagashima, who placed third on beam in the NCAA individual event finals last year for the best finish ever by a Razorback; sophomore Jaime Pisani, who won 13 event titles as a freshman, including the all-around against No. 3 Georgia; and senior Michelle Stout, who has earned five total All-America honors over the last two years.
Other returnees are junior Stacy Bartlett, senior Amy DeFilippo, sophomore Mariah Howdeshell and sophomore Genny Salvatore. Newcomers include freshmen Natalie Bohonsky, Amy Borsellino, Kelci Lewis and Amanda Siebert.
Co-head coaches Mark and René Cook, the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional Coaches of the Year, will also be in attendance.
The Razorbacks are coming off the best year in their seven years of existence. In 2009, Arkansas won the NCAA South Central Regional, advanced to the NCAA Championship, advanced to the NCAA Super Six and finished fifth in the nation.
Along the way, Arkansas recorded wins over No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Utah, No. 4 Stanford, No. 6 LSU, No. 6 Oregon State, No. 7 UCLA, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama.
In the program’s seven-year history, Arkansas has earned an NCAA Regional bid six times, advanced to the NCAA Championship three times, earned 14 All-America honors, had five student-athletes advance to the NCAA individual event finals, ranked among the nation’s top 15 in attendance average every season and ranked among the nation’s top 35 in team grade point average each year.
In addition to the Jan. 9 opener against No. 20 Arizona, other home meets are Jan. 29 against Kentucky, Feb. 5 against No. 14 Auburn, Feb. 19 against No. 6 LSU, March 12 against Pittsburgh and March 19 against No. 9 Oklahoma.
Season tickets are $40 each and can be purchased online at ArkansasRazorbacks.com or by calling the UA Ticket Office at 479-575-5151 or 800-982-4647.
