Gymnastics

Senior Night For Razorback Trio

March 9, 2017

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas gymnastics team hosts Centenary and San Jose State for a Senior Night tri-meet on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. in Barnhill Arena.

Pre-meet ceremonies will begin at 6:45 p.m., first vault is set for 7 p.m., and Arkansas will honor fourth-year seniors Samantha Nelson and Amanda Wellick at the conclusion of the meet. Fifth-year senior Heather Elswick, who was recognized with her incoming freshman class this past season, will also be competing in her final regular-season home meet.

Nelson is a two-time All-SEC selection, earning the honor on floor exercise in 2014 and balance beam in 2016. She was also an SEC All-Freshman selection on balance beam in 2014. She won the balance beam title at Auburn earlier this season, matching a career-best with a score of 9.900. It was her second career balance beam title and her fourth career individual title overall.

Wellick, who suffered a season-ending lower leg injury against Missouri, has already announced that she will return to the team in 2018. She is a three-time All-American and qualified for the NCAA Championship as an individual in 2014 and 2016.

She was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 and earned All-SEC team honors in 2015 and 2016. Wellick has won 30 career event titles and was also selected as one of the Arkansas athletic program’s six Red Tie honorees for the 2016-17 academic year.

Elswick, who returned for a fifth year of eligibility after missing last season due to injury, earned All-SEC honors on floor exercise in 2015. She has competed on floor exercise and vault this season, scoring a season-best 9.875 on floor at Kentucky earlier this season. Elswick is also vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and a three-time selection to the SEC Community Service Team.

Hailey Garner won her first career balance beam title and her second career individual title overall and Arkansas scored a season-best 49.150 on balance beam in a 196.525-195.275 loss to No. 11 Kentucky this past weekend. The Razorbacks enter the weekend with a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 195.585.

Notable

  • Arkansas is 4-0 all-time against Centenary, last facing the Ladies during the 2013 season, when the Razorbacks won both meetings. Arkansas will face San Jose State for the first time in program history.
  • Hailey Garner won her first career balance beam title and second career title overall with a 9.900 at No. 11 Kentucky, becoming the fourth different Arkansas gymnast to win a title in the event this season.
  • Braie Speed led the team on uneven bars and vault, matching a season best with a 9.850 on bars. She also scored a career-best 9.800 on balance beam.
  • Jessica Yamzon has won two individual all-around titles and ranks 10th in the SEC in the all-around (39.135) and tied for 20th in the SEC on balance beam (9.845).
  • Braie Speed is tied for 25rd in the SEC on vault (9.825) and tied for 28th on uneven bars (9.825), while Samantha Nelson is tied for 25th in the SEC on floor exercise (9.835).
  • As a team, Arkansas ranks 21st in the nation on balance beam (49.025) and 29th overall in the nation with a RQS of 195.585.
  • Arkansas ranks ninth in the nation in attendance with an average crowd of 4,058 and a large crowd of 5,456 for the meet vs. Alabama on Jan. 27.

Quotable – Head Coach Mark Cook

“We’re looking forward to Senior Night. It’s always bittersweet to have your last regular-season home meet in somebody’s career. The girls have festivities planned for all the seniors for Senior Week. Amanda is likely going to come back, but we’re going to honor her at this meet. For Heather, this is her fifth year, so this is a second time for her.”

“Right now, we’re there for postseason play. We’re high enough, if you look at the scores, that the cut-off for 36 teams has not been below where are in the last six years. Right now, I feel pretty confident that we’re going to qualify. If we score a high 195, then I don’t think anybody will be able to catch us.”

Looking Ahead

Arkansas will compete at the SEC Championship on March 18 in Jacksonville. Session one will begin at 1 p.m., and session two will follow at 5 p.m. Arkansas will also host an NCAA Regional on April 1 at 4 p.m. in Barnhill Arena.

Single-meet tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth 17 and under. Admission is also free for UA students with ID. Tickets are also available for the NCAA Regional that Arkansas will be hosting in Barnhill Arena on April 1. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth and UA students.

Fans can purchase tickets online or by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS or 479-575-5151.

For more information on Arkansas gymnastics, follow @RazorbackGym on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

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