Speed, Yamzon Represent At NCAA Championship

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Junior Braie Speed and freshman Jessica Yamzon will represent the 19th-ranked University of Arkansas gymnastics team at the 2017 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships in St. Louis, Missouri on Friday and Saturday.

Speed and Yamzon qualified as individuals after the Razorbacks suffered a near-miss with a tie for third place in the team competition at the NCAA Regional meet in Barnhill Arena last week.

Yamzon was the second-highest all-arounder who was not on an advancing team. Among all competitors, she finished sixth with a score of 39.175. Speed tied for first-place in the vault with four other competitors to advance.

Yamzon has competed in the all-around in all 11 meets this season, winning three all-around titles and a balance beam title. She scored a career-best 39.300 in the all-around against No. 3 Florida and earned SEC Freshman of the Week after winning the all-around title at No. 17 Auburn.

Yamzon will rotate with Utah and begins the meet on the vault. She is the first Razorback all-arounder to qualify for the NCAA Championship.

Speed posted her career best with a 9.90 at the NCAA Regional Championship to tie for the win and advance. She has been the team’s leader on vault and bars all season winning her first individual vault title against Alabama. She will vault in the third rotation alongside Oklahoma. Arkansas has sent five different gymnasts in five different years as an individual vault specialist at the NCAA Championship.

What They Are Saying
Junior Braie Speed

To make Nationals is super awesome. Of course, I wish it was the team that made it instead of me individually, but I’m glad to be able to wear a Hog on my chest to represent the school somehow in St. Louis.

Freshman Jessica Yamzon
This season has been great, it’s all been a great experience and I’m glad I have the opportunity to compete at Nationals. I’m so excited to represent the best school.

Head Coach Mark Cook
I’m very proud of these two young ladies and of our entire team. It was a tough year but we stayed together and battled through it. Although we didn’t qualify as a team, our Regional meet performance was one of our best competitions all year. Braie and Jessica have a great opportunity to experience the NCAA Championship and both return with the goal of getting our team their next season.

Watch Here
The 2017 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships will air live on ESPN2 and ESPNU.
Meet: http://es.pn/2mqyT5t
Vault: http://es.pn/2n8UsaZ
Bars: http://es.pn/2o7dLAR
Beam: http://es.pn/2o7ijHg
Floor: http://es.pn/2oAoh45
• April 14, Noon. and 7 p.m. Central time – Team Semifinals and All-Around/Individual Event Specialist Finals
• April 15, 8 p.m. Central time – Super Six

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