GymBacks Fall In Norman
Fayetteville – On Friday night, the trip to Norman got rowdy and we aren’t referring to the theme of the night for the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The #13 Gymbacks were visiting Norman for the first time in SEC competition yet it would end with a 197.825-195.975 loss, their second of the season within the league.
When you look at the four scores you will see three scores of 49 or higher which generally fairs well. In the end, the GymBacks were led by a high score of 9.925 from freshman Joscelyn Roberson which was also the second highest score of the night.
We will now analyze each rotation of the evening from Arkansas and look at scores from each gymnast.
How Did Arkansas Score?
Bars
We again watched Cally Swaney open with a strong night as with a 9.700 for Arkansas. This was followed by a 9.850 from Leah Smith as she landed a double layout dismount. Next for the visiting Razorbacks was Katty Ewald who scored a 9.775 which was followed by Priscilla Park scoring the same. In the fifth spot, we saw Maddie Jones land a 9.750 as the team finished with a 48.450 score.
Vault
In the second rotation we would see Arkansas compete in the Vault event. The GymBacks saw Cami Weaver start with a strong 9.775 after landing her Yurchenko to jumpstart the squad. We saw Leah Smith stick her landing in spot two with a 9.850 as she continues her scorching start to the season. Arkansas faithful watched as Ja’Leigh Lang tallied a 9.800. Sophomore Dakotta Essenpries tagged in with a 9.825 in the fourth spot. Roberson compiled a 9.750 followed by a late lineup change as junior Frankie Price entered and recorded a 9.800. This would conclude the meet and Arkansas finished with a score of 49.050 for vault.
Floor
In the third rotation, Arkansas took to the floor to look to shorten the deficit. This was quickly dispelled following an uncommon 9.525 from senior Kalyxta Gamiao to begin the routines. Sophomore transfer, Hailey Klein got the scores back on pace with a 9.775 along with Maddie Jones who notched a 9.850 in spot three. In the fourth position was Smith who scored a 9.750 as did Roberson in the fifth spot. To close the night was a 9.875 from Price to heighten the Razorbacks to an even 49.000 on their best team event, the floor.
Beam
As with the floor, we watched Gamaio begin for Arkansas. Unlike the floor, she notched a much higher 9.750 to inflate the score for her team. This was followed by a 9.700 from Jones in spot number two and Park with a 9.800 in slot three. Swaney was stellar with a 9.775 and was followed by a Weaver routine that notched a 9.825. In the final position, Arkansas was anchored by the 9.925 from Roberson, the above-mentioned high score of the day for the team.
What Is Next?
In the end, the loss drops the Razorbacks to 3-5 on the season including a 1-2 record in conference competition. We will see the Razorbacks soon as they welcomes the #2 Florida Gators to Bud Walton Arena on Friday, February 7th. The home dual is scheduled to begin at 5:45 pm and will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network.
