03 Feb NCAA Extra! Gymbacks Welcome the Gators on Palace Night | Inside Gymnastics
NCAA Extra!
Dialed In On Fun, Competitive Energy, the Gymbacks Welcome the Gators On Palace Night
Get ready for a Party in the Palace!
Following a historic night in Barnhill last week which saw the Gymbacks realize a new program high team score (197.475), a new Barnhill attendance record (7,147), the team’s first sellout, and the W over LSU, Arkansas is a team on a mission.
Motivation to be even better and prove they’re a team who can hit four events consistently is the now name of game. Tonight in Bud Walton Arena against the No.2 ranked Florida Gators, the Gymbacks will get their next chance.
It’s the second meet ever for Arkansas in Bud Walton, and the first of two this season. Last year, the Razorbacks set a new program attendance record at The Palace of 10,345 fans. And with both teams coming off big conference wins last week, (Florida scored 197.900 against Georgia, marking the Gators’ season best as well), the anticipation and excitement (along with a little bit of cold weather) has been palpable in Fayetteville this week.
The Gators to be sure are stacked with a star-studded lineup which includes 2022 NCAA All-Around Champion Trinity Thomas who is set to break the all-time 10.0 scoring record of 28 held by Jenny Hansen of Kentucky and UCLA’s Jamie Dantzcher (Thomas has 23). If Thomas is on, she could score a ten on every event. And she’s not alone. Leanne Wong has landed perfect marks on bars and beam so far this season and freshman Kayla DiCello is currently ranked top 10 on bars and beam.
But this Razorback team has a grit and determination that’s multiplying, and they’re definitely up for the challenge.
Last week, freshman phenom Lauren Williams was named SEC Freshman of the Week, scoring new career highs of 9.925 on both floor and vault against the Tigers. Her Yurchenko one and half in the first rotation sent a message and a sensation across the arena that it could very well be Arkansas’ night. With a total team effort and an exciting fight to the finish, in the end, it was.
Norah Flatley and Leah Smith took event titles on bars (9.925) and floor (9.950), both Arkansas records for the two. Freshman Reese Drotar and sophomore Maddie Jones split second on bars (9.875), freshman Cally Swaney and Flatley shared second on beam (9.900) and Jones, Bailey Lovett, who performed one of the best floor routines we’ve seen from her to date, and Frankie Price all earned a 9.900 for a four-way tie for third on floor to round out Arkansas’ podium finishes.
To have a shot at the Gators, the Gymbacks will need repeat performances from all of them. And maybe a little extra. Under the lights and on the big stage, as we’ve seen all season, anything is possible. Head Coach Jordyn Wieber also plans on bringing Flatley back into the floor lineup in the match up.
The team’s focus on hitting four events consistently is key. And together with that record team score and those individual event successes, Wieber says more importantly, is the growing confidence and leadership she’s seeing among her team, as well as the competitive energy and the excitement she sees building in the gym day in and day out.
“I think they’re feeling really confident,” Wieber told the media Wednesday when asked about the team’s mindset this week. “We really focused on putting four events together last week. And, we had a conversation Sunday about how the challenge is not just putting four events together, but being a team that can prove consistently that we can do that. Winning against LSU was a great confidence booster.”
Belief in themselves and just doing “their normal gymnastics because that’s when we’re best,” is also central to the team’s focus, Wieber says.
“The one common thing I’ve noticed about our team is just the amount of energy they have. You watch them in a meet and you can feel that energy. It’s a competitive energy, it’s a fun energy and all of that combined makes them really, really fun to watch. I credit a lot of that to how excited they are to be here and how bad they want it. They want to win. I’ve gotten that feedback from a lot of people that have either been in the arena or watch them on TV. And that’s really exciting.
“They do their best gymnastics when they’re loose and having fun and not over-focusing or building up the moments too much. We’ve really been dialing in on that. So that energy, that fun competitive energy is a really common theme I’m seeing from our team this season.”
Made some history and even more memories. 🤩
Friday’s one we will never forget! pic.twitter.com/fk682qghgA
— Arkansas Gymnastics 🐗 (@RazorbackGym) January 30, 2023
Inside Gymnastics will be on the scene in Bud Walton to bring you all of the action!
See below for more on the Gymbacks!
How to Watch
- Florida at Arkansas | 8 p.m. ET | SEC+
Bonus!
See our interviews with Super Seniors Bailey Lovett and Kennedy Hambrick, and Norah Flatley here:
Norah Flatley Readies For a New Chapter In Fayetteville
Visit Our Inside Gymnastics NCAA Headquarters Here!
Photos courtesy of University of Arkansas Athletics
Follow Inside Gymnastics on Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates!
Subscribe now at www.shopinsidenation.com for the latest issue of Inside Gymnastics magazine! Subscribe for 3 Years & Receive Our 2022 World Championships Commemorative Issue FREE! *While supplies last.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.