UA gymnasts eye Mardi Gras meet

FAYETTEVILLE -- The No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics team finally gets a break from a grueling run of dual meets against SEC competition today.

But the intensity might be even higher, as the Razorbacks (2-4 overall, 2-4 SEC) take on No. 4 LSU, No. 20 Missouri and No. 21 George Washington at the Mardi Gras Invitational quad meet in St. Louis.

At a glance

Arkansas Gymnastics at Mardi Gras Invitational

WHEN 6:30 p.m. Central

WHERE The Family Arena (10,467), St. Charles, Mo.

RECORDS LSU 7-1, Arkansas 2-4, Missouri 1-4, George Washington 11-3

ONLINE FloGymnastics.com video (pay site)

RANKINGS No. 4 LSU 197.267 average, No. 8 Arkansas 196.383, No. 20 Missouri 195.59, No. 21 George Washington 195.554

EVENTS Vault: No. 4 LSU 49.292, No. 9 George Washington 49.071, No. 16 Arkansas 48.996, No. 17 Missouri 48.995; Bars: No. 2 LSU 49.35, No. 9 Arkansas 49.058, No. 22 Missouri 48.915, No. 29 George Washington 48.763; Beam: No. 4 (tie) Arkansas 49.2, LSU 49.2, No. 25 Missouri 48.765, No. 30 George Washington 48.713; Floor: No. 2 LSU 49.425, No. 15 Arkansas 49.129, No. 25 George Washington 49.008, No. 28 Missouri 48.915

ARKANSAS ATHLETES (top 100)

All-around No. 33 Jessica Yamzon 39.179, No. 76 Sarah Shaffer 38.908

Vault No. 20 Braie Speed 9.863, No. 64 Amanda Wellick 9.825, No. 87 No. 76 Syndey McGlone 9.82

Bars No. 45 Speed 9.837, No. 74 Wellick 9.813, No. 87 Syndey Laird 9.804

Beam No. 29 Sophia Carter 9.858, No. 31 Yamzon 9.854, No. 39 Michaela Burton 9.846, No. 51 Wellick 9.833

Floor No. 50 Shaffer 9.854, No. 66 Yamzon 9.842

MEET NOTES

Arkansas has a 5-29-1 record against LSU, including an 11-meet losing streak dating to a 197.225 to 196.325 victory at Barnhill Arena on Jan. 20, 2012. All of Arkansas’ victories in the series occurred between 2009-12, when the Razorbacks were 5-1-1 in the series. … Arkansas has a 12-8 record against Missouri, including 8-3 since the Tigers joined the SEC. Missouri has won the last three meetings. … Arkansas has never competed against George Washington. … LSU’s Myia Hambrick, the nation’s no. 6 All-Around performer, is the reigning SEC gymnast of the week.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville opened the season with six SEC dual meets for the first time, the only team in the conference to do it this season, and face two more at the Mardi Gras meet, which is being held on a raised podium to simulate postseason competition.

"We're just trying to get better every weekend," 16th year Arkansas Coach Mark Cook said. "It's just a matter of staying consistent and staying healthy. It's going to be a different competition being on the podium."

The Razorbacks have posted five consecutive scores of 196 or better, the third-longest stretch in program history. They are coming off their second-best score, a 196.75 in a home victory over Auburn, that included four individuals -- Braie Speed, Amanda Wellick, Hailey Garner and Sarah Shaffer -- tying for the bars title with 9.9s en route to a 49.45, the second-highest score for the program.

"This team is really good on that event," Cook said. "I was happy to see them dialed in. But we're strong on all four events and we just have to stay balanced."

The Razorbacks fell on the road at LSU (7-1 overall, 5-0 SEC) in their season opener and lost to Missouri (1-4, 1-4) on Jan. 19 in Columbia, Mo. They have never competed against George Washington (11-3).

Arkansas sophomore Jessica Yamzon is the nation's No. 33 all-around performer with an average score of 39.179. Shaffer, the only SEC freshman to post multiple 9.9s the last two weeks, ranks 76th in the all-around with an average of 38.908.

Speed is the Razorbacks top competitor on the vault, where she ranks No. 20 (9.863) and on the bars, where she's No. 45 (9.837). The Arkansas beam team is tied for No. 4 nationally with LSU, carrying an average of 49.2. Only one Razorback has come off the beam all season.

Sports on 02/16/2018

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