Gymbacks’ Carter named to regular season All-American team Thursday

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Sophia Carter has been recognized by the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association as a second team regular season All-American on the floor exercise, the association announced Wednesday morning.

Regular season All-Americans are awarded to student-athletes with the top-16 national qualifying scores on each event and in the all-around. Athletes with the top-eight NQS (including ties) are recognized as first team All-Americans, while athletes ranked 9-16 are second-team.

Carter is Arkansas’ ninth regular season All-American in program history, and third on the floor.

Kathrine Grable took six regular season All-American honors from 2013-14, while Amanda Wellick was a vault All-American each year from 2014-16.

Among Arkansas’ regular season All-Americans, Carter owns the Razorbacks’ second-highest NQS on an event at the time of the award.

Carter finished tied for No. 10 on the floor with an NQS of 9.935. Carter averaged a 9.910 on the event and recorded a season high 9.950 four times throughout the course of the season.

From Feb. 1 to March 16, the Blue Springs, Missouri, native recorded a 9.900 or higher in seven-consecutive meets on the floor. Throughout the season, she has not recorded below a 9.850 on the event as the team’s anchor.

Ranked inside the top-10 throughout the majority of the season, Carter has recorded the fourth-most 9.900’s on the event in the Southeastern Conference.

In nine of 12 meets she has posted a 9.900 or higher on the floor, earning her eight floor titles in the 2019 campaign.

With her four 9.950’s on the floor this season, her career total is now five on the event, giving her the third most 9.950’s or higher on the floor in program history.

Ranked No. 9 on the floor at the conclusion of the regular season, she became Arkansas’ first gymnast to be ranked inside the top-10 on an event at the start of postseason action since 2014.

Similarly, she was ranked No. 1 on the event after week one of competition in January, becoming the first gymnasts since Katherine Grable to garner a No. 1 ranking in 2014.