Hogs back to eighth, tying highest ranking of season

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas moved up two spots to No. 8 in this week’s Road To Nationals weekly rankings, tying its highest ranking of the season.

The Razorbacks have been ranked inside the Top 10 for five straight weeks.

After scoring its second highest score of the season of 196.750 against Auburn, the Razorbacks average a 196.383, less than a tenth behind seventh-ranked Alabama.

Arkansas moved into the top-half among Southeastern Conference programs this week, holding the fourth-best ranking among league foes.

The Razorbacks have scored a 196 or higher in five straight meets since opening the season at LSU. It’s the third-longest such streak in program history, joining streaks from the 2010, 2012 and 2014 seasons.

Event Rankings
Vault: 16th
Senior Braie Speed leads all Razorbacks on vault, ranking as the 20th-best vaulter in the nation, and third best in the SEC, with an average of 9.863. Fellow senior Amanda Wellick comes in at No. 64 in the country to round out the Razorbacks top gymnasts in the event.

Bars: 9th
Arkansas’ stellar performance on bars that saw four different athletes record scores of 9.900, the Razorbacks made its biggest move up five spots to No. 9 in this week’s event rankings. Speed again leads Arkansas as its best athlete in the event, coming in at No. 45 in the country and No. 13 in the SEC.

Beam: 4th
The Razorbacks moved back into the fourth spot this week on the balance beam, a position they’ve held four of the six week’s since the start of the season, having not left the top five in six weeks. Among the individuals, freshman Sophia Carter leads Arkansas as the 29th-best athlete in the event, and No. 8 in the SEC, with sophomore Jessica Yamzon just behind her at No. 31.

Floor: 15th
Leading the Razorbacks on floor is freshman Sarah Shaffer, who has recorded a 9.900 in three straight meets on the event. Shaffer ranks No. 50 in this week’s rankings. Yamzon in just behind her at No. 66 to round out the Razorbacks’ best.

Weekly Rankings | Average
1. Oklahoma – 197.880
2. UCLA – 197.346
3. Utah – 197.292
4. LSU – 197.267
5. Florida – 197.125
6. Michigan – 196.563
7. Alabama – 196.475
8. Arkansas – 196.383
9. Kentucky – 196.321
10. Denver – 196.296
11. Oregon State – 196.270
12. Nebraska – 196.250
13. Washington – 196.196
14. Georgia – 196.188
15. Boise State – 196.115
16. Auburn – 195.939
17. Arizona State – 195.775
18. Minnesota – 195.705
19. BYU – 195.638
20. Missouri – 195.590
21. George Washington – 195.554
22. Iowa State – 195.467
23. California – 195.450
24. Arizona – 195.438
25. Stanford – 195.425

The Razorbacks are back in action this Friday in St. Louis, Missouri for the Mardi Gras Invitational that includes rematches against LSU and Missouri. The meet is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will stream live on FloGymnastics (Subscription required).