Kentucky Ties Second-Highest Score in Program History in Win over Missouri
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 9 Kentucky (6-4, 3-4 SEC) posted a score of 197 or above for the third time in program history tonight as UK took down No. 20 Missouri, (3-6, 1-5 SEC), 197.100 -195.125 inside Memorial Coliseum on Friday night.
Kentucky’s score of 197.100 ties the second-highest score in program history and was matched against Auburn last season at home. UK’s highest score is a 197.475 in a home win over Alabama in 2017. The Wildcats’ previous high score this season was a 196.950 at Arkansas. That score still remains tied for the highest score on the road.
“We’ve been talking about the importance of consistency all season long,” head coach Tim Garrison said. “That’s what we showed tonight more than anything. We hit 23 out of 24 routines, we had one little mistake. That consistency is what we need moving forward. We want to put routines out there one after another and build momentum all the way through each rotation and do that four times.”
Junior Alex Hyland won the all-around as the only competitor for UK with a 39.575. Her all-around score was the eighth-best all-around score in program history. Only former NCAA National Champion Jenny Hansen and sophomore Mollie Korth have hit that mark or higher.
“It just feels amazing to capitalize on that good of a meet,” Hyland said. “I’m happy the team did really well tonight. To get that all-around score is just icing on the cake.”
The Wildcats started the meet on the vault, where UK put up a 49.175, the third-highest score of the season on that event. Hyland and junior Katie Stuart shared the vault crown with a 9.875. Stuart now has four vault titles to her name in her career. Korth finished just behind Hyland and Stuart with a 9.85. Junior Danaea Davis had a 9.825 and junior Sidney Dukes rounded out the scoring with a 9.75.
Kentucky went to bars, where it tied its team season high with a 49.300. Korth won her eighth bars title after tying her career best with a 9.925. Hyland followed with a 9.9. Freshman Ella Warren, sophomore Hailey Poland and junior Katrina Coca each had 9.825s to round out the scoring.
UK posted a 49.225 as a team, winning the event after Missouri came up with a 48.550. Hyland won the beam title once again with a 9.875. Poland and Dukes finished tied for second with 9.85s, while Stuart and Korth rounded out the scoring with 9.825s.
“I think tonight we were just really trying to go out there and have fun,” Dukes said. “We knew we were capable of that score and it hadn’t clicked on all cylinders yet. The team’s been working really hard in the gym and tonight everything fell into place and it hit when we needed to.”
Kentucky’s 49.400 that it finished with on the floor was the season high, and tied the fifth-best score in program history. Hyland posted a career mark of 9.925 to win her second floor title of her career. Dukes had an impressive 9.9, while Warren and senior Cori Rechenmacher each posted 9.875s. Poland was the last Wildcat to score with a 9.825. Freshman Megan Monfredi made her Kentucky debut and score a 9.8 in the lead off spot.
Kentucky had 5,211 fans in attendance tonight, and have seen 25,581 inside Memorial Coliseum this season. UK’s last home meet will be next Friday against Ohio State, as UK attempts to reach the 30,000 fan mark.
For complete news and updates on the Kentucky Gymnastics program, go to UKathletics.com. Season tickets can be found on UKathletics.com/Tickets. News and updates on the team can also be found on Twitter at @UKGymnastics and at @UKCoachGarrison and Facebook at Facebook.com/UKGymnastics.
