Home Sweet Home! No. 8 Kentucky Defeats No. 3 Alabama in HMC Soft Opening

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 8 University of Kentucky gymnastics team opened Historic Memorial Coliseum in style Friday as it posted a season-high 197.300 team score to defeat No. 3 Alabama in front of 4,799 of Big Blue Nation’s most passionate fans.

Kentucky scored higher than a 49.275 on each event, including an impressive 49.400 on beam to gain the win. UK scored a 49.300 on vault and 49.325 on bars to post the 197.3000 team score. UK’s 49.400 on beam ties the ninth-highest team score on the event in program history, while its bars and vault scores tied the 11th-highest team marks in program history. UK also had a 49.275 on bars. Alabama earned a 196.100, scoring a 49.350 on vault, 49.175 on bars, 48.550 on beam and 49.025 on floor. The Wildcats bested the Crimson Tide on every event with vault being the only exception by .05.

Sophomore Delaynee Rodriguez finished tied for first in the all-around competition with Alabama’s Lilly Hudson as each earned a 39.450. Alabama’s Gabby Gladieux took home third with a 39.425, while Skylar Killough-Wilhelm was fourth with a 39.375.

Kentucky completed the Olympic rotation through the meet, starting on vault. Rodriguez got the meet started with a 9.800, followed by a 9.825 from sophomore Cecily Rizo. True freshman Ryan Noonan continues to impress in the early going, scoring a 9.850, while senior Makenzie Wilson posted a 9.9 and fifth-year Isabella Magnelli scored a 9.925. Killough-Wilhelm ended the rotation with a 9.775. Magnelli took home the event title on vault, tying with Hudson from Alabama.

On bars, Kentucky started with Bowling Green State transfer Isabella Rivelli, who scored a 9.8, followed again by a great performance from Noonan with 9.850. Fifth-year Hailey Davis scored a 9.8 followed by senior Jillian Procasky scoring a 9.85. Rodriguez and Killough-Wilhelm concluded the rotation in style, scoring season highs with a 9.9 ad 9.925, respectively. Both scores were just hundredths off career-high marks. In her first home meet as a Wildcat, Killough-Wilhelm tied with Alabama’s Ryan Fuller to earn the bars individual title.

Beam stole the show for Kentucky as the Wildcats bounced back from a good but not great start on the apparatus last weekend in Oklahoma City. Roriguez set the tone with an impressive 9.9 score, followed by sophomore Creslyn Brose scoring a 9.825. One of the stories of the night was the incredible beam routine from sophomore Sharon Lee, who scored a 9.9 in her first collegiate competition. Procasky followed by a 9.85 with Killough-Wilhelm adding a 9.825. The Beam Queen concluded the rotation with a 9.925, earning the event title – her 11th beam title in her career.

Kentucky sealed the victory on floor exercise, getting good routines through the lineup. Rodriguez began the rotation with a 9.850, while freshman Anna Flynn Cashion made her collegiate debut on the apparatus with a 9.825. Magnelli added an impressive 9.850, followed by Procasky’s 9.625, which included a -0.1 deduction for stepping out of bounds. Killough-Wilhelm scored a 9.85, setting the stage for Davis to conclude the night with a 9.9. Davis’ strong score was good enough to tie her for event title with Alabama’s Gladieux.

Kentucky had several athletes compete as exhibitions in the meet. Senior Annie Riegert scored a 9.750 via exhibition on bars, while freshman Chesney Bennett scored a 9.625 on balance beam. Rizo performed as an exhibition on floor, scoring a 9.625.

The Wildcats will look to continue its momentum next weekend as they travel to Columbia, Missouri for a dual meet with the No. 10 Missouri Tigers. The meet is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

For more information on the Kentucky gymnastics team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.