Hansen's Jersey to be Retired as No. 24 UK Hosts UA Friday

Feb. 19, 2015

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The No. 24 Kentucky gymnastics team returns home to host No. 14 Arkansas Friday at 7 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. During the meet, UK legend Jenny Hansen will be honored as she becomes the first Wildcat in program history to have her jersey retired.

During her four-year UK career from 1993-96, Hansen won a record eight NCAA titles, nine Southeastern Conference championships and earned 13 All-America honors. One of the greatest gymnasts in NCAA history, Hansen owns every individual record in school history.

The top-25 matchup will be broadcast on SEC Network +, with Neil Price and former UK coach Leah Little on the call. Live results can be found on UKathletics.com, while additional notes and updates from Memorial Coliseum will be available on Twitter at @UKGymnastics.

Fans are encouraged to use extreme caution and discretion if planning to attend Friday’s meet, with temperatures expected to be well below freezing along with potentially hazardous road conditions. In addition to Gymnastics season ticket holders and those who have single-game tickets – all attendees of the meet who can safely make it to Memorial Coliseum will be admitted free of charge. The meet will begin at its scheduled time of 7 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum.

While UK Athletics and Campus officials are working hard to help minimize the impact of severe weather on the streets, parking lots, and sidewalks around Memorial Coliseum, there may be a reduced amount of parking spaces available due to snow and ice buildup.  Guests are urged to use extreme caution if deciding to attend the meet as conditions may be dangerous.  Shuttle services from the South Limestone Garage (next to Kennedy’s Bookstore) will be available starting at 5 p.m.  The shuttle will be heated, handicap accessible, and available until one hour after the end of the meet. Doors to Memorial Coliseum will open 1.5 hours prior to the meet, at 5:30 p.m., and the ticket office will also be open to help provide service to guests as needed.

Click image for UK’s Meet Notes (PDF)

JENNY HANSEN TO HAVE JERSEY RETIRED

One of the most distinguished athletes in NCAA history, Jenny Hansen will become the first Wildcat in program history to have her jersey retired on during Friday’s meet. Hansen, who competed for UK from 1993-96, is an eight-time NCAA champion, won nine SEC titles and earned 13 All-America honors.

Hansen’s eight individual national titles, along with four titles in one year (1995: all-around, floor exercise, balance beam, vault) and three all-around championships (1993-95) are all NCAA records. She earned All-America honors in 13 events during her career and was the 1994 Honda Cup recipient as the top women’s amateur athlete (any sport) in the nation. The 1995 SEC Female Athlete of the Year, she won nine individual titles at the SEC Championships, setting the league record for most individual championships. Hansen set and continues to hold every individual record in school history, including a perfect 10.0 on three events, with 21 perfect scores on vault.

IN THE RANKINGS

In addition to an average team score of 195.113 that is No. 24 nationally, UK is in the top 25 on three events. Kentucky’s uneven bars average of 48.888 is 21st, while the Wildcats are 23rd on both floor exercise and balance beam, with a 48.863 and 48.613, respectively. UK is also 33rd on vault with a 48.750 average.

Arkansas is ranked in the top 15 on three events, highlighted by a No. 7 ranking on floor with a 49.233 average. The Razorbacks are eighth on vault with a 49.242 and 15th on bars with a 48.954. UA is also No. 29 on beam with a 48.529.

Eight of UK’s 12 regular season opponents are ranked in the top 25, including the top three and four of the top five. The Wildcats have faced ranked teams in all but two meets this year in the first seven weeks of the season. Including Friday’s meet vs. Arkansas, the only two un-ranked opponents at the time they played UK was Washington, which is currently 21st, and Missouri.

SCOUTING NO. 14 ARKANSAS

No. 14 Arkansas comes to Lexington with a 3-4 record and a 1-3 mark in SEC action. The Razorbacks are coming off a season-best 196.650 in a win over Illinois State and S.E. Missouri. UA has posted four scores of 196.000 or higher in its first six meets this season. In addition to a top-15 ranking on three events, Arkansas has one gymnast ranked in the top 25 in the individual rankings. Amanda Wellick is ninth on floor with a 9.900 average and 11th on vault with a 9.908 average.

UP NEXT: AT FLORIDA, FEB. 27

Kentucky returns to the road to face defending co-national champion and No. 2 Florida on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. ET. The meet, which will air live on the SEC Network, marks the second time in three weeks UK squares off on the road against the defending co-national champions. Last week, UK met No. 1 Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.

LAST TIME OUT: WILDCATS FALL TO NO. 1 OKLAHOMA IN OKC

Competing on a podium for the first time this season, Kentucky lost to No. 1 Oklahoma, 197.275-194.425 at the Perfect 10 Challenge in Oklahoma City on Feb. 13. The meet was highlighted by a career-best 9.875 by Sydney Waltz on beam, giving the freshman her first event title of her career on the event.

Along with her event title on beam, Waltz shared team-high totals on vault with senior Shannon Mitchell, each scoring a 9.775. On uneven bars, UK was led by freshman Cori Rechenmacher’s 9.850, while sophomore Taylor Puryear posted a 9.775 on floor to lead the Wildcats.

Kentucky opened with a 48.800 on uneven bars, followed by a 48.575 on vault. Kentucky closed with a 48.600 on floor and a 48.450 on beam.

For complete news and updates on the Kentucky Gymnastics program, go to UKathletics.com. Breaking news, behind-the-scenes updates, photos and more can be found on Twitter at @UKGymnastics and Facebook at Facebook.com/UKGymnastics.