LEXINGTON ? After posting its two highest scores of the season in back-to-back weeks, the Kentucky gymnastics team has broken back into the top 25 for the first time in a month at No. 25, according to the latest GymInfo rankings released Monday.
The Wildcats scored a 195.600 this past week to take third place in a quad meet against No. 14 Arizona, No. 16 Penn State and Texas Women?s University. The score was the fifth highest in head coach Mo Mitchell?s tenure and came on the heels of a 196.200 by UK the week before. The tallies have raised Kentucky?s regional qualifying score (RQS) to 194.535, up nearly four-tenths of a point from a week ago.
For the second straight week, Kentucky is also ranked in all four events. The team?s best event has been the vault, where it has registered the top three scores of the Mitchell era in the past three weeks, including a 49.150 at Arizona on Friday. The top scores have led UK to a No. 17 ranking on the event.
The Wildcats stellar floor lineup has moved up to No. 19 nationally, a leap of five positions from last week. The team has posted three of the top floor scores in the Mitchell era over the past three weeks, including a season-high 49.300 over the weekend, which is tied for the third best score in school history.
Freshman Hillary Ferguson has anchored the lineup with back-to-back performances of 9.9 or better, capping a run of seven straight meets with a 9.825 or better. She?s ranked 25th in the country in the event.
Led by senior Krystle Cook, Kentucky holds down the No. 24 position nationally on the uneven bars. The Spring, Texas, native, has scored back-to-back 9.95s the last two weeks to climb to No. 22 nationally in the event.
On beam, the Wildcats are ranked No. 25, a slight drop from 24th a week ago. Sophomore Heather Hite paces UK?s beam lineup, just missing a top 25 ranking with a 9.850 regional qualifying score.
Kentucky wraps up the regular season on Friday when it travels to seventh-ranked Nebraska. It?s UK?s fourth straight road meet, the first in dual fashion.
