FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ? The UK gymnastics team was inched out by the No. 10 Lady Backs at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. Friday night, 195.675-195.175. Kentucky?s score earned them a new season high.
The Wildcats had their best night of the season with scores on vault and beam of 49.000 and 49.125, respectively, reaching new team season highs. The balance beam was the team?s best event of the night and Head Coach Mo Mitchell?s career second best total, behind a 49.350 earned at Arkansas on Feb. 24, 2006.
Kentucky outscored Arkansas on the beam 49.125-48.275. Sophomore Emilie Rymer took the title on beam with a 9.875, and sophomore Hillary Ferguson and freshman Andrea Mitchell earned career highs with 9.775?s.
On bars, Rymer took team top honors with a 9.775 followed by freshman Phylicia Reshard and sophomores Ferguson and Emily Green all swinging 9.750?s. All four Wildcats recorded new season highs. Ferguson and Greens? scores won them career bests.
Green nailed the vault with a 9.900, earning the event title and tying her career best score. Also on vault were Reshard and Rymer hitting a 9.775 and 9.800, respectively, each posting season highs. Mitchell landed a career high with her 9.775 on vault.
The Wildcats are nationally ranked No. 20 on floor and took the title with a 9.900, scored by Ferguson. Rymer tied her season high at 9.875 and freshman Madison Snowden notched a season high of 9.875.
Ferguson, Rymer, and Green each competed in the all-around, landing 39.200, 39.275, and 39.100, respectively. The 39.200 scored by Ferguson was her third career high score of the evening. Rymer?s total tallied a season best and Green tied her career best score.
?The girls showed a lot of heart today,? said Head Coach Mitchell. ?After a slow start, they came back like real champs. We are looking forward to going to Georgia and showing everyone what this team is really about.?
Kentucky will hit the road for the second week in a row and head to Athens, Ga. to face another SEC opponent, the No. 1 University of Georgia Gym Dogs. The meet is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. (ET). For more information on Kentucky gymnastics, please visit www.ukathletics.com.
