LEXINGTON, Ky. ? After ending Senior Night with multiple season high scores and upsets on Friday and Sunday of No. 15 Arizona and No. 26 Ohio State, the University of Kentucky gymnastics team jumped 10 spots in the rankings Monday. UK is now ranked among the top-25 teams in the country, sitting at No. 23. Kentucky is also ranked in three of the five events.
Kentucky?s best event this season has been the floor exercise. The team has remained in the top-20 all year, and now is holding the No. 12 position. UK?s recent score of 49.275 on floor during their last home, meet ranks among the top-5 scores in the school?s history.
The Wildcats are also ranked in the top-25 on vault and balance beam. Vault has been a solid event for the Cats this season. The No. 21 on vault is the team?s highest ranking in seven weeks on that event. Sophomore Emily Green from Penfield, N.Y. is ranked individually on the vault at the No. 18 spot. Green has earned all four of her career vault titles this season, the first of which was brought in during Excite Night against Auburn with a 9.900. The New York native earned a second 9.900 mark against Arkansas.
On the beam Kentucky is No. 23 with a season high 49.225, earned on Senior Night against Arizona and Western Michigan. The score is Head Coach Mo Mitchell?s second highest mark during his career at Kentucky as well as the second highest score in school history.
UK has earned a total of 22 titles this season. Kentucky?s title holders are led by junior Heather Hite with a career 16 titles, five of which have been earned this season. Hite?s highest title score this season is a 9.925 on beam, brought in at Ohio State. Also with five titles this season is Green and sophomore Hillary Ferguson. Green has attained all her title on vault. Ferguson has three titles on floor with a high of 9.925, one on vault, and one on bars.
Kentucky travels to Texas for a quad-meet in Denton, Texas. The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Texas Women?s University. Also competing are Utah State and Centenary. Complete results and coverage of the UK gymnastics team can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
