By Jacob Most
Feb. 14, 2013 –
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 17th-ranked Kentucky gymnastics team concludes a three-meet home stretch with SEC newcomer Missouri in the annual “Pink Meet” on Friday at 7 p.m. ET inside Memorial Coliseum.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink and those sporting the color will receive $1 admission. All ticket proceeds benefit breast cancer research, education and treatment at the Markey Cancer Center.
Pink shirts will be on sale for $10 with proceeds benefitting the Markey Cancer Center.
Live video coverage as well as results will be available on UKAthletics.com. The meet will air on a delayed basis Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and/or ESPNU with Sam Gore and Kathy Johnson Clarke on the call.
“We’re excited to have Missouri in our conference, and to be hosting them,” Head coach Tim Garrison said. “This should be a great competition for UK gymnastics fans to enjoy. On top of that we are raising funds for breast cancer research and the Markey Cancer Center.
“I’d like to see Memorial Coliseum full for great gymnastics and a great cause.”
Kentucky (4-3-1, 2-2-1 SEC) has a tie and a loss so far this home stand against two teams ranked No. 6 at the time of the meets. The Wildcats are coming off posting one of the best results in school history a week ago when then-No. 18 Kentucky tied No. 6 Georgia 195.825-all.
Three of the Wildcats’ top-four team scores this season have come at home, with the season-high having come last week.
As she has done so often this season, Audrey Harrison led the way for Kentucky against Georgia.
The Knoxville, Tenn., native won the individual all-around title for the second straight week with a career-high 39.3. Harrison also won floor exercise with a career-best tying 9.9, and she now has eight individual titles this season.
Harrison has four all-around crowns this season, and they all have come in SEC competition.
Two Wildcats, Harrison and freshman Jill Chappel, earned season-high 9.825s on vault against Georgia.
Shelby Hilton tied her collegiate-best on bars with a 9.825, leading the Wildcats to a season-high team score on the event.
Freshman Tiara Phipps stepped into the leadoff role on floor for the first time in her career with a season-best 9.775.
Shannon Mitchell has shined at home this season with a career-best matching 9.825 on floor last weekend as a shining example.
The result was Kentucky’s first tie with an opposing squad since the 2004 SEC Championships, and Kentucky had never before tied in a dual meet.
Missouri (1-6, 0-4 SEC) is coming of two consecutive strong performances as the Tigers notched a 194.575 score for the second consecutive week against LSU last Friday at home.
LSU won the meet, but several Missouri Tigers matched or set new career high scores.
Next Friday Kentucky faces top-ranked Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
