No. 21 Kentucky Welcomes Iowa State for Senior Night

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Coming off of the highest home score in program history and the third-best score of all time, the No. 21 Kentucky Wildcats gymnastics team will wrap up the regular season by welcoming Iowa State for the final meet of the regular season, beginning at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.

The meet will be live streamed on the SEC Network+ and can be viewed via the Watch ESPN app. Mark Buerger will be on the call.

Last week, the Wildcats shone in front of their home crowd, posting the highest home score in UK history in a 197.525-196.65 loss to Florida. 

Individual members of the Cats broke five career marks, while five more topped their best performances of the season. After a strong start on the vault, Kentucky flourished on bars, posting the third highest score as a team in program history with a 49.325. Following another impressive beam performance, UK capped the match with a season-best floor routine, in which each of the gymnasts at least tied their season-high marks to lead the team to a 49.325, tying the sixth-best score all-time in the rotation.

For all your meet information, continue below: 

As always, the Kentucky Gymnastics will have plenty promotions for Friday night’s match against Florida. 

• Senior Night at Memorial Coliseum: Kentucky will host its annual Senior Night on Friday evening, honoring seniors Marissa Beucler, Tiara Phipps, Amy Roemmele, Montana Whittle and graduate assistant Alexis Gross. The five individuals will be honored following the final score announcements at the end of the meet.

• American Girl Doll Giveaway: Winners of Kentucky’s “Golden Ticket” social media promotion will be entered for a chance to win a custom Kentucky Gymnastics American Girl Doll. For a chance to be selected for a golden ticket throughout the semester, fans must share the promotional Facebook posts leading up to the meet. Golden ticket recipients must be present for a chance to win. Fans will also have a chance to be entered to win a golden ticket when they show up early to the meet. They can be entered to win the American Girl Doll until 6:30 p.m. at the gazebo on the west concourse.

• Liberty Elementary Wildcat Challenge: The age group from Liberty Elementary school with the highest attendance will win a pizza party with the Wildcat!

• Pre-Meet Promotions: Fans are encouraged to come early and participate in free face painting on the concourse when doors to Memorial Coliseum open at 5:30 p.m. Face painting will be set up near the marketing gazebo on the west concourse. 

Spectator parking is located in the following areas:

• All E-lots surrounding Memorial Coliseum are off control beginning 3 hours prior to the meet.  This includes the North Joe Craft Center, Rose Street, Linden Walk, and College of Education E-lots.

• The South Limestone Garage (PS#5, adjacent to Kennedy’s Bookstore) and the Rose Street Garage (PS#2) are available 2 hours prior to the meet. 

• Disabled parking is available in the E-Lot (Employee Lot) north of the Joe Craft Center, adjacent to the metered spaces running along the front of the Craft Center with a valid, state issued disabled hang tag.  These spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis until full.

• Free shuttle service from the South Limestone Garage (PS#5) is available beginning 2 hours prior to the meet.  The shuttle picks up/drops off on Administration Drive, at the end of the pedestrian sky bridge accessed from the 3rd floor of the parking garage.  The pickup/drop off point is near Memorial Coliseum at the Euclid entrance.  Shuttles will operate until 1 hour post-meet.  

Please note: parking is prohibited in any R-lots (Residential). Vehicles parked in Residential lots without a proper permit, along yellow curbs, grass spaces, or other non-specified and unapproved areas may be subject to ticket and/or tow.

Kentucky freshmen Sidney Dukes has put together a strong showing in all-around throughout the season, with her regional qualifying score ranking No. 24 in the country, as the Tyler, Texas native enters the Iowa State meet with an RQS of 39.26.

DUKES IN ALL-AROUND

National AA Ranking: 24

SEC AA Ranking:         9

AA Ranking in Region 4

AA Ranking among Freshmen: 3

UK has come to define itself this season as a strong beam team, showing steady improvement and solid results throughout the season. The Wildcats now rank No. 18 in the country on the balance beam with an RQS of 49.085, good for sixth in the SEC. The beam lineup in anchored by freshmen Sidney Dukes and Alex Hyland, who individually rank tied for 29th with a 9.865 RQS.

Kentucky sits at No. 21 in the national rankings with a 195.965 in its most recent RQS. Kentucky posted a 196.65, third best team in program history. The Wildcats join the rest of the SEC in the top 25, as the only conference to have its entire conference represented in the top 25.

Following the first four meets of the season, Kentucky averages the sixth largest crowd in the country at home meets, averaging 5,892 in attendance each meet. The average puts UK well above its highest ever attendance average (2014; 3,265). Additionally, the Wildcats are the only team that is top six in attendance without being in the national top-10 rankings. 

Iowa State comes to Memorial Coliseum ranked 36th in the country, with it floor routine boasting the most impressive results with an RQS of 49.065, good for 25th in the country. Haylee Young leads Iowa State’s crew on floor with an RQS of 9.88, good for No. 38 in the country.

The Wildcats follow Iowa State headed to the post season, where the team will begin with the SEC Championship meet in Little Rock before likely heading to the NCAA Regionals. The Wildcats will likely compete in the 2 p.m. session, facing Georgia, Arkansas and Missouri if the current standings hold. 

 

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