Razorbacks’ Grable top gymnast in SEC

NWA Media/MICHAEL WOODS  --02/01/2013-- University of Arkansas gymnast Katherine Grable competes during Friday nights meet against Florida at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.
NWA Media/MICHAEL WOODS --02/01/2013-- University of Arkansas gymnast Katherine Grable competes during Friday nights meet against Florida at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.

Arkansas senior All-American Katherine Grable was named the 2014 SEC Gymnast of the Year and teammate Amanda Wellick was named the SEC Freshman of the Year by conference coaches Friday.

Grable won the first five all-around competitions of the season and finished with nine all-around titles in 10 regular-season meets.

She is the second Razorback to be recognized as the conference’s gymnast of the year. Jaime Pisani won the honor in 2012.

“We are really proud of Katherine,” said Mark Cook, Arkansas’ co-head coach. “She has worked extremely hard this year. She has counted her score for us on every event and every routine this season. This is a great honor for her, and I am really glad and thankful for the other coaches in the league to recognize her.”

Grable has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation and is currently ranked third in the country with a regional qualifying average of 39.610. She also matched her career best and school-record mark of 39.725 in the all-around.

In addition to her 18 titles in the all-around and floor, Grable has won 4 vault titles, 3 beam titles and 1 title on the bars to bring her season total to 26 event titles.

Wellick has scored 39.30 or better five times this season and is ranked eighth in the country. Wellick has season-best marks of 39.450 in the all-around, which is the highest mark scored in the country by a freshman, 9.90 on the vault and floor and 9.875 on the bars and beam.

She is the first Arkansas gymnast to earn the league’s freshman of the year award.

“Having Amanda win theSEC Freshman of the Year is a huge accomplishment for our program,” said Rene Lyst, Arkansas’ co-coach. “Amanda has been a huge part of our success this year after coming in and competing in the all-around in all of our meets this season.”

“Amanda is a really mature athlete, and she has competed in all of our competitions this season,” Cook said.“She has been ranked as the top freshman in the country for most of the season, and I am really glad that the other coaches in our league have recognized her.”

Sports, Pages 26 on 03/22/2014

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