FAYETTEVILLE — A season of rapid-fire firsts continues for Arkansas gymnastics tonight when the 12th-ranked Razorbacks take on No. 28 Brigham Young at 7 p.m. at Barnhill Arena.
Arkansas, which defeated Georgia and LSU in dual meets for the first time the past two weeks, will hold its first “Pink Meet,” with both teams wearing pink in support of breast cancer awareness.
The Razorbacks (4-2, 4-1 SEC) just completed a fourweek SEC sweep, the first in program history. The streak featured road victories at Kentucky, Auburn and LSU, as well as the upset of No. 4 Georgia the last time Arkansas competed in Barnhill Arena. BYU (9-2-2) is coming off a season-high score of 195.2 last week.
While Arkansas has yet to score 196 like virtually all of the nation’s top teams, the Razorbacks have been churning out victories since a loss to current No. 6 Alabama on Jan. 14.
“That’s one of the biggest assets we have with this team right now is they’re competing to win,” Arkansas Co-Coach Mark Cook said.
“Our scoring has been fine, but not outstanding,” Co-Coach Rene Cook said. “From that point, it’s been a little disappointing. At the same time, being on the floor head to head and beating them also says a lot about your team.
“If we can just clean it up a little bit more so we can get a little bit higher scoring, I think we’ll be in a great place.”
While Arkansas’ streak of all-around victories won or shared by junior Jaime Pisani and freshman Katherine Grable ended at five last week, the Razorbacks got feel-good performances from Mariah Howdeshell and Genny Salvatore in the victory at LSU.
Howdeshell, a junior, won the bars in Baton Rouge with a 9.825, her first event victory as a college gymnast.
“I love bars. I love swinging and showing everyone what I can do,” Howdeshell said.
“Winning it and having people recognize it was the best feeling ever.”
Salvatore rebounded from four knee surgeries, two on each knee, to claim second place on the bars with a 9.8 last week in her first competition.
“It touches your heart when you see someone overcome obstacles like that,” Mark Cook said.
The Razorbacks have competed in Go Pink meets at other venues but will have their first against the Cougars.
“We hope to see our team go out with a lot of confidence and ... be really aggressive, hit their positions and score big,” Mark Cook said.
Howdeshell and her teammates know there are tenths of points waiting to be claimed on every event.
“Handstands on bars and definitely our landings on vault and beam,” Howdeshell said are points of emphasis.
Pisani ranks No. 4 on the floor and No. 14 in the all around to lead Arkansas, which has an average score of 195.204.
Tonight’s meet BYU AT ARKANSAS WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville RECORDS Brigham Young 9-2-2; Arkansas 4-2 RANKINGS Arkansas No. 12; BYU No. 28 NOTABLE Arkansas is coming off its first four-week streak of SEC dual meet victories in program history, including its first victories over Georgia and LSU.
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/18/2011