FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK Jaime Pisani - Arkansas 5-2 • Ringwood, N.J.
SEC STANDINGS
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Friday, January 23
Florida at Arkansas - Fayetteville, Ark. 1) Arkansas 196.375 2) Florida 195.425
Alabama at Georgia - Athens, Ga. 1) Georgia 197.175 2) Alabama 196.275
LSU at Kentucky - Lexington, Ky. 1) LSU 196.575 2) Kentucky 195.225
Iowa State at Auburn - Auburn, Ala. 1) Auburn 196.275 2) Iowa State 195.225
Monday, January 26
Arkansas at Oklahoma - Norman, Okla. 1) Arkansas 196.900 (School Record) 2) Oklahoma 195.625
THIS WEEK IN THE SEC
Friday, January 30 *Alabama at Arkansas (ESPN2) *LSU at Auburn *Kentucky at Florida (SEC-TV) Georgia at N.C. State
* SEC Meet The Arkansas-Alabama meet will air Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. ET The Kentucky-Florida meet will air Feb. 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET
TEAM BY TEAM NOTES
ALABAMA Crimson Tide The Alabama Gymnastics team posted its highest team score of the season at Georgia Friday with a 196.275. Alabama started the night with its highest uneven bars total of the season, a 49.275. The nation's top-ranked balance beam team, the Tide continued to rock that event, scoring a season-high 49.250. Freshman Geralen Stack-Eaton scored a career-best 9.9 to lead the Crimson Tide on the balance beam. Junior Morgan Dennis posted Alabama's highest all-around score of the season with a 39.4. Junior Ricki Lebegern led off Alabama's uneven bars performance by tying her career-best score, 9.85. Alabama remains on the road next weekend, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark. to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 7 p.m. CT. It will mark the Tide's fourth meet in a row against SEC competition and its third road meet in its first four meets.
ARKANSAS Lady Razorbacks Arkansas got its first win in program history over No. 1 Florida beating both the Gators and the top-ranked team firs the first time. Junior Casey Jo Magee set a school record in the all-around with a 39.525 winning her third consecutive all-around title of the year. Arkansas set a school record on the vault with a 49.325 and had a season-best 49.375 on the floor behind freshman Jaime Pisani who had a career-best 9.925 winning her second individual floor title. The Razorbacks travel to No. 5 Oklahoma Monday for a non-conference meet and host No. 9 Alabama Friday in Barnhill Arena.
AUBURN Tigers The senior duo of Lindsey Puckett and A.J. Mills stole the show as the sixth-ranked Auburn (2-2, 0-1 SEC) gymnastics team routed No. 18 Iowa State (0-3, 0-2 Big 12) 196.275-195.225 on Jan. 23, in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Puckett and Mills combined for the Tiger sweep on all four events and the duo finished one-two in the all-around on career-high marks. Puckett was the vault, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around champion on a career night. She won the all-around on a 39.525, but made her mark by earning a 9.975 on beam for the second-highest score on the event in Auburn history. She was awarded a 9.95 and a perfect 10.0 to combine for the 9.975. It was the first time in Puckett's career that she had earned a 10.0. Mills had a career night of her own, scoring a personal best 9.9 on uneven bars to claim the individual title. The title is her third this season on bars and sixth overall. She finished as the all-around runner-up with a career-best performance of 39.500, a mark that ranks among Auburn's top-10 all-around scores.
FLORIDA Gators Florida saw its 0.575 lead evaporate on the final rotation when its final three balance beam performers fell at No. 8 Arkansas…the resulting team total of 47.90 marked the first time UF has dipped below 48.00 on beam since 2002…the Gators lost 196.375-195.425 to Arkansas – its first loss in the 19 all-time meetings between the two teams…freshman Elizabeth Mahlich turned in the third-highest total for a Gator making their all-around premiere in school history, as she took third overall at 39.325…junior All-American Melanie Sinclair collected her third consecutive uneven bars title of the season with her mark of 9.90. Florida gymnastics team returns hom to play host to Kentucky (1-2, 0-2 SEC) for the third annual Gators Link to Pink meet… the meet is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30...events aimed to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and treatment will be included at Friday's meet...these meets are part of a SEC initiative and all of the league's gymnastics team will participate in a breast cancer awareness meet this season...team colors are set aside as each team will wear pink (but in different shades).
GEORGIA Gym Dogs Georgia improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC with a 197.175-196.275 victory over Alabama on Friday at Stegeman Coliseum. ... The 197.175 is the highest score in the nation (matching the figure posted by Oklahoma earlier this year). ... Courtney Kupets is No. 1 in the nation in the all-around, bars and floor, seventh on beam, and 16th on vault. ... Tiffany Tolnay is No. 4 nationally in the all-around, No. 5 on bars and No. 17 on floor. ..Georgia will travel to North Carolina State on Friday. The Gym Dogs are 31-0 all-time against the Wolfpack. ... Suzanne Yoculan, who is in her final season, now has 808 career victories, which is the most of any coach in any sport all-time at Georgia.
KENTUCKY Gym Kats During the Wildcats' first conference home meet, the No. 11 LSU Tigers (6-1 overall, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) edged Kentucky (1-2, 0-2 SEC), 196.575-195.225, both scores being season-highs for the two teams. UK also secured team season-high scores on three events, uneven bars (48.975), floor (49.200) and vault with head coach Mo Mitchell's career-high total of 49.225 on the event. Anchored by two scores of 9.900 landed by junior Emily Green and freshman Whitney Rose, the Blue and White gave a solid kick start to the meet with a 49.225, a top-10 score for the program. Senior Natalie Rubinstein, who is nationally ranked 14th on the uneven bars, tied her season-high with a 9.850, helping UK earn the team's second season-high of the evening with a 48.975. The Wildcats attempted a comeback on the floor exercise, which has always been a solid event for Kentucky. UK grabbed its third team season-high with a 49.200, with Hite at the front earning her 21st career and ninth floor title. The Parkersburg, W. Va., native took a season-high 9.900 to lead the event, followed by 13th-ranked Ferguson's 9.850.
LSU Tigers LSU moved up one spot to No. 10 in the latest national rankings as the Tigers improved their season average to 195.400 in a victory at Kentucky, 196.575-195.225. LSU upped its record to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC competition. Against Kentucky the Tigers posted season highs on bars (49.300), beam (49.025) and floor (49.075) and held steady on vault with a 49.175. Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney continued her pursuit of 100 career individual titles with four against Kentucky. Clare-Kearney earned titles in the all-around (39.600), vault (9.90), bars (9.925) and floor (9.90), bringing her career total to 94. LSU remained in the top 25 in all four events as a team, including the second-ranked vaulting team. The Tigers will stay on the road Friday by traveling to Auburn, Ala. to take on Auburn at 7 p.m. CST.