Arkansas gymnasts fall to Minnesota

No. 19 Minnesota jumped out to a slender lead in the first rotation and held off the No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks down the stretch for a 197.075 to 196.9 win to deal senior night disappointment before a crowd of 8,218 at Walton Arena.

Seniors Norah Flatley and Kennedy Hambrick had big performances for Arkansas (4-8), which lost its fifth meet in a row to the Golden Gophers (10-6-1). Flatley, a firstyear grad transfer from UCLA, won the uneven bars with a 9.925 and placed second on the floor exercise title with a 9.95 en route to a 39.575 to claim the all-around over Minnesota’s Gianna Gerdes.

The fifth-year senior Hambrick had her best meet of the season, tying for first on the balance beam with the Golden Gophers’ Tiarre Sales at 9.9.

Arkansas had an opening in the final rotation when a pair of Golden Gophers had big mistakes on the balance beam, but the Razorbacks posted a 49.175 on the floor exercise to come up short.

The Razorbacks could not match the precision they showed in posting a 197.4 in their competition against No. 2 Florida at Walton earlier this season. However, they will get to remove a 196.65 from their national qualifying score, which will allow it to bump up marginally.

Arkansas struggled to get precision landings on the vault in the opening rotation, with Frankie Price’s 9.875 the team’s high score on the event while Minnesota was posting a 49.25 on the bars.

The Razorbacks did their best work in the second rotation, posting a 49.35 on the bars, sparked by Flatley, Maddie Jones’ 9.9 and a 9.875 by Cally Swaney.

At the midway point, Minnesota held a slender lead of 98.525 to 98.5. The Razorbacks fell further back in the third rotation as they scored 49.225 on the balance beam with the Golden Gophers were tearing up the floor exercise with a 49.525.

Gerdes led the way with a 9.95 on the floor, while Halle Remlinger and Mya Hooten added 9.925s to keep the Razorbacks at bay.

The Razorbacks will compete in the early session of the SEC Championships next Saturday in Duluth, Ga.