Arkansas in underdog role as it tries to extend season

FAYETTEVILLE — When the Arkansas Razorbacks won a bid to host an NCAA gymnastics regional in 2017, they hoped to have a highly ranked team capable of advancing to the NCAA Championships.

Instead, injuries hampered the team since the preseason, and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is now a long shot to be one of two teams to advance out of today’s sixteam competition at Barnhill Arena.

The Razorbacks have the fifth-highest regional qualifying score at the meet, trailing top-seeded and No. 4 ranked Utah, No. 9 Denver, No. 16 California and No. 21 Auburn, and ahead of Central Michigan.

“We’re going to have to be really sharp,” said Arkansas Coach Mark Cook. “We have to basically mark all of our landings.

“We can’t give any tenths away. … We don’t have to have a perfect meet to have a chance, but we have to be really, really good.”

Arkansas, which is appearing in its 14th consecutive regional, will serve as host for the fifth time. The top two teams at each of six NCAA regionals qualify for the national championship in two weeks in St. Louis.

The Razorbacks are led by seniors Samantha Nelson and Heather Elswick, junior Braie Speed, sophomore Syndey McGlone and freshmen Michaela Burton, Hailey Garner and Jessica Yamzon, the team’s lone all-around competitor and a member of the SEC All-Freshman team.

Arkansas’ top score, a 196.375 in a dual-meet victory at Auburn on Feb. 3, is lower than the average scores of Pac-12 champion Utah (197.166) and Denver (196.533), which placed second at the Big 12 championships.

The Utes, who are trying to qualify for their 42nd consecutive national finals appearance, are led

by All-Americans MyKayla Skinner, a freshman who was a 2016 USA Olympic team alternate, and senior Baely Rowe.

Denver, led by All-Americans Maddie Karr and Julia Ross, is ranked in the top 10 for the NCAA Championships for the first time in its history.

California, which placed sixth at the Pac-12 championships, qualified for the NCAAs last season for the first time in 24 years.

Auburn is coming off a season-high 196.55 in its sixthplace showing at the SEC Championships.

“Regionals is a hit meet,” Auburn Coach Jeff Graba said. “It’s not really who you are going up against, because if you don’t hit your routines, you aren’t going to make it out. We have the scoring potential to advance, but we’re going up against some very tough opponents.”

Central Michigan, with a high score of 196.575 this season, placed third at the MAC championships with a 196.1. The Chippewas are competing in their 14th regional in the last 19 years.

Cook likes Arkansas’ draw, which will put the Razorbacks

on the balance beam to open the competition.

“I love it,” he said. “Because the balance beam is only 4 inches wide and it tends to get people nervous sometimes. … If we can go out there and rock all our routines and post a high score, the other teams know it. It can make them a little tight, so there’s a psychological effect.”

The regional also features individual all-around competitors Mikailla Northern of Illinois-Chicago, Alexis Brawner of Southeast Missouri State, Ashley Potts and Katherine Prentice of Northern Illinois, and alternate Schyler Jones of Texas Woman’s. Individual event specialists are Jones, Kierstin Sokolowski of Lindenwood (Mo.) and alternate Andie Van Voorhis of Northern Illinois on the vault; Jamyra Carter and Courtney Dowdell of Northern Illinois and alternate Nichelle Christopherson of Arizona State on the bars; Christopherson, Sokolowski and alternate Mallory Moredock of Texas Woman’s on the beam; and Dowdell, Gabrielle Cooke of Illinois State and alternate Erin Alderman of Texas Woman’s on the floor.