UA gymnastics

The Arkansas gymnastics team, coming off a victory over Georgia, will aim to follow its best score in two years and keep their dual meet hot streak against Alabama alive tonight at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks gymnasts will aim for a worthy follow-up to their best score in two years and to keep their dual meet hot streak against Alabama alive tonight.

The Razorbacks (1-3 overall, 1-3 SEC) will take on the No. 10 Crimson Tide (2-2, 2-1 SEC) at 7:30 p.m. Central at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, coming off a 197.175-196.125 victory over No. 11 Georgia, will shoot for its fourth consecutive dual-meet victory over the Tide.

“We talked about enjoying the performance we had but realizing we have more work to do,” Arkansas Coach Mark Cook said. “We can still improve our position and enjoy the victory but move forward to the next challenge. It’s important for us to cycle emotionally and get back up for this meet at Alabama and to be ready.”

Arkansas is in the midst of opening the season against

seven six consecutive SEC opponents for the first time. Each of the opponents is ranked in the top 25.

The Razorbacks have maintained a top-10 ranking by blending a lineup led by veterans Amanda Wellick, Braie Speed and Sydney McGlone with a group of young talent like all-arounders Jessica Yamzon and Sarah Shaffer, as well as Michaela Burton, Sydney Laird and freshman Sophia Carter, who scored a school-record 9.975 on the balance beam and a 9.95 on the floor exercise last week to earn SEC specialist of the week honors.

“Coach tells me to go out there and be you and I was really happy I could deliver that,” Carter said on Friday.

Cook said Carter cannot put too much pressure on herself after the big showing.

“When you have performances like that you start thinking you’ve got to be perfect,” Cook said. “She was really dialed in, and now she just has to keep focused.”

Carter is the nation’s No. 10 beam worker, tied with Alabama’s Kiana Winston. Yamzon moved up 12 spots in the weekly all-around rankings to No. 28 with an average of 39.175 after scoring 39.425 against Georgia.

The Razorbacks maintained their No. 4 ranking in the balance beam after scoring 49.425, the second-highest team score on the apparatus, last week. All six Arkansas performers on the floor set season highs en route to a 49.475 to cap the command performance against the Bulldogs.