Gymnasts stick finish at NCAAs This is what Co-Coach Rene Cook said before Arkansas began its gymnastics season in January: “We want to be a top-10 team.” The Lady Razorbacks ended up being exactly that, finishing 10 th at last week’s NCAA Championships. It is the highest finish in the program’s six-year history.

“It couldn’t really have gone much better than it went for us,” Co-Coach Mark Cook said. “To culminate our season by reaching our No. 1 goal, to be top 10 in the country, was pretty amazing.... It doesn’t always do that in sports.” Two Lady Razorbacks earned All-America status along the way. Sophomore Michelle Stout became the first Arkansas athlete to compete in an event final, placing fourth overall on vault, while classmate Casey Jo Magee earned second-team All-America honors on vault and uneven bars.

“It’s extremely difficult to do that... and to do that under pressure is a testament to hard work and how talented they are,” Rene Cook said.

Despite their successes, Cook said the returning Lady Razorbacks already are talking about topping them next season.

“They’re more motivated now than they were at the beginning of the year,” Cook said with a laugh. “Knowing next year’s class coming in is as strong, if not stronger, than the two girls we’re losing, we feel really confident in being able to push for that Super Six. That’s all they could talk about on the way home.” Mark Cook called Arkansas’ rise to top-10 status in six years “shocking” and deflected credit to the athletes who “take our motivation and go with it.” “It comes from them and their hearts, because they’re the ones that have to perform,” he said. Lewis hits stretch run While No. 9 Arkansas is expected to be one of eight teams to advance from NCAA West Regional play when the 54-hole tournament is played May 8-10, senior golfer Stacy Lewis is eyeing an even loftier ranking.

Lewis, the two-time SEC champion and defending national champion, is in a heated race with Duke’s Amanda Blumenhurst for national player of the year honors.

Lewis is Golfweek’s No. 1-ranked amateur, based on points awarded for specific finishes in designated tournaments spanning the past 52 weeks. Blumenhurst is ranked first — and Lewis second — in the Golfweek / Sagarin performance index, a ranking based solely on college event results.

A showdown could take place at the NCAA Championships on May 20-23.

“I think she’s best college player in the country, of course, but she’s ready, she’s excited,” Arkansas Coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said of Lewis. “She’s got two more events to try to capture that player of the year honor, and she’s prepared really well. She’s ready to go.” Wrap it up No. 22 Arkansas wraps up the outdoor track regular season this weekend when the bulk of the team stays home for the Arkansas Twilight meet Friday. A handful of distance runners will compete Saturday at a similar meet at Stanford. Coach Lance Harter said the Lady Razorbacks could add to their list of 23 NCAA regional qualifying marks this weekend, but that more of an emphasis is being placed on preparing for next week’s SEC Championships. Senior pole vaulter Stephanie Irwin, who owns one of Arkansas’ four top-10 national qualifying marks, likely will miss Friday’s meet because of an ankle sprain. Shake it off The Lady Razorbacks’ 17 th-ranked tennis team was disappointed Tuesday afternoon after learning it will not host NCAA Tournament matches.

Arkansas will play Wake Forest in a firstround tournament at No. 14 North Carolina. The Lady Razorbacks’ placement essentially makes them the equivalent of a No. 5 seed in the NCAA basketball tournament, as North Carolina is seeded 15 th overall.

Coach Michael Hegarty urged his team to shake off any disappointment quickly and focus on reaching one of its stated goals this season — advancing to the 16-team NCAA Championships that will be held in Tulsa.

“The thing you understand at this time of year, every year, is that everybody’s good and there’s no easy route to get to where everybody’s trying to get,” Hegarty said. “Whether you’re hosting or not, you’re up against a challenge.” By the numbers 9. 90 Sophomore Michelle Stout’s vault score at the NCAA Championships, a mark that earned her first-team All-America status. 9. 90 Sophomore Casey Jo Magee’s uneven bars score at the NCAA Championships, a mark that earned her second-team All-America status. 9. 80 Sophomore Casey Jo Magee’s floor exercise score at the NCAA Championships, also good enough for second-team All-America honors.