Arkansas freshman enjoys good night all around

Arkansas freshman Paige Zaziski competes on the bars during a meet against Missouri on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Freshman Paige Zaziski landed her first college all-around title and Arkansas used strong performances on the uneven bars and floor exercise to heat up a snowy Friday night in Fayetteville.

The No. 17 Razorbacks had to count a fall on the balance beam but still cruised to a 195.825 to 195.275 victory over No. 23 Missouri in their Flip for the Cure meet before a crowd of 1,724 at Barnhill Arena.

Gymnastics results

NO. 17 ARKANSAS 195.825,

NO. 23 MISSOURI 195.275

ARKANSAS VAULT (49.2) Samantha Nelson 9.8, Stephani Canizaro 9.775, Heather Elswick 9.775, Leah MacMoyle 9.8, Paige Zaziski 9.9, Amanda Wellick 9.9.25 UNEVEN BARS (49.2) Keara Glover 9.775, Elswick , 9.725 , Erin Freier 9.9, Canizaro 9.875 , Wellick 9.125, Zaziski 9.925 BALANCE BEAM (48.2) Freier 9.8, Wellick 9.2, Zaziski 9.7, Nelson 9.75, Glover 8.9, Dillard 9.75 FLOOR EXERCISE (49.225) Canizaro 9.825, Dillard 9.8, Zaziski 9.675, Nelson 9.825, Elswick 9.875, Wellick 9.9 ALL-AROUND Paige Zaziski (Ark.) 39.2, Becca Schugel (Mizzou) 39.1, Laura Kappler (Mizzou) 39.025, Amanda Wellick (Ark.) 38.15.

MISSOURI

UNEVEN BARS (48.925) Becca Johnson 9.775, Katelyn Trevino 9.75, Briana Conkle 9.8, Laura Kappler 9.725, Miranda Eubank , Becca Schugel 9.8

VAULT (48.825) Kennedi Harris 9.675, Trevino 9.575, Kappler 9.825, Angie Kern 9.8, Schugel 9.8, Alyson Heimsath 9.725 FLOOR EXERCISE (48.6) Kern 9.65, Harris 9.8, Kappler 9.675, Conkle 9.525, Heimsath 9.725, Schugel 9.75

BALANCE BEAM (48.925) Heimsath 8.95, Kappler 9.8, Tia Albritten 9.75, Kelli Martin 9.8, Conkle 9.825, Schugel 9.75

"I thought we were really good on three events and we struggled on the balance beam tonight," Arkansas Coach Mark Cook said. "We've just got to settle in on that event."

Zaziski won her first all-around title with a 39.2, captured the uneven bars with an Arkansas freshman record 9.925 and finished second on the vault.

"What I look to do on bars is just have fun," Zaziski said. "I like swinging and I love doing gymnastics, so I just get in my happy place and do my thing."

The Razorbacks also got big lifts from juniors Erin Freier and Sydnie Dillard and sophomore Amanda Wellick, who won the vault (9.925) to open the meet and the floor exercise (9.9) to close it.

Freier, one of Arkansas' tallest gymnasts at 5-7, displayed her graceful lines to great effect while nailing her landing on the uneven bars and scoring a career-best 9.9 to finish in second place on the event. She also opened the beam with a 9.8 to lead Arkansas and tie for second on the event behind Missouri's Briana Conkle (9.825).

Dillard had a 9.8 as part of Arkansas' big 49.225 on the floor, but her most important contribution was holding on to the beam in the anchor spot after falls from Wellick and Keara Glover. Dillard nearly came off the four-inch apparatus for a moment, but she held strong and scored a 9.75, which prevented a scoring disaster that could have cost Arkansas the meet.

"Yes, they might have passed us up," Cook said. "That's the fight you look for in your team. If they're a little bit off, you've got to fight."

Arkansas (5-6, 2-4 SEC) won its first conference meet since its opener against Alabama.

The Tigers (5-6, 0-6 SEC), who were trailing by 0.65 after two rotations, had an opportunity to climb into the lead while Arkansas was scoring 48.2 on the beam. However, Missouri had to count several significant errors on the floor exercise and scored 48.6 to gain back just 0.4 points on their deficit.

The Tigers battled back from having their first gymnast fall off the beam with five consecutive athletes holding on to post a 48.925 on the event.

Wellick rallied after consecutive falls on the bars and balance beam to cap the night with a 9.9 on the floor exercise and claim her 13th event title of 2015. Arkansas' Heather Elswick took second on the floor with three powerful tumbling runs that led to a 9.875. The Razorbacks swept the floor as Stephani Canizaro and Samantha Nelson tied for third on the event.

Arkansas also swept the bars, with Freier and Canizaro (9.875) joining Zaziski on the awards stand.

Arkansas led by .275 after scoring 49.2 on the vault while Missouri was leading off with a 48.925 on the bars. The Razorbacks then posted a season-best 49.2 on the uneven bars, on which they have struggled much of the season, to take control.

Sports on 02/28/2015