FAYETTEVILLE -- The No. 12 Arkansas gymnastics team will be part of the SEC's first evening of live meet broadcasts tonight when it hosts No. 6 Alabama at Barnhill Arena.
The SEC opener for both schools will be shown on the SEC Network at approximately 7:45 p.m., following the league's first live broadcast of a gymnastics event (No. 21 Auburn at No. 3 Florida) at 6 p.m.
Gymnastics
Arkansas vs. Alabama
WHEN 7:45 p.m.
WHERE Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville
RECORDS Alabama 1-0; Arkansas 0-1
SERIES Alabama leads 28-2-1
NOTEWORTHY Arkansas is No. 7 on floor (48.975), No. 8 on vault (49.1) and No. 27 on bars (48.35) and beam (48.375). … Alabama is No. 2 on floor (49.3), No. 3 on vault (49.375), No. 6 on beam (49.05) and tied for No. 22 on bars (48.5). Tonight is Fan Appreciation Night, with prize giveaways being held before each rotation.
Arkansas Coach Mark Cook said the Razorbacks are feeling the buzz brought about by the live broadcast.
"I've never had so many interviews and things this last week, week and a half," Cook said. "I think the network has caught a lot of attention. Having a live competition is a whole lot different than tape-delayed, especially because it's nationally televised."
Arkansas will be led by sophomore Amanda Wellick and freshman Paige Zaziski, both of whom scored well on three events in last week's season opener at Oklahoma.
Wellick ranks 12th in the floor exercise (9.875) and 24th on the vault (9.85), and Zaziski's 9.9 on the vault is tied for the third-highest score among freshmen and 10th nationally.
The Crimson Tide is guided by Dana Duckworth, who took over after Sarah Patterson, a six-time national champion coach, retired last year.
Alabama sophomore Katie Bailey ranks seventh in all-around (39.375) and is in the top 25 on three individual events. Senior Kaitlyn Clark is second nationally on the vault (9.95), and senior Lora Leigh Frost is second on the floor exercise (9.925).
The Razorbacks opened last week with a 197.625 to 194.9 loss at Oklahoma, which moved up to No. 1 with the nation's top score by 0.5 points over LSU (197.125). The Razorbacks had to count Zaziski's fall on the beam because junior Erin Freier also fell, and two dismount mistakes on the bars by Wellick and Freier also proved costly.
Alabama scored 196.225 last week to rout No. 18 Arizona (194.375).
"They scored well, but they're beatable," Cook said. "I feel Dana is a really good coach and she still has Bryan [Raschilla] as her associate head coach. They know the system and they've got great athletes, but again, Barnhill can be a little intimidating sometimes if we have a lot of people there and it's loud and we're motivated."
The Crimson Tide has dominated in the series with a 28-2-1 margin. Arkansas' last victory came at Barnhill Arena in 2009 when the Razorbacks defeated Alabama 196.625 to 196.525.
Arkansas' top events at Oklahoma were the floor exercise and vault. The Razorbacks are seventh in the nation on the floor and eighth on the vault.
The Crimson Tide's top event is the floor, where they rank second after scoring 49.3 last week.
Sports on 01/16/2015