FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas gymnastics Coach Mark Cook let his team savor its first road victory over perennial power Alabama all last weekend.
The celebration ended Monday.
Auburn at Arkansas gymnastics
WHEN 7:30 p.m., today
WHERE Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville
RECORDS Auburn 2-2, 1-2 SEC; Arkansas 2-3, 1-1
RANKINGS Arkansas is No. 8 (196.113 average); Auburn is No. 9 (196.106)
LAST YEAR Auburn won 197.075-196.25 in Auburn, Ala.; Auburn won 196.925-195.925 at SECs
SERIES Auburn leads 14-13 overall
TELEVISION SEC Network
EVENT RANKINGS
Vault: No. 6 (tie) Arkansas 49.163, No. 10 Auburn 49.088; Bars: No. 7 Auburn 49.15, No. 13 (tie) Arkansas 49.019; Balance beam: No. 11 Arkansas 48.919, No. 12 Auburn 48.913; Floor exercise: No. 13 Arkansas 49.103, No. 22 Auburn 48.056
NOTEWORTHY Arkansas junior Amanda Wellick ranks No. 10 on the vault (9.887) and No. 27 in the all-around (39.131). … Arkansas sophomore Paige Zaziski is tied for No. 18 on the bars (9.85). … Arkansas senior Sydnie Dillard is tied for No. 15 on the beam (9.856). … Arkansas senior Heather Elswick is out with a wrist injury. … Auburn has won six consecutive meets in the series dating to a 194.175-194.1 Arkansas victory in the SEC Championships on March 24, 2012.
"We said 'Congratulations on your performance down there and being tough, but realize it was a moment,'" Cook said. "It was really awesome, the first time for the program to beat them there, and now we have more moments ahead of us.
"I think they're in a good place, they're hungry and they want more."
The No. 8 Razorbacks (2-3 overall, 1-1 SEC) get their chance for more tonight when they host No. 9 Auburn at Barnhill Arena before a national television audience on the SEC Network.
"We're expecting a big crowd," Cook said. "The band will be there and the students will be back."
Auburn (2-2, 1-2 SEC), led by three-time SEC coach of the year Jeff Graba, has won six consecutive meets in the series dating back to the 2012 SEC Championships, but the Tigers have won only once at Barnhill Arena. Auburn opened with victories over Oregon State and Kentucky but has lost two meets in a row, with a 196.075 versus Alabama and a 195.9 against defending national champion Florida.
"They've had our number for the past couple of years, but all in all I feel we're pretty comparable programs," Cook said. "It's just the team that's the cleanest in hits should have a shot at it. We're very equally matched with those guys."
Arkansas' scoring average of 196.113 is less than a hundredth of a point better than Auburn's 196.106 average.
The Razorbacks are led by junior all-around performer Amanda Wellick, whose 9.9 tied for the vault title last week. She was second with a 9.9 on the beam, while senior Sydnie Dillard and junior Samantha Nelson tied for third, each with a 9.85 on the beam. Nelson, senior Stephani Canizaro and freshman Sydney McGlone all tied for second on the floor last week.
Auburn's top gymnast is senior Caitlin Atkinson, who is tied for 19th nationally on the vault and is 46th in the all-around with a 38.983 average.
Sports on 01/29/2016