NCAA GYMNASTICS REGIONAL

Arkansas in underdog role as it tries to extend season

Braie Speed of Arkansas reacts to her performance on the bars against Missouri Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- When the Arkansas Razorbacks won a bid to host an NCAA gymnastics regional in 2017, they hoped to have a highly ranked team capable of advancing to the NCAA Championships.

Instead, injuries hampered the team since the preseason, and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is now a long shot to be one of two teams to advance out of today's six-team competition at Barnhill Arena.

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NCAA Fayetteville Regional glance

WHEN 4 p.m.

WHERE Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville

WHAT Top two finishers in each of the six regionals advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis on April 14-15

TICKETS $10 adults; $5 for university students with ID and ages 17 and under; $4 groups of 10 or more, $25 family pack of 4 tickets; all tickets are general admission

SEEDED TEAMS (regional qualifying scores) No. 4 Utah (197.55), No. 9 Denver (197.04), No. 16 California (196.515), No. 21 Auburn (196.265), No. 27 Arkansas (195.775), No. 28 Central Michigan (195.765)

QUICK FACTS

Arkansas’ all-time record vs: Utah 1-7; Denver 2-4; California 3-0; Auburn 15-16; Central Michigan 1-0. … Barnhill Arena will host its fifth NCAA Gymnastics regional (2006, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2017). … Arkansas has won two NCAA regionals (2009 in Fayetteville, 2011 in Denver) and has advanced to seven NCAA championships, the last in 2013. … Utah co-Coach Tom Farden was an assistant coach for Arkansas in 2010. … Auburn Coach Jeff Graba is a former Utah assistant, and former Utah All-American Corrie Lothrop is a graduate assistant for the Tigers. … Cal senior Emily Richardson is a Fort Smith native, and her father, Derrick, lettered for the Razorbacks baseball team in 1984-85. Said Richardson, “I’m really excited to go back and compete in my home state, and have everybody there who hasn’t seen me since I got to California.”

Projected Arkansas lineup (in competition order)

BALANCE BEAM Jessica Yamzon, Hailey Garner, Samantha Nelson, Braie Speed, Syndey McGlone, Michaela Burton

FLOOR EXERCISE Yamzon, Makenzie Anderson, Heather Elswick, Nelson, McGlone, Garner

VAULT Kirby Rathjen, Yamzon, Leah MacMoyle, Elswick, McGlone, Speed

UNEVEN BARS Anderson, Garner, Yamzon, Speed, MacMoyle, Burton

The Razorbacks have the fifth-highest regional qualifying score at the meet, trailing top-seeded and No. 4 ranked Utah, No. 9 Denver, No. 16 California and No. 21 Auburn, and ahead of Central Michigan.

"We're going to have to be really sharp," said Arkansas Coach Mark Cook. "We have to basically mark all of our landings.

"We can't give any tenths away. ... We don't have to have a perfect meet to have a chance, but we have to be really, really good."

Arkansas, which is appearing in its 14th consecutive regional, will serve as host for the fifth time. The top two teams at each of six NCAA regionals qualify for the national championship in two weeks in St. Louis.

The Razorbacks are led by seniors Samantha Nelson and Heather Elswick, junior Braie Speed, sophomore Syndey McGlone and freshmen Michaela Burton, Hailey Garner and Jessica Yamzon, the team's lone all-around competitor and a member of the SEC All-Freshman team.

Arkansas' top score, a 196.375 in a dual-meet victory at Auburn on Feb. 3, is lower than the average scores of Pac-12 champion Utah (197.166) and Denver (196.533), which placed second at the Big 12 championships.

The Utes, who are trying to qualify for their 42nd consecutive national finals appearance, are led by All-Americans MyKayla Skinner, a freshman who was a 2016 USA Olympic team alternate, and senior Baely Rowe.

Denver, led by All-Americans Maddie Karr and Julia Ross, is ranked in the top 10 for the NCAA Championships for the first time in its history.

California, which placed sixth at the Pac-12 championships, qualified for the NCAAs last season for the first time in 24 years.

Auburn is coming off a season-high 196.55 in its sixth-place showing at the SEC Championships.

"Regionals is a hit meet," Auburn Coach Jeff Graba said. "It's not really who you are going up against, because if you don't hit your routines, you aren't going to make it out. We have the scoring potential to advance, but we're going up against some very tough opponents."

Central Michigan, with a high score of 196.575 this season, placed third at the MAC championships with a 196.1. The Chippewas are competing in their 14th regional in the last 19 years.

Cook likes Arkansas' draw, which will put the Razorbacks on the balance beam to open the competition.

"I love it," he said. "Because the balance beam is only 4 inches wide and it tends to get people nervous sometimes. ... If we can go out there and rock all our routines and post a high score, the other teams know it. It can make them a little tight, so there's a psychological effect."

The regional also features individual all-around competitors Mikailla Northern of Illinois-Chicago, Alexis Brawner of Southeast Missouri State, Ashley Potts and Katherine Prentice of Northern Illinois, and alternate Schyler Jones of Texas Woman's. Individual event specialists are Jones, Kierstin Sokolowski of Lindenwood (Mo.) and alternate Andie Van Voorhis of Northern Illinois on the vault; Jamyra Carter and Courtney Dowdell of Northern Illinois and alternate Nichelle Christopherson of Arizona State on the bars; Christopherson, Sokolowski and alternate Mallory Moredock of Texas Woman's on the beam; and Dowdell, Gabrielle Cooke of Illinois State and alternate Erin Alderman of Texas Woman's on the floor.

Sports on 04/01/2017