Arkansas gymnastics advances to national meet

Arkansas' Amanda Wellick competes Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, in the vault portion of the 11th-ranked Razorbacks' meet with sixth-ranked Kentucky in Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.

Arkansas finished second at the NCAA Columbus Regional on Saturday with a score of 196.775 and advanced to the NCAA championships in St. Louis. It will mark the Razorbacks’ seventh trip to the national championships and first since 2013.

Senior Amanda Wellick took the all-around title with a score of 39.425, while sophomore Jessica Yamzon posted a 39.300. Wellick scored a 9.900 on the balance beam, 9.850 on the floor exercise, 9.850 on vault and 9.825 on bars. Yamzon started the beam rotation with a score of 9.825, then scored 9.850 on the floor, a career-high 9.850 on vault and 9.775 on bars.

UCLA was the top scoring team at 197.650. Ohio State was third with a 196.500, while Boise State (196.225) and Pittsburgh (195.125) rounded out the top five. Kent State finished sixth with a score of 194.900.

Armbrust named region’s top assistant

Arkansas assistant coach Jaime Armbrust has been named the South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women.

With Armbrust coaching the team’s balance beam squad, the Razorbacks set four of the highest individual scores in program history in the event this season. That includes two separate 9.975 scores from freshman Sophia Carter against Georgia, and in Arkansas’ tri-meet against Denver and Iowa State. In the meet against Georgia, sophomores Michaela Burton and Jessica Yamzon tied the previous record score of 9.950.

Armbrust, in her fifth season as an assistant with the Razorbacks, has led the group to event scores of 49.000 or higher in 12 of 13 meets this season.